I have one of the Philips wake-up lights[0] which gradually brightens its lamp over 30 minutes before playing some optional bird-chirping.
The gradual light-up feature gives it an edge over the sharp turn-on of a lamp plugged into a timer, but I'm often lying on my side with my back to the lamp, in which case the bird-chirping wakes me instead of the light.
I'm thinking of running a cord from the Philips's bulb socket to the bulb in a floor lamp which I can position above my head (instead of to one side, like the Philips).