Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable
For years, my nighttime routine has involved a lengthy social media binge. It always starts as “one last scroll” as a way to decompress. I’ve spent many a night looking like that one Sarah Paulson meme, face glowing in the dark.
Doomscrolling is practically a national pastime in 2026. Studies indicate that anywhere from 31 to 64 percent of U.S. adults do it regularly. With over half of us bringing our phones to bed every night, doomscrolling is often linked to sleep disturbances.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, a smart alarm clock called the Ambient Dreamie was pitched as a doomscrolling habit-breaker. Ambient CEO Adrian Canoso told me he came up with the idea amid a stretch of insomnia. The Dreamie doesn’t rely on a separate app or subscription; it’s a phone-free bedside companion.
The catch is that the Dreamie isn’t cheap: Ambient sells it for $249.99. (The code SLEEPWELL will save you $25 during Sleep Week through March 14.) I’ve spent the past month snoozing next to one to find out if it’s actually worth the money.
How the Dreamie works
The Dreamie is a white pill-shaped gadget with no external branding. It has a circular display with a clock face, adaptive brightness, and touchscreen controls. It’s corded, so you don’t need to recharge any batteries.
A warm light ring supports RGB effects. You can dim it by swiping your finger along a touch strip. Twisting the light ring changes the speaker’s volume. The device comes with an audio library of 15 sleep “scenes,” paired with lighting effects for ambiance.
The Dreamie has Bluetooth support, so you can use it with the best sleep earbuds. When you first set up the Dreamie, it prompts you to reflect on your sleep cycles and set goals. You can customize your “sleep routine” with different audio and lighting scenes. The routine has three phases:
- Bedtime Cue: warns you it’s time to start winding down
- Wind Down: helps you fall asleep
- Noise Mask: keeps you asleep
You can also program a “wake-up schedule” with alarms, sounds, and sunrise simulations.
Hands-on with the Dreamie: What makes it special?
The Dreamie makes it easy to pretend like your phone doesn’t exist. It eliminates most reasons for bringing your phone to bed by offloading alarms, lighting, and sleep content.
The Dreamie’s scenes helped quiet my mind. I’ve started relaxing and falling asleep much faster than usual. I found the “Wave Breathwork” and “Light Rain” scenes particularly effective.
Mornings are better with the Dreamie. The “Bells” alarm sound with a sunrise simulation is a pleasant change from my usual harsh alarm. The Dreamie is subscription-free, and you don’t need to create an account to use it.
The Dreamie has Platinum Certification from the Calm Tech Institute for minimizing bedroom phone usage and respecting privacy.</