Is Hitting Snooze Bad for Your Health?

The jury’s still out on hitting the snooze button. While there are varied opinions, not a lot of research has been done on the subject itself. Some point out that the sleep you get after you hit snooze isn’t long enough to finish a complete sleep cycle and could leave you feeling extra groggy. Others mention that if you’re in a deep sleep state, an extra 10-minute snooze can help you wake up more gently.

Either way, here’s what we do know: getting enough sleep is critical for your health! So if you’re hitting the snooze button a few times every morning, you might want to take a closer look at the reasons behind your habitual attempt to get 10 more minutes of sleep. 

If you don’t have underlying health concerns, you either aren’t getting enough shut eye in the first place, or you aren’t sleeping well when you do go to bed. Here are a few good ways to wake up feeling refreshed and full of energy in the morning — without hitting the snooze button. 

Get into a regular sleep routine 
Commit to going to bed and waking up at consistent times. The more you standardize your bedtime and wake time, the easier it will be to get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep every night. It will also be easier to wake up naturally in the morning. A recent study even linked college students’ grades to their sleep schedules. 

Move your alarm clock
Take your alarm clock off of your nightstand. If you wake up to an alarm on your smart phone, plug it in for the night on the other side of the room. Double bonus here because you’ll spend less time scrolling at night before bed, which is likely keeping you up later anyway.

Make sure you’re sleeping on a good bed
If you feel desperate to sleep for an extra nine or ten minutes every morning, you might not be getting quality sleep. What kind of mattress are you sleeping on? Make sure your mattress is in good shape and fits your sleep preferences. 

Let there be light
If you have blackout curtains in your room, it might be hard for your body to detect that it’s time to wake up. Your circadian rhythm (aka your internal clock) is regulated by an area of your brain that responds to light.Try letting a little natural light in your bedroom. If you wake up before the sun, consider an alarm or lamp that gradually brightens as your set wakeup time approaches. 

Try exercising outdoors in the morning
Getting up and getting outside in the morning will give your body a dose of light, and that can help regulate your internal clock. An early workout will also energize you in the morning and help you shake any grogginess — or sleep inertia — that you feel after waking.

If you’re not getting a good 7-9 hours of sleep, or if you just don’t seem to wake up feeling refreshed and energetic in the morning, come talk to the expert sleep consultants at Mattress Man. We’ll help you determine if a new mattress is the antidote to your snooze button.