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CTV News
5 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Snooze alarms may cost you vital sleep — three experts weigh in on the habit
The snooze button has been a common feature of alarm clocks for decades. PeopleImages/iStockphoto/Getty Images via CNN Newsource When jolted awake by the blare of an alarm clock, it's tempting to reach for the snooze button to catch a bit more shut-eye. In my case, 'just five more minutes' is practically a morning mantra. And what's the harm? There's increasing debate about your snoozing habit, and whether or not it's silently sabotaging your morning. On the 'stop snoozing' side of the research, sleep scientist Dr. Rebecca Robbins suggests the snooze alarm may actually cost us sleep. 'That first alarm may interrupt vital stages of sleep, and anything that you might be able to get after hitting the snooze alarm is probably going to be low quality and fragmented sleep,' said Robbins, an associate scientist for the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital. The average snoozer takes an extra 11 minutes after their first alarm, according to a new study coauthored by Robbins that used data from the sleep-tracking app SleepCycle. That adds up to about one night's worth of sleep per month spent snoozing. As we sleep, the brain cycles through different stages of neurological activity and the second half of the night is dominated by rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when most of our dreaming is thought to take place. It's an important sleep stage for our cognitive function and memory consolidation, said Robbins, who is also an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. 'When you press the snooze button, especially for just a few minutes at a time, you're not likely to return to that REM stage,' Robbins said. But for a different take, there are sleep experts like Dr. Justin Fiala, a pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine physician at Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute. There isn't consensus on whether this lighter sleep achieved during a snooze session always does more harm than good, said Fiala, who is also an assistant professor at Northwestern Medicine. On one hand, losing out on quality sleep instead of just waking up later may increase the risk of cognitive impairment and lower one's mood. 'Certainly, if you're feeling worse off (and) more tired from the snooze alarm, I would recommend going back to waking up cold turkey without it,' said Fiala, who also runs the CommunityHealth Chicago sleep clinic. On the other hand, those with a certain chronotype — a natural disposition determined by factors such as age and genetics — may benefit from the habit, Fiala said, referencing a 2023 study which found night owls tend to rely on their snooze button more. 'If your chronotype is nocturnal, you're a night owl, but your work schedule requires you to be up at 5 a.m., that increases the dissonance between what your body is naturally inclined to do,' Fiala said. For these night owls, the brief period of light sleep induced by the snooze button may actually help them transition from deeper stages of sleep interrupted by the first alarm into wakefulness, he said, adding that more research should be done to fully understand this effect and its limitations. Regardless of one's chronotype, this distinction of who gets the most out of snoozing can also help inform how to get the most out of snoozing. Consistency is key Most sleep experts emphasize adults get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night for good health and emotional well-being. Sleeping enough can also reduce feelings of tiredness upon waking, but the consistency of your sleep timing is just as important as duration, said Kimberly Honn, an associate professor of psychology at Washington State University Spokane. At deep stages of sleep, electric pulses of the brain reach a highly rhythmic pattern different from our more erratic, awakened state, she explained. Trying to wake up during these stages cuts important brain maintenance processes short and can lead one to experience the foggy effects of sleep inertia, which can last for several minutes or even hours after waking up. When the body is accustomed to a regular sleep schedule, it may reduce the experience of sleep inertia upon waking, Honn said. The body can grow accustomed to moving through each sleep stage at similar times, ensuring sleep cycles are completed before waking and eventually allowing you to fall asleep faster. 'In the perfect world, we would not be relying on an alarm clock at all,' Robbins said. 'We would be able to fall asleep and wake up naturally and have energy throughout the day.' Fiala said he generally recommends varying bedtimes by no more than 30 minutes per night, even on weekends. If you have to switch schedules, he says you should change it incrementally over time. Optimizing your morning routine It's possible people who use the snooze button less simply don't have the luxury to sleep past their alarm, Robbins suggested. Inflexible work schedules could require first responders to start their shift promptly, or parents may have to rally their children out the door and toward the school bus. For this reason, Robbins recommends those trying to ditch a snoozing habit introduce more time constraints into their morning routine by setting the first alarm as late as possible. 'Ask yourself: Is there anything in that morning routine that you could maybe do without? Or maybe you could find a way to do it faster?' Robbins said. Snoozing could also mean you're losing out on time that could be used for adding wakefulness-promoting habits into your morning routine. The heaviest snoozers tracked in Robbins' study used around 22 to 27 minutes resting after the first alarm — time that could be used for stretching, journaling or cooking a nutritious breakfast, Robbins suggested. 'We talk a lot about wind down routines and bedtime rituals. I think morning rituals are also really lovely to help you get excited about your day,' Robbins said. 'It's important to find something to look forward to, whether that's a meeting in the morning, making yourself a cup of coffee, whatever helps motivate you (and) gets you out of bed.' Timing your alarm to the sunrise and allowing natural light to come through your windows in the morning can also help signal your body to wake up, Honn said.
CNN
5 days ago
- Health
- CNN
Snooze alarms may cost you vital sleep — three experts weigh in on the habit
Editor's note: Sign up for CNN's Sleep, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide has helpful hints to achieve better sleep. When jolted awake by the blare of an alarm clock, it's tempting to reach for the snooze button to catch a bit more shut-eye. In my case, 'just five more minutes' is practically a morning mantra. And what's the harm? There's increasing debate about your snoozing habit, and whether or not it's silently sabotaging your morning. On the 'stop snoozing' side of the research, sleep scientist Dr. Rebecca Robbins suggests the snooze alarm may actually cost us sleep. 'That first alarm may interrupt vital stages of sleep, and anything that you might be able to get after hitting the snooze alarm is probably going to be low quality and fragmented sleep,' said Robbins, an associate scientist for the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital. The average snoozer takes an extra 11 minutes after their first alarm, according to a new study coauthored by Robbins that used data from the sleep-tracking app SleepCycle. That adds up to about one night's worth of sleep per month spent snoozing. As we sleep, the brain cycles through different stages of neurological activity and the second half of the night is dominated by rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when most of our dreaming is thought to take place. It's an important sleep stage for our cognitive function and memory consolidation, said Robbins, who is also an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. 'When you press the snooze button, especially for just a few minutes at a time, you're not likely to return to that REM stage,' Robbins said. But for a different take, there are sleep experts like Dr. Justin Fiala, a pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine physician at Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute. There isn't consensus on whether this lighter sleep achieved during a snooze session always does more harm than good, said Fiala, who is also an assistant professor at Northwestern Medicine. On one hand, losing out on quality sleep instead of just waking up later may increase the risk of cognitive impairment and lower one's mood. 'Certainly, if you're feeling worse off (and) more tired from the snooze alarm, I would recommend going back to waking up cold turkey without it,' said Fiala, who also runs the CommunityHealth Chicago sleep clinic. On the other hand, those with a certain chronotype — a natural disposition determined by factors such as age and genetics — may benefit from the habit, Fiala said, referencing a 2023 study which found night owls tend to rely on their snooze button more. 'If your chronotype is nocturnal, you're a night owl, but your work schedule requires you to be up at 5 a.m., that increases the dissonance between what your body is naturally inclined to do,' Fiala said. For these night owls, the brief period of light sleep induced by the snooze button may actually help them transition from deeper stages of sleep interrupted by the first alarm into wakefulness, he said, adding that more research should be done to fully understand this effect and its limitations. Regardless of one's chronotype, this distinction of who gets the most out of snoozing can also help inform how to get the most out of snoozing. Most sleep experts emphasize adults get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night for good health and emotional well-being. Sleeping enough can also reduce feelings of tiredness upon waking, but the consistency of your sleep timing is just as important as duration, said Kimberly Honn, an associate professor of psychology at Washington State University Spokane. At deep stages of sleep, electric pulses of the brain reach a highly rhythmic pattern different from our more erratic, awakened state, she explained. Trying to wake up during these stages cuts important brain maintenance processes short and can lead one to experience the foggy effects of sleep inertia, which can last for several minutes or even hours after waking up. When the body is accustomed to a regular sleep schedule, it may reduce the experience of sleep inertia upon waking, Honn said. The body can grow accustomed to moving through each sleep stage at similar times, ensuring sleep cycles are completed before waking and eventually allowing you to fall asleep faster. 'In the perfect world, we would not be relying on an alarm clock at all,' Robbins said. 'We would be able to fall asleep and wake up naturally and have energy throughout the day.' Fiala said he generally recommends varying bedtimes by no more than 30 minutes per night, even on weekends. If you have to switch schedules, he says you should change it incrementally over time. It's possible people who use the snooze button less simply don't have the luxury to sleep past their alarm, Robbins suggested. Inflexible work schedules could require first responders to start their shift promptly, or parents may have to rally their children out the door and toward the school bus. For this reason, Robbins recommends those trying to ditch a snoozing habit introduce more time constraints into their morning routine by setting the first alarm as late as possible. 'Ask yourself: Is there anything in that morning routine that you could maybe do without? Or maybe you could find a way to do it faster?' Robbins said. Snoozing could also mean you're losing out on time that could be used for adding wakefulness-promoting habits into your morning routine. The heaviest snoozers tracked in Robbins' study used around 22 to 27 minutes resting after the first alarm — time that could be used for stretching, journaling or cooking a nutritious breakfast, Robbins suggested. 'We talk a lot about wind down routines and bedtime rituals. I think morning rituals are also really lovely to help you get excited about your day,' Robbins said. 'It's important to find something to look forward to, whether that's a meeting in the morning, making yourself a cup of coffee, whatever helps motivate you (and) gets you out of bed.' Timing your alarm to the sunrise and allowing natural light to come through your windows in the morning can also help signal your body to wake up, Honn said.
CNN
5 days ago
- Health
- CNN
Snooze alarms may cost you vital sleep — three experts weigh in on the habit
Editor's note: Sign up for CNN's Sleep, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide has helpful hints to achieve better sleep. When jolted awake by the blare of an alarm clock, it's tempting to reach for the snooze button to catch a bit more shut-eye. In my case, 'just five more minutes' is practically a morning mantra. And what's the harm? There's increasing debate about your snoozing habit, and whether or not it's silently sabotaging your morning. On the 'stop snoozing' side of the research, sleep scientist Dr. Rebecca Robbins suggests the snooze alarm may actually cost us sleep. 'That first alarm may interrupt vital stages of sleep, and anything that you might be able to get after hitting the snooze alarm is probably going to be low quality and fragmented sleep,' said Robbins, an associate scientist for the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital. The average snoozer takes an extra 11 minutes after their first alarm, according to a new study coauthored by Robbins that used data from the sleep-tracking app SleepCycle. That adds up to about one night's worth of sleep per month spent snoozing. As we sleep, the brain cycles through different stages of neurological activity and the second half of the night is dominated by rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when most of our dreaming is thought to take place. It's an important sleep stage for our cognitive function and memory consolidation, said Robbins, who is also an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. 'When you press the snooze button, especially for just a few minutes at a time, you're not likely to return to that REM stage,' Robbins said. But for a different take, there are sleep experts like Dr. Justin Fiala, a pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine physician at Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute. There isn't consensus on whether this lighter sleep achieved during a snooze session always does more harm than good, said Fiala, who is also an assistant professor at Northwestern Medicine. On one hand, losing out on quality sleep instead of just waking up later may increase the risk of cognitive impairment and lower one's mood. 'Certainly, if you're feeling worse off (and) more tired from the snooze alarm, I would recommend going back to waking up cold turkey without it,' said Fiala, who also runs the CommunityHealth Chicago sleep clinic. On the other hand, those with a certain chronotype — a natural disposition determined by factors such as age and genetics — may benefit from the habit, Fiala said, referencing a 2023 study which found night owls tend to rely on their snooze button more. 'If your chronotype is nocturnal, you're a night owl, but your work schedule requires you to be up at 5 a.m., that increases the dissonance between what your body is naturally inclined to do,' Fiala said. For these night owls, the brief period of light sleep induced by the snooze button may actually help them transition from deeper stages of sleep interrupted by the first alarm into wakefulness, he said, adding that more research should be done to fully understand this effect and its limitations. Regardless of one's chronotype, this distinction of who gets the most out of snoozing can also help inform how to get the most out of snoozing. Most sleep experts emphasize adults get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night for good health and emotional well-being. Sleeping enough can also reduce feelings of tiredness upon waking, but the consistency of your sleep timing is just as important as duration, said Kimberly Honn, an associate professor of psychology at Washington State University Spokane. At deep stages of sleep, electric pulses of the brain reach a highly rhythmic pattern different from our more erratic, awakened state, she explained. Trying to wake up during these stages cuts important brain maintenance processes short and can lead one to experience the foggy effects of sleep inertia, which can last for several minutes or even hours after waking up. When the body is accustomed to a regular sleep schedule, it may reduce the experience of sleep inertia upon waking, Honn said. The body can grow accustomed to moving through each sleep stage at similar times, ensuring sleep cycles are completed before waking and eventually allowing you to fall asleep faster. 'In the perfect world, we would not be relying on an alarm clock at all,' Robbins said. 'We would be able to fall asleep and wake up naturally and have energy throughout the day.' Fiala said he generally recommends varying bedtimes by no more than 30 minutes per night, even on weekends. If you have to switch schedules, he says you should change it incrementally over time. It's possible people who use the snooze button less simply don't have the luxury to sleep past their alarm, Robbins suggested. Inflexible work schedules could require first responders to start their shift promptly, or parents may have to rally their children out the door and toward the school bus. For this reason, Robbins recommends those trying to ditch a snoozing habit introduce more time constraints into their morning routine by setting the first alarm as late as possible. 'Ask yourself: Is there anything in that morning routine that you could maybe do without? Or maybe you could find a way to do it faster?' Robbins said. Snoozing could also mean you're losing out on time that could be used for adding wakefulness-promoting habits into your morning routine. The heaviest snoozers tracked in Robbins' study used around 22 to 27 minutes resting after the first alarm — time that could be used for stretching, journaling or cooking a nutritious breakfast, Robbins suggested. 'We talk a lot about wind down routines and bedtime rituals. I think morning rituals are also really lovely to help you get excited about your day,' Robbins said. 'It's important to find something to look forward to, whether that's a meeting in the morning, making yourself a cup of coffee, whatever helps motivate you (and) gets you out of bed.' Timing your alarm to the sunrise and allowing natural light to come through your windows in the morning can also help signal your body to wake up, Honn said.
CNN
5 days ago
- Health
- CNN
Snooze alarms may cost you vital sleep — three experts weigh in on the habit
Winding downFacebookTweetLink Follow Editor's note: Sign up for CNN's Sleep, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide has helpful hints to achieve better sleep. When jolted awake by the blare of an alarm clock, it's tempting to reach for the snooze button to catch a bit more shut-eye. In my case, 'just five more minutes' is practically a morning mantra. And what's the harm? There's increasing debate about your snoozing habit, and whether or not it's silently sabotaging your morning. On the 'stop snoozing' side of the research, sleep scientist Dr. Rebecca Robbins suggests the snooze alarm may actually cost us sleep. 'That first alarm may interrupt vital stages of sleep, and anything that you might be able to get after hitting the snooze alarm is probably going to be low quality and fragmented sleep,' said Robbins, an associate scientist for the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital. The average snoozer takes an extra 11 minutes after their first alarm, according to a new study coauthored by Robbins that used data from the sleep-tracking app SleepCycle. That adds up to about one night's worth of sleep per month spent snoozing. As we sleep, the brain cycles through different stages of neurological activity and the second half of the night is dominated by rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when most of our dreaming is thought to take place. It's an important sleep stage for our cognitive function and memory consolidation, said Robbins, who is also an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. 'When you press the snooze button, especially for just a few minutes at a time, you're not likely to return to that REM stage,' Robbins said. But for a different take, there are sleep experts like Dr. Justin Fiala, a pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine physician at Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute. There isn't consensus on whether this lighter sleep achieved during a snooze session always does more harm than good, said Fiala, who is also an assistant professor at Northwestern Medicine. On one hand, losing out on quality sleep instead of just waking up later may increase the risk of cognitive impairment and lower one's mood. 'Certainly, if you're feeling worse off (and) more tired from the snooze alarm, I would recommend going back to waking up cold turkey without it,' said Fiala, who also runs the CommunityHealth Chicago sleep clinic. On the other hand, those with a certain chronotype — a natural disposition determined by factors such as age and genetics — may benefit from the habit, Fiala said, referencing a 2023 study which found night owls tend to rely on their snooze button more. 'If your chronotype is nocturnal, you're a night owl, but your work schedule requires you to be up at 5 a.m., that increases the dissonance between what your body is naturally inclined to do,' Fiala said. For these night owls, the brief period of light sleep induced by the snooze button may actually help them transition from deeper stages of sleep interrupted by the first alarm into wakefulness, he said, adding that more research should be done to fully understand this effect and its limitations. Regardless of one's chronotype, this distinction of who gets the most out of snoozing can also help inform how to get the most out of snoozing. Most sleep experts emphasize adults get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night for good health and emotional well-being. Sleeping enough can also reduce feelings of tiredness upon waking, but the consistency of your sleep timing is just as important as duration, said Kimberly Honn, an associate professor of psychology at Washington State University Spokane. At deep stages of sleep, electric pulses of the brain reach a highly rhythmic pattern different from our more erratic, awakened state, she explained. Trying to wake up during these stages cuts important brain maintenance processes short and can lead one to experience the foggy effects of sleep inertia, which can last for several minutes or even hours after waking up. When the body is accustomed to a regular sleep schedule, it may reduce the experience of sleep inertia upon waking, Honn said. The body can grow accustomed to moving through each sleep stage at similar times, ensuring sleep cycles are completed before waking and eventually allowing you to fall asleep faster. 'In the perfect world, we would not be relying on an alarm clock at all,' Robbins said. 'We would be able to fall asleep and wake up naturally and have energy throughout the day.' Fiala said he generally recommends varying bedtimes by no more than 30 minutes per night, even on weekends. If you have to switch schedules, he says you should change it incrementally over time. It's possible people who use the snooze button less simply don't have the luxury to sleep past their alarm, Robbins suggested. Inflexible work schedules could require first responders to start their shift promptly, or parents may have to rally their children out the door and toward the school bus. For this reason, Robbins recommends those trying to ditch a snoozing habit introduce more time constraints into their morning routine by setting the first alarm as late as possible. 'Ask yourself: Is there anything in that morning routine that you could maybe do without? Or maybe you could find a way to do it faster?' Robbins said. Snoozing could also mean you're losing out on time that could be used for adding wakefulness-promoting habits into your morning routine. The heaviest snoozers tracked in Robbins' study used around 22 to 27 minutes resting after the first alarm — time that could be used for stretching, journaling or cooking a nutritious breakfast, Robbins suggested. 'We talk a lot about wind down routines and bedtime rituals. I think morning rituals are also really lovely to help you get excited about your day,' Robbins said. 'It's important to find something to look forward to, whether that's a meeting in the morning, making yourself a cup of coffee, whatever helps motivate you (and) gets you out of bed.' Timing your alarm to the sunrise and allowing natural light to come through your windows in the morning can also help signal your body to wake up, Honn said.
Medscape
23-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Women Use REM-Disruptive Snooze Alarm More Often Than Men
An analysis of more than 21,000 people worldwide suggested that 56% used the snooze function on their alarm regularly, interrupting sleep patterns researchers said are important for rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Women had significantly longer snooze durations than men (11.5 vs 10.2 minutes), with heavy users averaging 20.2 minutes of daily snoozing, investigators found. METHODOLOGY: Researchers included data of over 3 million sleep sessions of over 21,000 users of a sleep-monitoring smartphone application (54% men) from July 2022 to December 2022. Participants resided primarily in the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, and Germany. Users could opt for traditional snooze features in the smartphone application. Sleep sessions lasting 4 hours or longer were included in the analysis. Participants were heavy, moderate, or light users if > 80%, 40%-60%, and < 20% of their sleep sessions ended with a snooze alarm, respectively. TAKEAWAY: In all, 56% of sleep sessions ended with the use of a snooze alarm. Women more frequently used the snooze alarm (mean snooze alarm sessions, 2.5; 95% CI, 2.5-2.6; mean daily snoozing time, 11.5 minutes) than men (mean snooze alarm sessions, 2.3; 95% CI, 2.3-2.4; mean daily snoozing time, 10.2 minutes). The use of snooze alarms was significantly higher on weekdays than on weekends ( P < .001). Heavy, moderate, and light users pressed the snooze button 4, 1.7, and 1.2 times and snoozed for an average of 20.2, 6.3, and 3.0 minutes, respectively. < .001). Heavy, moderate, and light users pressed the snooze button 4, 1.7, and 1.2 times and snoozed for an average of 20.2, 6.3, and 3.0 minutes, respectively. Participants in Sweden used snooze alarms the most (mean snooze alarm sessions, 2.7), and those in Japan and Australia used it the least (mean snooze alarm sessions, 2.2). Long sleep sessions (> 9 hours) were more likely to end with a snooze alarm than those of the recommended duration (7-9 hours) or short sleep sessions (< 7 hours). Participants who went to bed earlier than usual used a snooze alarm less often, whereas those who went to bed later than usual used it more often. IN PRACTICE: 'The hours just before waking are rich in rapid eye movement sleep. Hitting the snooze alarm will interrupt these critical stages of sleep and typically only offer you light sleep in between snooze alarms. The best approach for optimizing your sleep and next day performance is to set your alarm for the latest possible time, then commit to getting out of bed when your first alarm goes off,' lead investigator Rebecca Robbins, PhD, Division of Sleep Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, said in a press release. SOURCE: This study was published online on May 19 in Scientific Reports . LIMITATIONS: This study's sleep duration likely overestimated actual sleep due to unmeasured sleep latency and awakenings. Data reflected time in bed, not true sleep time. Snooze alarm data were objective, but users may have been awake during snooze periods, potentially inflating snooze estimates. Data on age and self-reported feelings on waking up were not available. Additionally, wake time variability and self-reported sleep quality were not assessed. DISCLOSURES: Funding information was not provided for this study. Several authors reported having financial relationships with various sources. One author was employed by the application manufacturer. Details are provided in the original article.
