Latest news with #snoozebutton
CTV News
3 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
When you snooze, you might lose hours of sleep each month. Here's how to stop
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. By Kameryn Griesser, CNN
CTV News
26-05-2025
- 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.
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.
