Latest news with #sleepstudy
Fox News
22-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Most Americans hit the snooze button every morning — here's why it could be bad for your health
More than half of sleep sessions end with the snooze button, with people sneaking in an extra 11 minutes on average, a new study reveals — but experts say it may not be a good idea. Researchers from Mass General Brigham analyzed data from the Sleep Cycle app, which included sleep habits from more than 21,000 people globally. Among the more than three million sleep sessions tracked, nearly 56% ended with the snooze button. The heaviest users of the snooze button — who used it for more than 80% of the mornings included in the study — slept an average of 20 extra minutes. These heaviest snoozers were also shown to have "more erratic sleep schedules" than those who used the snooze button less often, the researchers found. The snooze button was more likely to be used on weekdays and less so on Saturdays and Sundays. The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports. "Unfortunately, the snooze alarm disrupts some of the most important stages of sleep," said lead author Rebecca Robbins, PhD, in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, in a press release. "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 light sleep in between snooze alarms." "Snoozing feels good, but effectively results in less sleep." It's common for people to feel grogginess upon waking up, called "sleep inertia," which can make the snooze button tempting, according to Dr. David Kuhlmann, spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and medical director of sleep medicine at Bothwell Regional Health Center in Sedalia, Missouri. "While hitting snooze may make it easier for some to wake up, it's not recommended," Kuhlmann, who wasn't involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "Falling back to sleep for just a few extra minutes disrupts your sleep cycle, which can impact your mood and energy throughout the day." Alex Dimitriu, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist and sleep medicine doctor and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California, agreed that hitting the snooze button is disruptive to one's rest. "Snoozing feels good, but effectively results in less sleep," Dimitriu, who also did not participate in the research, told Fox News Digital. "Snoozing specifically impacts REM sleep or dream sleep, which happens most in the morning hours." REM (rapid eye movement) sleep has wide-ranging benefits, according to the expert — including that it helps regulate emotions by repeating past events and preparing for the future. "There is evidence that our brains get emotionally calibrated during REM sleep — so it matters a lot," Dimitriu added. "When the alarm goes off, we should feel ready to start our day," Dr. Stephen Carstensen, a dentist and sleep expert in Washington, told Fox News Digital. It's as simple as breaking the habit, noted Cartensen, who wasn't part of the MGB study. "Habits are changed by determination, which is always easy to say, hard to do," he said. "Just don't do it, and soon the habit is gone." If someone feels like they need those extra minutes, however, the expert suggests thinking about what might need to change. "Maybe you aren't going to bed early enough, or sleep quality suffers from snoring or other breathing problems," he said. "You might have another sleep problem or a bed partner who keeps you from getting good sleep." "The issue isn't really the snooze button, but why you need it." To optimize sleep and feel rested the next day, experts recommend setting the alarm for the latest possible time and getting out of bed when it goes off the first time. "Most people use the snooze button either because they go to bed too late or because an early-morning wake time does not line up with their natural sleep cycle," Dimitriu said. "The issue isn't really the snooze button, but why you need it." In both cases, he recommends adhering to a consistent sleep schedule that you can stick to, with "regular(ish)" bedtimes and wake times. "It also helps to put down shiny, colorful screens full of interesting information in the hour before bed," Dimitriu added. "You need to slow down to get sleepy, or you won't get sleepy." "I tell my patients 'tech off at 10' — dimming the lights and reading a book helps a lot." Kuhlmann recommends that people keep their phones across the room at night to force them to get out of bed when the alarm goes off. "If you're hitting snooze regularly, it could be a sign that you aren't getting enough or good-quality sleep," he noted. "To improve your sleep, prioritize healthy sleep habits, like keeping a consistent bedtime, avoiding large meals and alcohol before bed, and aiming for at least seven or more hours of sleep per night." For more Health articles, visit If someone is still overly reliant on the snooze button even after improving sleep habits, it may be a sign of unrefreshing sleep from an underlying disorder, Kuhlmann warned. "In that case, speak with your healthcare provider, who may refer you to an AASM-accredited sleep center for treatment."
Forbes
22-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Snooze Button Pressed Over 55% Of Time After Sleep, Alarm, Study Says
Over half (55.6%) of the sleep sessions recorded in a study published in journal Scientific Reports ... More ended with a pressing of the snooze button. In fact, when people pressed the snooze button, they tended to do it again and again—hitting it an average of 2.4 times per sleep session for an average of 10.8 minutes extra snooze. (Photo: Getty) You could say that people are hitting the snooze button at a rather alarming frequency. Over half (55.6%) of the sleep sessions recorded in a study published in journal Scientific Reports ended with a pressing of the snooze button. In fact, when people pressed the snooze button, they tended to do it again and again—hitting it an average of 2.4 times per sleep session for an average of 10.8 minutes extra snooze. So if you find yourself regularly using the snooze button like so many of the study participants, should you just let such behavior rest? Or would this be a you snooze you lose situation? First, here's a heads up (as opposed to a heads down on the pillow) about the study that produced these results. The study was an analyses of data from 21,222 people in different parts of the world using a smartphone app named SleepCycle. Most (43.6%) of the participants were in the United States, followed by 12.7% from the United Kingdom, 9.9% from Japan, 6.5% from Australia and 6.2% from Germany. The app can function as an alarm clock, allowing the user to choose either a traditional snooze, where hitting a snooze button turns off the alarm for specified duration before the alarm goes off again, or what's called a 'smart snooze' where the alarm clock will sound again depending on where someone is in his or her sleep cycle. A team from the Brigham and Women's Hospital (Rebecca Robbins, Matthew D. Weaver, Stuart F. Quan and Charles A. Czeisler) and Sleep Cycle (Daniel Sääf and Michael Gradisar) conducted the study. Of note, the researchers tossed out any sleep sessions that were less than four hours. That's probably because sleeping for less than four hours is more of a nap than a full I'm-going-to-get-in-my-jammies-and-see-you-in-the-morning sleep session. This left 3,017,276 recorded sleep sessions from July 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022, to be analyzed for the study. Snooze button behavior did vary by day of the week. Not surprisingly, it was more common to hit the snooze button Monday through Friday than it was on weekends. Any guesses as to why this was the case? It wouldn't happen to be a word that rhymes with twerk, would it? Although the study didn't track why specifically people hit the snooze button, it's likely that work had something to do with this trend. Snooze button behavior did also have some variation by month of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, December had on average the highest amount of snooze use, with the snooze button being pushed an average of 2.62 times for 11.83 minutes of snooze per sleep session. By contrast, September had lowest snooze alarm activity, with averages of 2.40 times and 10.58 minutes. Guess what happened in the Southern Hemisphere? Yep, this was flipped around with July being the snooziest month with an average of 2.35 snooze alarm presses and 10.2 minutes of snooze per sleep session and November being the least snoozy month at 2.29 and 10.12 minutes. So, it looks like the months that are traditionally the coldest with the shortest durations of daylight had the greater snooze button activity. This probably isn't super surprising either since getting out of bed when it's cold and dark may not be as easy as when it's warn and sunny outside. There wasn't a huge amount of variation by country, although Sweden came out on top in terms of snooze alarm use (an average of 2.7 times) and snooze sleep (11.7 minutes). Those in Japan used snooze alarms the least (2.2 times) with the least snooze sleep (9.2 minutes). Australians also used the snooze alarms 2.2 times on average. The United States came in third in both categories at 2.5 times and 11.3 minutes. Naturally, a country's averages shouldn't necessarily apply to everyone in that country. In another words, should you encounter someone from Sweden, it's not appropriate to say, 'I bet you hit the snooze button more often.' Then there was the sex, meaning the sex of the participants. Women on average hit the snooze more often (2.5 times per sleep session) than men (2.3 times). In the process, women spent more time on the snooze (11.5 minutes versus 10.2 minutes). So, what might this say about women and men? Again, population averages don't necessarily reflect what's happening with each individual. Plus, such a population cohort study doesn't let you know what's happening an the individual level. Does this mean that more women are getting less restful sleep than men? Does this mean that more women are dreading the day whether it's due to having more work or more unpleasant circumstances than men? It's difficult to say from this study alone. One thing's for sure, that extra amount of shut eye after the alarm goes off won't be the same as getting that amount added to your sleep in an interrupted manner. I written previously in Forbes about the importance of regularly getting enough sleep and potential health consequences of not doing so. Well, a good night's sleep doesn't just mean a certain total number of hours and minutes, no matter how they add up. Instead, it means cycling sequentially through all of the following stages of sleep, as described by Eric Suni for the Sleep Foundation: Now, you may cycle through these stages multiple times during a lengthy sleep session. But you have to go through the stages in the above order. Usually, you won't hit the pillow and suddenly be in REM Sleep, for example. The same applies to when you are falling back asleep. Therefore, hitting the snooze button will likely get you to no more than Stage 1 sleep, if that. This wouldn't bring you anywhere near restorative sleep. In essence, snooze time is lose time. You are losing time being either half or lightly asleep. Therefore, it's better to wake up and get up after that first alarm goes off. Otherwise, you are only delaying the inevitable. Ideally, you wouldn't even need the alarm and would be waking up naturally, excited to welcome the new day. But that's another story. If you find yourself relying on that snooze button regularly, chances are you aren't getting enough sleep. Therefore, it's better to either get to sleep earlier on a regular basis or set your alarm for a later time for when you really are going to get up and stay awake. While the snooze button may seem like a nice sleep preserver, it really isn't. You may not know what you really lose when you snooze.
Fox News
20-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Most sleep-deprived cities in US revealed in report: Where does yours rank?
Where you live could affect how you sleep at night. New research from Innerbody revealed that some areas of the country are more sleep-deprived than others. The study used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other benchmarks from the 100 most populous cities in the U.S., ranking each on sleep duration and quality. For each city, the researchers analyzed the prevalence of five metrics — physical activity, obesity, alcohol consumption, mental distress, and noise and light pollution — all of which can impact sleep quality. Below are the top 10 most sleep-deprived cities, according to the study results. The researchers noted that many of these cities are in the eastern half of the U.S., and Ohio appears multiple times. While these cities ranked as the most overall sleep-deprived, Honolulu, Hawaii, placed No. 1 for worst sleep duration, with 42.3% of adults getting fewer than seven hours of shuteye per night. That's followed by Norfolk, Virginia; New Orleans, Louisiana; Detroit, Michigan; and Huntsville, Alabama. Memphis, Tennessee, ranked No. 1 for the city with the worst sleep quality, followed by New Orleans, Louisiana; Norfolk, Virginia; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Corpus Christi, Texas. The study also identified the country's least sleep-deprived cities, listed below. The researchers commented that cooler temperatures in some of these locations could boost sleep quality. Sleep expert Wendy Troxel, PhD – a RAND Corporation senior behavioral specialist and licensed clinical psychologist in Utah – confirmed in an interview with Fox News Digital that, per her own research, location can have an impact on sleep. "It's often said that your zip code can influence your health as much as your genetic code," she said. "Together, these results highlight that this saying holds true for sleep health as well." "It's often said that your zip code can influence your health as much as your genetic code." Troxel's latest research, published in the journal Sleep Health, showed that improving sleep health requires "moving beyond individual-focused approaches and considering broader strategies" in relation to neighborhoods, she said. This includes investing in neighborhood improvements to enhance sleep quality and overall population health. For more Health articles, visit "Considering the strong connection between sleep health issues and preventable chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke, our findings suggest that interventions aimed at improving neighborhood conditions could yield significant benefits," she added.
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Study reveals how much sleep each country gets - so, do you snooze more or less than everyone else in Britain?
Whether you're a morning person or can barely drag yourself out of bed, everyone knows how important a good night's sleep can be. Now, scientists have revealed which countries are getting the most rest. According to a study of 50,000 people in 20 different countries, the UK is the world's fifth sleepiest nation - getting an average of seven hours and 33 minutes each night. But it is France that claims the top spot as the world's most rested nation, with the average French citizen snoozing for seven hours and 52 minutes. At the bottom of the sleeping league table is Japan, where the average person dozes for just six hours and 17 minutes. That means the average Japanese citizen gets over an hour and a half less sleep than their French counterpart - translating to a more than 40-hour difference in a month. However, while missing out on sleep can lead to a number of health problems, the researchers found that countries where people got less sleep weren't any less healthy. Senior author Professor Steven Heine, of the University of British Columbia, says: 'There is no one-size-fits-all amount of sleep that works for everyone.' Although doctors commonly recommend eight hours every night, Professor Heine and his colleagues found that sleep duration actually varies significantly between countries. When asked how much sleep they had last night, citizens of European and Australian countries tended to be better rested. Following behind France, people in the Netherlands reported having the second most sleep each night, with seven hours and 45 minutes on average. This was closely followed by Belgium and New Zealand, where citizens reported sleeping for seven hours and 41 minutes and seven hours and 40 minutes respectively. On the other hand, people in Asian countries reported sleeping for significantly shorter periods of time. In Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore, people reported sleeping for less than seven hours a night on average. The biggest outlier was the US, where residents sleep for just seven hours and two minutes per night. That puts America below China and India for time spent sleeping. What came as a surprise was that countries where people slept less didn't appear to be any unhealthier. Even though some Asian countries sleep for two hours less than the recommended eight hours per day, there was no evidence of lower life expectancy or higher rates of heart disease and diabetes. Curiously, the researchers also discovered that countries with lower amounts of sleep also tended to have lower rates of obesity. According to the study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, this suggests that how much sleep is needed might be determined by culture rather than biology. Previous studies had attempted to explain these differences by referring to a biological difference between ethnicities. But as the researchers point out, a comparison between Japanese and Asian-Canadian students showed that ethnicity did not predict sleep needs or hours spent sleeping. Lead author Dr Christine Ou, of the University of Victoria, says: 'People who slept closer to their own culture's norms for sleep duration tended to have better overall health. 'This suggests that the ideal amount of sleep is the amount that matches what is considered appropriate sleep in one's cultural context.' Japan, where people sleep the least at night, has a culture which often emphasises hard work at the expense of sleep. This has led to a phenomenon called 'inemuri', or 'sleeping while present', where workers fall asleep at their desks or in public due to over-exhaustion For example, the researchers note that France has a culture which emphasises the benefits of sleeping for a long time. Japanese culture, on the other hand, often stresses the importance of diligence and hard work and values sleeping for shorter periods. This has even led to a phenomenon called 'inemuri', or 'sleeping while present', where workers fall asleep at their desks or in public due to over-exhaustion. However, these cat naps can actually be seen as a positive sign of hard work rather than laziness. The researchers argue that these cultural differences might lead to real medical differences in how much people from different countries should sleep. This might even be something that medical professionals need to take into account when designing public health advice on sleep. Professor Heine says: 'Despite the common advice to get eight hours of sleep, our findings suggest that sleep recommendations need to be adjusted based on cultural norms.' ABOUT CIRCIDIAN RHYTHMS Our internal circadian rhythms, or circadian clock, is responsible for waking our bodies up in the morning and ensuring they get a good night's rest. In a healthy person, cortisol levels peak at around 8am, which wakes us up (in theory), and drop to their lowest at 3am the next day, before rising back to its peak five hours later. Ideally, this 8am peak will be triggered by exposure to sunlight, if not an alarm. When it does, the adrenal glands and brain will start pumping adrenaline. By mid-morning, the cortisol levels start dropping, while the adrenaline (for energy) and serotonin (a mood stabilizer) keep pumping. At midday, metabolism and core body temperature ramp up, getting us hungry and ready to eat. After noon, cortisol levels start their steady decline. Metabolism slows down and tiredness sets in. Gradually the serotonin turns into melatonin, which induces sleepiness. Our blood sugar levels decrease, and at 3am, when we are in the middle of our sleep, cortisol levels hit a 24-hour low.
