Is It Bad to Snooze Your Alarm?
Friday, 2026/01/23296 words4 minutes1820 reads
The ubiquitous practice of hitting the snooze button has long been a subject of debate among sleep scientists. A recent study tracking over 21,000 adults globally revealed that participants snoozed an average of 2.4 times after more than half of the recorded nights. This prevalent behavior raises questions about its potential impacts on sleep quality and overall health.
Some sleep experts posit that snoozing may have detrimental effects, particularly on rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep, crucial for cognitive functions such as memory consolidation, emotional processing, and creativity, tends to occur more frequently in the later stages of sleep. The argument is that by interrupting this vital sleep phase with multiple alarms, individuals may be compromising the restorative benefits of REM sleep.
Conversely, emerging research suggests that the effects of snoozing may not be universally negative. A 2023 study involving 31 habitual snoozers found that snoozing was associated with improved cognitive performance shortly after waking. This indicates that for some individuals, particularly those maintaining consistent sleep schedules, snoozing might serve as a gradual transition to wakefulness, potentially mitigating sleep inertia.
The crux of the matter seems to lie in the underlying reasons for snoozing. If it's a compensatory mechanism for poor sleep habits or undiagnosed sleep disorders, it may be masking more significant issues. Sleep specialists emphasize the importance of addressing root causes such as insomnia, sleep apnea, or medication-induced grogginess, rather than relying on snoozing as a stopgap measure.
Ultimately, the consensus among experts is that maintaining good sleep hygiene is paramount. This includes adhering to a consistent sleep schedule, optimizing the sleep environment, and addressing any underlying sleep disturbances. While the debate on snoozing continues, it's clear that individual sleep needs and patterns vary, underscoring the importance of personalized approaches to sleep management.
