Even though sleep experts advise against it, most people still hit the snooze button in the morning, hoping to catch a few extra minutes of rest.
A new global study led by researchers at Mass General Brigham shows that snoozing is a very common habit—and one that might be interfering with your sleep quality.
Using data from the popular sleep tracking app Sleep Cycle, the research team looked at more than 3 million nights of sleep from over 21,000 people around the world.
They found that nearly 56% of sleep sessions ended with at least one snooze alarm.
About 45% of participants hit snooze more than 80% of the time, with these “heavy snoozers” spending an average of 20 minutes snoozing each morning.
Dr. Rebecca Robbins, lead author of the study and a sleep expert at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, explained that although many people believe hitting snooze helps them feel more rested, it may actually be doing the opposite.
The minutes just before we naturally wake up are often filled with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep—a vital stage of sleep that helps with memory, mood, and overall brain function.
When you hit snooze, that REM sleep gets interrupted, and the short bursts of sleep that follow tend to be very light and less restorative.
The study, published in Scientific Reports, also found that snooze habits varied by the day of the week.
People were much more likely to use snooze alarms during the work week, particularly on Monday through Friday, and less likely to snooze on weekends.
Interestingly, people who slept five hours or less were less likely to snooze, possibly because they had to get up right away due to work or other responsibilities.
Countries like the United States, Sweden, and Germany had the highest rates of snoozing, while Japan and Australia had the lowest. People who snoozed regularly also tended to have more irregular sleep schedules, which can further affect sleep quality and daytime energy levels.
Dr. Robbins recommends setting your alarm for the latest possible time that allows you to get up and start your day without needing to snooze. Then, try to commit to getting out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off.
It might be tough at first, but sticking to a consistent wake-up time and avoiding the snooze button could lead to better sleep and more energy in the long run.
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Source: Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
