For millions of people returning to the grind of school and work, the ritual of hitting the snooze button several times is a comforting way to ease into the morning. However, Dr. Andrew Stiehm, a sleep medicine physician with Allina Health, warns that these few extra minutes of shuteye might be doing more harm than good. According to Stiehm, the gold standard for waking up is actually having zero alarms, as relying on a clock often means you are chronically sleep deprived and fighting against your body’s natural rhythm.
When you repeatedly wake up and fall back asleep over the course of an hour, you enter a frustrating cycle that prevents you from fully transitioning into alertness. This process can leave you feeling significantly groggier than if you had simply gotten up the first time. By fragmenting your rest, Stiehm explains that you essentially deprive yourself of meaningful deep sleep without gaining any real momentum toward being awake, leaving you in a state of mental fog.
There is a slight caveat to this rule involving something called sleep inertia. If your first alarm triggers during a period of deep sleep, it can feel nearly impossible to stir. In these specific cases, a second alarm might actually help because once you drift back off after the initial shock, your subsequent sleep is lighter. Waking up from that light stage is generally much easier on the brain than trying to fight your way out of a deep slumber immediately upon opening your eyes.
To break the habit of snoozing and reclaim their mornings, experts suggest moving the alarm clock or phone across the room. Forcing yourself to physically stand up and engage your muscles helps signal to your body that it is time to switch into wake mode. While building this discipline takes effort, following basic guidelines like maintaining a consistent schedule and limiting electronics before bed can lead to better overall heart health and sharper cognitive function throughout the day.
