I never used to be a snoozer. I am not even sure when it happened? Alarm clock buzzed, boom… I was up.
Nowadays… well nowadays is a totally different story altogether – I truly do wish I didn’t love my snooze button!
What is it about the nine minute snooze? I believe it to be a glorious creature of temptation, of something wanton and good and a need I want every single day!!!! I love it and well let’s be honest here, most mornings nine minutes is AMAZING as are the following nine and the nine after that! It’s a brilliant concept – right? Isn’t it?
So, research wants to argue with me on this point. I don’t really like to argue and I may have to sadly concede on this one given my research. Research tells me that hitting the snooze button every day and multiple times is actually bad for me and it can leave me more lethargic and restless because the cycle of sleep is constantly interrupted.
According to an article I found, 40% of American adults use the snooze button every morning, and a third of those adults abuse it (hit the snooze three or more times). I am definitely a chronic abuser snoozer!
“Your body feels most relaxed during early morning sleep, which is also known as REM sleep. Snoozing interrupts your body rhythm, and makes your sleep cycle fragmented, which is bad for you. This can lead to headaches, irritability and tiredness. You actually end up feeling more tired for the rest of the day.” And here’s me thinking my irritability had to do with being 40-something!
An article on Motivational-Well-Being.Com named this phenomena “The Snooze Button Effect” and goes on to say… “this so called Snooze Button Effect causes people to actually believe in the illusion that nine more minutes of sleep will actually make a positive difference.” All my brain tells me is it that I just want to ignore my day ahead and sleep for as long as possible. It seems the snooze button effect is really just a form of procrastination, which in itself goes against my personality as I am not a procastinator at all. The same article tells us chronic snoozers to “force yourself to gradually wake up a bit earlier each day by say, nine minutes, until you’re able to get up at the time you want. The secret is to do it EVERY DAY, yes, even weekends. Do it for 30 days and it’ll become a habit.” Yikes!
This is a lifestyle choice I probably should make! Tomorrow I will try not to hit the snooze button!
I read something similar to this study but I still hit my snooze button (but just once though). After reading it again, I’m gonna try to not do it at all!
Oh my… I love that image. Too funny.
and have you avoided it? to me who has 2x 10min snooze each week day it is more to revel in the warm comfiness of bed rather than to have to jump straight out of it instead of taking time to appreciate it. I think snoozes are nice and personnally I like to wake up and be able to smile and roll over twice before facing the day ahead. I think with a healthy diet, regular exercise and enough sleep (none of which I personnally partake in of course 😉 the snooze is a pleasant slip into the day. Towzer