;Resize=(1200,627)&impolicy=perceptual&quality=mediumHigh&hash=99fdcad34fff03493dfc4fcb447006da2a8894d8a9d79de8ee5082672097a488 "Sleep study: always having trouble sleeping? Who even feels good about snoozing")
The snooze button on your alarm clock or cell phone may have an undeserved bad reputation. At least that’s what a study suggests, the results of which were published in the Journal of Sleep Research. As a Swedish-led research group describes, it even seems to be an advantage not to jump out of bed at the first alarm, but to push the alarm clock away a few more times – but only for certain people.
Whether you let yourself be woken up by a classic alarm clock or a cell phone: For morning grouches, the snooze button or snooze function is a blessing, as it allows you to cancel the alarm signal and only let it sound again a few minutes later. But snoozing, as the change between waking up and going back to sleep is also called, has a bad reputation – the constant delay in getting up messes up the internal clock and the brain. The result is fatigue that lasts throughout the day with corresponding consequences for cognitive performance. In English it is also said “You snooze, you lose”, i.e. whoever snoozes loses.
„You snooze, you lose“ – was ist dran?
A research group led by Tina Sundelin from Stockholm University conducted two studies to investigate whether the phrase is really justified. In the first, a good 1,700 people were asked about their morning habits – including whether they use the snooze function. 69 percent said they hit the snooze button at least sometimes, extending their time in bed by an average of 22 minutes. Specifically, the respondents named very different snooze times, from one minute to three hours. Young adults and night owls particularly frequently reported delaying getting up using the snooze button. The reason they gave was that they were too tired to get up when the alarm clock first went off.
For the second study, 31 people who regularly used the snooze function spent three nights in a sleep laboratory. During the stay, Sundelin and her team recorded various measurements of the participants’ sleep.
Every three nights, the test subjects were allowed to sleep as long as they usually do, with the first night serving to get used to the unfamiliar sleeping environment. Another morning they had to get up as soon as the alarm clock rang. In the third experimental arrangement, it went off half an hour earlier – but the participants were allowed to snooze for half an hour that morning, i.e. press the snooze button, which silenced the alarm clock for nine to ten minutes.
Snoozing does not cause cognitive decline
Contrary to the well-known criticism of snoozing, pressing the snooze button multiple times and switching between sleep and waking did not lead to a decline in cognitive performance. On the contrary: in three out of four tests, which included math and memory tasks, the participants performed better than on the morning when they got up as soon as the alarm clock first rang.
What is important in this context is that the participants in this second study were exclusively people who are used to waking up with a snooze phase. “These individuals may need more time to ward off the effects of sleep inertia,” the research group writes. “Given the cognitive improvements observed in Study 2, snoozing could be a possible way to achieve this.” While more evidence is needed to show improvements in cognitive function, it is at least clear that snoozing works in people who are habituated to it are, do not lead to cognitive impairments.
No consequences for morning fatigue
In addition, the researchers found that the test subjects no longer fell into a deep sleep on snooze mornings – being woken up during this phase is considered particularly unpleasant. In addition, no clear consequences were observed for stress hormone levels, morning fatigue, mood or the sequence of sleep phases during the night. However, hitting the snooze button resulted in an average of six minutes of lost sleep.
Sleep researcher Sundelin concluded in a statement from her university: “The results suggest that there is no reason to avoid snoozing in the morning if you enjoy it, at least not for snooze times around 30 minutes. It could even help those who are sleepy in the morning to be a little more awake when they get up.” Accordingly, the snooze function of the alarm clock should be viewed in a more differentiated way in the future: For some people, namely those with a late chronotype and morning sleepiness, it could help to relieve sleep inertia.
Six tips to help you sleep better
Get enough exercise during the day: So you are not only mentally tired but also physically tired. For example, go for a walk or do some exercise during the day.
Watch your weight: Those who are overweight are prone to snoring and sleep apnea. The resulting daytime tiredness deprives you of the strength for exercise. You’ll also get more hungry. Both act like an accelerant for your excess weight. Get medical advice about what you can do about it.
Go to bed at regular times: Humans are creatures of habit, which is why it is advisable to maintain a consistent time to fall asleep. If you sometimes go to bed at 4 a.m. and sometimes at 11 p.m., you are making it unnecessarily difficult for yourself to fall asleep.
Reduce cell phone and media consumption before sleep: Experts recommend a waiting period of at least one hour between the last episode of your favorite series or the last like on Instagram and going to bed. The reason is the so-called blue frequencies that these screens emit. They keep us awake and prevent the sleep hormone melatonin from being released.
Drink alcohol only in moderation: A glass of wine or beer can make it easier to fall asleep, but two glasses prevent you from entering the all-important deep sleep phases. The same goes for caffeine; 90 percent of people feel negative effects on their sleep if they drink coffee too late in the evening.
Avoid exercising shortly before going to bed: Exertion causes the body’s temperature to rise and for a restful and deep sleep, the body should cool down and calm down. That’s why it’s advisable to open the windows or at least turn down the heating in the bedroom.