Heatherwick Studio has joined forces with Tala, the British lighting brand renowned for its precision engineering and design-led approach to sustainability, to launch Wake, a sleep light.
Bringing together cutting-edge sleep science, natural materials and careful craftsmanship, Wake offers a serene way to wind down and wake up – using gentle light and nature-inspired
sound to improve sleep routine and wellbeing.
Crafted from hand-spun ceramic and pressed glass, Wake features a rotating tactile dial that allows users to adjust sunrise and sunset-inspired light and curated soundscapes. These range from rhythmic alphorn wake-up tones to rainforest recordings. The accompanying Tala app helps users create personalised sleep routines with intuitive design and seamless smart home integration.
Thomas Heatherwick, founder and design director of Heatherwick Studio, said:
“In the realm of sleep, the digital revolution has been wreaking havoc. Instead of your bedroom being a calm, intimate place for recuperation, your entire world of messaging, news and entertainment, is right
next to you, beckoning for your attention.
“Wake is our attempt to re-establish the sacredness of sleep and bring back analogue calm into the digital age. It is an alternative form of bedside light and alarm, made from natural materials, that uses light, touch, and sound to rid ourselves of yet more plasticky tech devices, and instead conjure up nature to help
restore sleep to its rightful place in our lives.”
The first product in Tala’s growing smart lighting range, Wake offers customers a fresh and thoughtful take on sleep technology, challenging conventional light alarm forms with a design that that
emphasizes aesthetics, materiality and functionality.
Tala co-founder Josh Ward said:
“Light is the strongest cue for our circadian clock, yet our bedrooms and routines are often filled with disruptors. Wake draws on sleep science to simulate a gradual, biologically effective sunrise, blending warm-to-bright light with calming nature sounds. This gentle approach replaces harsh alarms and helps you wake in a natural and restorative way. It also supports low-light evening wind-downs that promote
melatonin release and encourage healthier rituals around rest.
“Better sleep starts with better habits. Our three-step sleep challenge encourages a regular sleep-wake schedule, removing phones from the bedroom, and reading as a nightly wind-down ritual. These small, deliberate habits, supported by Wake’s light and sound design, help retrain our bodies
and minds for deeper, healthier rest.”
With mental health and sleep wellness top of mind for many, Wake responds to a rapidly growing $600B global sleep market with a solution that balances design integrity, natural materials, and sleep science.
Science Meets Ritual: Wake’s Sleep Protocol
Research shows that light is one of the strongest signals for regulating our internal clock, and that evening exposure to blue light suppresses melatonin and delays sleep. Wake is designed around these principles, encouraging three simple but powerful habits:
1. Set a regular sleep-wake schedule
Wake’s gentle light fades at night and brightens in the morning, supporting natural circadian rhythms. Paired with calming audio, it creates a relaxed,
screen-free start to the day.
2. Reduce phone use in the bedroom
By replacing harsh phone alarms and bedtime scrolling with soothing light cues, Wake helps remove screens from your sleep space, reducing disruptive blue-light exposure.
3. Promote reading and wind-down rituals
Wake’s warm, dim evening light supports quieter routines like reading before bed, replacing screens with activities proven to aid relaxation and prepare the body for sleep.
Availability
Available in the UK (£255), US ($295), and EU (€305) at tala.co.uk and John Lewis.
Sleep Science references:
[1] Roenneberg, T. & Merrow, M. (2016). The circadian clock and human health. Current Biology, 26(10), R432–R443.
PMID: 27218855 • DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.04.011
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27218855/
Explains how natural light exposure at dawn and dusk is the strongest signal for synchronising the circadian rhythm, influencing sleep timing, mood, and metabolism.
[2] Cajochen, C. et al. (2011). Evening exposure to LED-backlit screens impacts circadian physiology and sleep. Journal of Applied Physiology, 110(5), 1432–1438. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00165.2011
A landmark study demonstrating that evening exposure to blue-enriched LED light suppresses melatonin and delays sleep onset.