As convenient as it might be to use your phone as an alarm clock, standalone alarm clocks come with all kinds of features that can make waking up — or even going to sleep — a little less painful.

My iPhone ringtone is not natural. Radio is. Pretty much anywhere in America, you can catch an NPR station. I never listen to NPR on my own, but it's nice to wake up to. At 7 A.M., it's gentle ...