I used to use a Outside-In light (the last one was American in origin) - it has an alarm mode that will bring the light up slowly - and more pertinently it can be set to dim the light over a period. It allows you to wake properly and begin to set a rhythm to the whole day.

May be worth a thought.

Also - do you get a really strong shot of light mid-day? daylight usually does it but not if overcast or muggy. A lot of insomnia is traceable to seratonin levels and the same organisations that sell the alarm clocks sell light boxes to replace missing daylight in the winter.
Upset circadian rhythms often cause poor sleep. The strong light resets the body clock and seratonin production. Jet lag is cited as similarly affecting seratonin, though taking it never seemed to improve jet lag.