We’ve all been there: the alarm blares in the early hours, and with one half-asleep swipe, you hit the snooze button. A few extra minutes of sleep feels like a gift, giving you a chance to ease into the day. But hitting snooze over and
over? That’s a different story.
While one snooze might not do much harm, repeated snoozing can turn into a cycle that not only disrupts your sleep but also leaves you feeling groggier than when the alarm first went off.
Let’s talk about why the snooze button has such an appeal. It’s no secret that waking up is hard, especially if you didn’t get a solid night's sleep. That snooze button seems like a magical escape, granting you permission to delay the inevitable for just a few minutes longer.
The problem is, while it may seem like you’re giving yourself a small reward, you’re actually interrupting the natural process of waking up, and it can have negative consequences for your overall sleep quality.
Here’s the thing: sleep happens in cycles, and those cycles are important for how rested and refreshed you feel. Each night, your body goes through several stages of sleep, including deep sleep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which are crucial for physical and mental recovery. When you hit snooze, you’re likely at the tail end of one of these cycles, preparing to wake up naturally.
By delaying the process, you’re tricking your brain into thinking it’s time to go back into sleep mode, but before you can enter a full sleep cycle again, the alarm goes off. This leaves you caught in between, which is why repeated snoozing can make you feel disoriented and more tired than if you had gotten up the first
time.
So, while hitting snooze once might give you a little buffer to mentally prepare for the day, repeatedly doing so keeps pulling you in and out of those light sleep stages. This creates what experts call "sleep inertia"—that sluggish, groggy feeling that can last for up to 30 minutes or more after you finally get out of
bed.
Sleep inertia not only makes it harder to start your day, but it can also negatively impact your concentration, mood, and productivity. Instead of feeling refreshed after your alarm, you’re setting yourself up to feel behind before your day even
starts.
One snooze can be OK—consider it a gentle way to ease yourself awake. But to avoid ruining the rest of your morning, it’s important to stop there. If you know you’re someone who struggles to get out of bed, try adjusting your bedtime or creating a morning routine that makes getting up easier.
Put the alarm across the room, so you have to physically get out of bed to turn it off, or give yourself something to look forward to in the morning, like a favorite podcast or a few moments of quiet with your coffee.
By setting your alarm for the time you actually intend to get up and sticking to it, you’re giving your body a chance to complete its natural sleep cycle. In the long run, you’ll feel more rested, more alert, and ready to take on the day.
So go ahead, snooze once if you need to—but remember, moderation is key. Too much snoozing just might ruin your sleep...and your entire day ahead.
