If you miss  your old LCD alarm clock then Awaken can cure the nostalgia.

Awaken packs a full set of features into your iPhone/iPod touch that may force you to ditch the standard clock app. It’s strength is in the many features it offers to customize your alarm experience. For example, you can wake up to any song or Podcast on your iPhone. Don’t like how long the snooze time is? Simply adjust it. Tweak the volume to change how loud or soft the alarm song should play. If you tire of a particular song and don’t want to choose a different one nightly, then Awaken will shuffle the music choices for you.

If you have an extensive music collection, the only downside here is you will have to do a lot of scrolling to find the songs you want as there is no search function. It may be best to scan by artist or a playlist you have established.

Awaken also provides options for how the clock should display. Pick the classic LED light in several colors, or go for the old-school flip clock or 8-bit look. Need a light so you don’t stumble into the wall when heading for that midnight snack? Shake your iPhone and Awaken will bring up a flashlight.

The only catch is that in order to allow Awaken to help you rise and shine you must leave the app running when you go to bed. This of course really isn’t the developers’ fault — it’s that whole one-app-at-a-time thing that a few people have been griping about since the iPhone launched.

Settings options are quite impressive in Awaken, even going in to such detail as whether or not to fade in the sound or brightness of the alarm. If instead of waking up to music you wish for it to put you to sleep, then tinker around with the sleep timer. This option plays music for a period of time you specify. Throw in some music and then doze off without worrying about burning through the battery all night.

Awaken is an excellent tool for managing your sleep—both waking and going to bed. It is well worth a download if you want more options for using your iPhone as an alarm than what is currently available.

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app category: Editor's Picks, Lifestyle