Smart alarm clock with Home Assistant - create a morning routine

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For detailed instructions and an explanation of all configuration options, I recommend the YouTube video linked below. In this video, every single setting is explained in detail so that you receive comprehensive instructions for the exact setup. You can find any code from the video in this article so that you can use it directly without having to type it in.

What is Home Assistant?

Home Assistant is an open source platform for home automation that aims to connect and centrally control all devices in the home. It is designed to provide a unified user interface and simple, flexible control for a variety of smart home devices from different ecosystems. Here are some points in favor of Home Assistant:

1. CompatibilityHome Assistant supports thousands of devices and services from various manufacturers, including lighting, air conditioning, heating, cameras, weather sensors, voice assistants and more.
2. Local controlUnlike many commercial smart home platforms that rely on cloud services, Home Assistant runs locally on your network. This means increased privacy and reliability, as your smart home devices work even without an active internet connection.
3. Automation and scenesOne of the main features of Home Assistant is the ability to create complex automations and scenarios. For example, you can have lights switch on automatically when it gets dark or turn on the heating when the temperature falls below a certain level.
4. Simple user interfaceHome Assistant offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to monitor and control devices. This interface is fully customizable.
5. Integration with voice assistantsHome Assistant can be integrated with voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to enable voice-controlled control of your smart home devices.
6. Open source and community-drivenSince Home Assistant is open source, it is supported by an active community that is constantly developing new integrations and improving existing ones.
7. Data protection and securityAs a locally running platform, Home Assistant has the advantage that the data remains within its own network. This protects privacy and increases security compared to cloud-based solutions.

In summary, Home Assistant is a powerful and flexible solution for those who want to design their own smart home and control their devices centrally, regardless of the manufacturer or ecosystem.

Why a smart alarm clock?

This innovative solution offers you a customized option for an efficient morning routine. By allowing you to set customized actions before your alarm, it creates a seamless transition into the day. The flexibility to control the timing of your wake-up alarm and restrict actions based on your personal preferences and location maximizes your productivity and comfort when waking up. The integration of sunset and sunrise times optimizes your natural circadian rhythm and promotes a smooth start to the day. You can raise blinds as a precaution or use light to imitate the glow of the sun in winter to better wake you from sleep.

What is a blueprint?

A blueprint in Home Assistant is a template or blueprint for automating procedures or processes in your smart home system. It is a structured configuration file that contains ready-made automation logic that you can reuse to complete specific tasks.

A blueprint defines the various input parameters, conditions, triggers and actions required for a specific automation. By using a blueprint, you can quickly and easily customize an automation by simply changing the input parameters instead of creating the entire configuration from scratch. This enables efficient and flexible automation of smart home processes in Home Assistant.

One advantage of using an existing blueprint in Home Assistant is the time saved and the simplified configuration. As the blueprint already contains ready-made automation logic, you don't have to start from scratch and create the entire configuration yourself. Instead, you can simply adjust the predefined input parameters to adapt the automation to your specific requirements.

This saves time and effort when creating automations and allows you to integrate new functions into your smart home system quickly and efficiently. In addition, using an existing blueprint often also offers a certain level of security and reliability, as it has been tested and possibly improved by other users.

How do I add a blueprint outside the community?

To create a blueprint directly in your Home Assistant instance without the user interface, you need to edit the configuration files manually. Here is a step-by-step guide:

1. Open the configuration filesConnect via SSH or a similar tool to the server on which Home Assistant is running. Navigate to the directory containing the Home Assistant configuration files.
2. Navigate to the correct directory: Go to the directory blueprints within the Home Assistant configuration directory. If this directory does not exist, create it.
3. Create a new file for the blueprint: Within the directory blueprints create a new file with the extension .yaml. The name of the file should be a description of the blueprint, e.g. wake_up.yaml.
4. Edit the YAML fileOpen the newly created file in a text editor and insert the blueprint code. Make sure that the structure and syntax of the YAML code is correct, as YAML is very sensitive to indentations and characters.
5. Save the fileSave the file after inserting the blueprint code and close the text editor.
6. Check the configurationPerform a check of the Home Assistant configuration to ensure that there are no errors. You can do this with the command ha core check if you have the Home Assistant CLI. However, you can also perform the check in the user interface.
7. Start or update Home AssistantRestart or update Home Assistant for the changes to take effect. This may vary depending on your installation method.

After these steps, the Blueprint should be successfully created and available in your Home Assistant instance. You can now use the Blueprint ID to reference and use it in your automations.

Blueprint smart alarm clock for Home Assistant

This blueprint is an extension of the blueprint Wake up to configurable actions at next alarm (android) from the Home Assistant community. This is deprecated, but still works perfectly!

blueprint:
  name: Wake up to configurable actions at next alarm (Android)
  description: Wakes you up to configurable actions at your phones next alarm with
    an offset
  domain: automation
  author: saschabrockel
  source_url: https://community.home-assistant.io/t/wake-up-to-configurable-actions-at-next-alarm-android/438300
  input:
    offset:
      name: Offset
      description: Set an offset in seconds to the next alarm. When (before) the action
        should run
      selector:
        number:
          min: 0.0
          max: 3600.0
          mode: box
          step: 1.0
          unit_of_measurement: Seconds
    alarm_source:
      name: Alarm Source
      description: Select the alarm source
      selector:
        entity:
          integration: mobile_app
          device_class:
          - timestamp
          multiple: false
    alarm_package:
      name: Alarm Package
      description: Enter the package that has to be the trigger of the next alarm
      default: "com.sec.android.app.clockpackage"
      selector:
        text:
    alarm_helper:
      name: Alarm Helper
      description: Select the date time helper
      selector:
        entity:
          integration: input_datetime
          multiple: false
    location:
      name: Location
      description: Location where the person need to be for the action(s) to run
      selector:
        entity:
          integration: zone
          multiple: false
    sunset_sunrise_active:
      name: Sunset Sunrise
      description: Only run during night time (between sun set and sun rise)
      default: false
      selector:
        boolean: {}
    people:
      name: People
      description: Actions only when this person is in the location specified
      selector:
        entity:
          integration: person
          multiple: false
    actions:
      name: Actions
      description: Actions to run before alarm goes off
      default: []
      selector:
        action: {}
variables:
  offset: !input 'offset'
  sunset_sunrise_active: !input 'sunset_sunrise_active'
trigger:
- platform: time
  at: !input 'alarm_helper'
  id: wake_up
- platform: state
  entity_id:
  - !input 'alarm_source'
  id: helper_update
condition:
- condition: state
  entity_id: !input 'alarm_source'
  attribute: Package
  state: !input 'alarm_package'
action:
- choose:
  - conditions:
    - condition: trigger
      id: helper_update
    - condition: template
      value_template: '{{ trigger.to_state.state not in ["unknown", "unavailable"]
        }}'
    sequence:
    - service: input_datetime.set_datetime
      data:
        timestamp: '{{ (as_timestamp(trigger.to_state.state) |int ) - (offset)}}'
      target:
        entity_id: !input 'alarm_helper'
  - conditions:
    - condition: trigger
      id: wake_up
    - condition: zone
      entity_id: !input 'people'
      zone: !input 'location'
    - condition: or
      conditions:
      - condition: template
        value_template: '{{ sunset_sunrise_active == false }}'
      - condition: sun
        before: sunrise
        after: sunset
    sequence: !input 'actions'
  default: []
mode: single

This blueprint in Home Assistant allows you to configure actions to be performed before your Android phone's next alarm. Here is an explanation of the different sections:

1. Blueprint metadata:
   • name: The name of the blueprint.
   • description: A brief description of what the Blueprint does.
   • domain: The area to which the blueprint belongs, in this case automation.
   • author: The author of the Blueprint.
   • source_url: The URL under which the blueprint can be found.
2. Inputs:
   • offsetAn offset in seconds to specify when the action should be executed before the alarm.
   • alarm_sourceThe source of the alarm, usually a mobile device connected to the Home Assistant app.
   • alarm_package: The package (the app) that triggers the next alarm.
   • alarm_helper: A date and time helper used to store the time of the next alarm.
   • location: The location where the person must be in order for the actions to be executed.
   • sunset_sunrise_activeAn option to specify whether the actions should only be executed during the night (between sunset and sunrise).
   • peopleThe person for whom the actions are to be executed.
   • actionsThe actions to be performed before the alarm.
3. Variables:
   • offsetValue of the offset entered.
   • sunset_sunrise_activeValue of the input for the "Sunset/sunrise active" option.
4. Trigger:
   • time: The trigger is based on the time spent in the alarm_helper-input is defined.
   • state: The trigger occurs when the condition of the alarm_source-entity changes.
5. Conditions:
   • Checks whether the status of the alarm corresponds to that in the alarm_package-The package matches the package specified in the
6. Action (Actions):
   • Checks various conditions, including the time (wake_up-trigger), the location and sunset/sunrise conditions before the actions are executed.
   • If all conditions are met, the defined actions are executed.
7. Mode:
   • singleThis means that the blueprint is only executed once when the triggers occur.

In summary, this blueprint allows configuring actions to be performed before the next alarm of an Android phone in Home Assistant with various customization options such as offset, alarm source, location, sunset/sunrise activity, etc.

YouTube video implementation

https://youtu.be/9Pop7macc28

Conclusion

In an increasingly connected world, a smart alarm clock is the perfect way to optimize your morning routine and make your day more productive. With the flexibility to set customized actions before your alarm, you can experience a smooth transition into the day and increase your productivity. The integration of sunset and sunrise times synchronizes your natural circadian rhythm and supports an energetic start to the day. In addition, the use of home assistant blueprints like this one enables customized automation that meets your personal needs and offers you maximum convenience. A smart alarm clock is not just a gadget, but an indispensable tool for an optimized wake-up experience and a successful start to the day.

Interested, but lack time or knowledge?

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