A recent study conducted in Sweden has shed new light on the age-old debate of whether hitting the snooze button is beneficial or detrimental to our sleep. While many sleep experts advise against snoozing, the research suggests that it may not be as harmful as previously thought.
The study involved two parts. Firstly, researchers surveyed over 1,700 individuals about their sleep habits and found that nearly 70% of them routinely hit the snooze button. The participants cited feeling too tired to wake up or simply enjoying the feeling of snoozing as their main reasons for doing so.
In the second part of the study, 31 habitual snoozers spent several nights in a sleep lab. On one morning, they were allowed to hit the snooze button every 10 minutes for up to 30 extra minutes of rest. On another morning, they had to get up immediately after their alarms went off. After waking up, the participants were subjected to cognitive tests, including math problems, to assess their mental performance.
Interestingly, the results showed that participants performed slightly better on some of the cognition tests when they were allowed to snooze for 30 minutes. Additionally, their sleep quality did not significantly worsen due to the morning snoozing. The lead author of the studies, suggests that “half-sleeping” or remaining in a drowsy state instead of fully waking up may actually be helpful for individuals who tend to feel very tired in the mornings.
However, it is important to note that the sleep lab portion of the study involved a small number of participants, and their average age was around 27. Therefore, it is challenging to draw broad conclusions about the effects of snoozing on sleep based solely on this study. Furthermore, individuals with insomnia symptoms or difficulties sleeping in places other than their own beds were excluded from the research.
Experts in the field agree that there is limited research on snoozing, making it difficult to definitively determine whether it is a good or bad practice. A study conducted in 2022 with 450 participants in the United States found no significant decrease in overall sleep duration among those who snoozed. However, another study involving around 300 university students in Japan discovered that snoozing led to more prolonged sleep inertia, characterized by grogginess, confusion, irritability, and impaired cognitive function upon awakening.
Researchers believe that hitting the snooze button can result in waking up from a lighter stage of sleep, which can make the waking process less unpleasant compared to abruptly transitioning from deep sleep.
While the study provides some interesting insights into snoozing habits, experts caution against relying on the snooze button excessively. Expert suggests that habitual snoozers may be experiencing underlying issues such as sleep deprivation or undiagnosed sleep disorders like narcolepsy or sleep apnea.
Instead of setting multiple alarms and snoozing repeatedly, experts recommend alternative methods to help individuals wake up more effectively. Placing the alarm clock or phone across the room can break the habit of relying on the snooze button and make it harder to slip back into sleep. Additionally, getting exposure to sunlight in the morning can aid in waking up.
Sleep specialist also suggests that if one has the luxury of time and can afford to hit the snooze button repeatedly, it might be more beneficial to set the alarm for a later time and maximize uninterrupted rest between interruptions.
While the recent study offers some insights into the effects of hitting the snooze button, there is still a lack of substantial evidence to definitively determine its impact on sleep. It is crucial for individuals to evaluate their own sleep patterns and consider consulting a healthcare professional if they experience persistent fatigue or suspect underlying sleep disorders.
