Snoozing the alarm isn’t terrible, but it’s not great for your health either

• A 2022 sleep study found that 57% of participants hit the snooze button regularly.
• A neuroscientist explains how hitting the snooze button can fragment your last few minutes of sleep.
• She also explains how being late can raise your cortisol levels and make you more stressed.

At 6:45, your first alarm goes off and you hit the snooze button. 6:54am, second alarm goes off and again, hit snooze. Then again, every nine minutes until you realize you can’t hit the snooze button anymore or you’ll be late for work.

A 2022 sleep study found that 57% of participants fell into this category of snoozers, but how can this affect our minds and bodies?

Hitting the snooze button fragments your sleep

According to Emily McDonald, a neurologist based in Florida, waking up to multiple alarms disrupts later stages of sleep, such as REM sleep and slow-wave sleep (deep sleep).

“Let’s say you start your day with 30 minutes of sleep – the last 30 minutes of sleep was poor quality interrupted sleep. So hitting snooze once or twice might not be the worst thing, but more than that it’s not recommended because of the effects on cognition and mood,” McDonald told Business Insider.

“If the first alarm goes off and jolts you out of slow-wave (deep) or REM sleep, pressing snooze allows you to re-enter a lighter stage of sleep (N1 or N2) before you have to fully wake up McDonald said. .

She explains that sleep inertia is a transition period from sleep to wakefulness that is characterized by reduced performance and sleepiness. Research has found that snoozers are more likely to feel sleepy when they wake up, but they’re also more likely to be night owls, which likely accounts for the sleepiness.

Cristina Garcia, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Arizona and owner of the Center for Sleep and Psychological Well-Being, LLC, agrees. She says that setting multiple alarms can cause us to experience more sleep inertia, which will make the whole waking process emotionally and mentally difficult.

“Assuming you don’t fall back asleep between each alarm, then what you’re doing is teaching yourself to ignore your alarms and instead stay awake in bed. This is a no-go from a sleep hygiene perspective and probably from a family/work/school/productivity perspective as well,” Garcia told BI.

You should not press snooze for a long time

McDonald also notes that every time your alarm clock wakes you up, your body releases cortisol—a hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. Studies have found that this can affect your blood pressure and heart rate. Research has also found that high levels of cortisol can stimulate appetite, meaning stress can lead to cravings for fat and sugar.

For McDonald, the amount of time you snooze determines the amount of sleep you interrupt. So, in her opinion, delaying for a long time is not recommended.

“Studies show that immediately after waking up, procrastinators experience a slight improvement in alertness, but this effect disappears after about 40 minutes. It means it really doesn’t hurt your day to hit snooze a few times,” McDonald said.

Despite the fact that there is no evidence to suggest that snoozing is bad for the brain, McDonald does not recommend setting multiple alarms or snoozing more than once. She explains that it’s not the best habit to get into if you want to set yourself up for a productive day.

“A morning routine is essential for a relaxed nervous system, focus, productivity and staying on track to achieve your goals. If you snooze your alarm for another 30 minutes of sleep, then rush home to get ready for whatever you have to do. you get in the morning, you start your day by activating your stress response,” McDonald said.

Garcia agrees, saying that if your goal is to sleep better, then cutting off the last part of your sleep won’t help. “Instead, decide how much time you actually need to get ready, then set your alarm accordingly – and maybe choose a different sound and make it louder. Then include at least one pleasant experience in your morning so that your morning routine is a little more attractive and motivating. Then test it and adjust as needed. Sometimes working with a professional is a great way to get extra support, ideas and accountability.