Random musings: Should You Snooze Your Alarm Clock? #TBT

Today's blog post was originally published two years ago:

Are you a snoozer? I haven't hit the snooze button in probably 20 years. But let's see what Dr. Michael Breus has to say in his article on the subject:

I don’t think I have ever really explained the dangers of the Snooze Button.

It’s an old pastime, likely from your high school days. The alarm blares, you, half dazed, slap the clock, hoping it will stop so you can get some much needed rest. Only it goes off again what feels like seconds later, even if it’s really 7-9 minutes later, and after the fourth time, you’re late for school! Now you’re an adult, and the same tradition seems to hold, at least for many.

So why was the snooze something that you started using back in high school and probably shouldn’t use now?

It’s all based on your Chronotype, of course

Remember most of us were a WOLF (aka Night Owls) during high school, because that is how our biology works. So of course, we needed extra prodding and pushing to get up in the morning, because our melatonin faucet was still flowing at whatever insane time you had to get up as a teenager.

I noticed that I would often end up running late...even if I moved the alarm out of reach. I'd just get up, hit the snooze and get back into bed. I decided instead of allowing an extra 20 or 30 minutes to snooze (which was never enough), I'd just set the alarm for when I needed to get up, which isn't always easy.

As an adult the science looks a little different.
Only 15% of people are WOLVES. Wolves get one snooze, but that is it. Do you know if you are a Wolf? If not go to thepowerofwhenquiz.com and figure it out quickly. All other Chronotypes should not use the snooze button. (I'm a Dolphin)

The alarm will sound in the early morning hours and you’ll slap the snooze button at the very end of your sleep cycle. This is when your brain is actually going into REM sleep and where much of the mental restoration of your brain occurs.

Memory Hint: If you want a better memory, don’t use the snooze!

Each stage of sleep has a different arousal threshold or point where you will wake up. If you are awakened from a deep stage of sleep like REM by a sudden jolt of sound or movement, a “fight or flight” response goes off in your brain. Meaning, “your body reacts as if there is some kind of emergency?”. This causes your levels of Adrenaline and Cortisol to increase dramatically, which in turn increases blood pressure, heart rate and cardiovascular function. This is fine when it happens one time, but if you hit the snooze 2,3,4, or 5 times you are basically shocking yourself awake multiple times a morning! Over time this is not a positive behavior.

The amount of time you have between snoozes is not enough to get you back into a deep restorative state. It takes the body a minimum of 15-20 minutes to get back into any deeper stage of sleep. So, you are wasting your final minutes with light, crappy sleep!

What should you do instead of hitting snooze?

Know your Chronotype and stick to your biologically prescribed bedtime.

If you are a WOLF, you can use the snooze one time but try not to do this daily.

Set your alarm for the last possible moment for you to get up and put the clock or alarm across the room so you have to get up to turn it off.

Have a “Wake up Buddy” that will call you in the morning and help motivate you.

Have Sex instead. For most Chronotypes, the best time to have sex, based on arousal, libido and performance is in the morning and if you are trying to think of a great way to start your day, this could work perfectly.

Most of us have to wake up at a certain time...usually to get ready for work, school, etc. So, to avoid hitting snooze we have to set our alarm to go off at that time, and to make sure we get enough sleep we can use the sleep calculator. My Fitbit shows me exactly when I fell asleep, how many times I woke up and for how long and how much time I spent in each sleep stage which makes it easy to figure out my sleep efficiency...which is between 85 - 90% most days!

The key is to go to bed and get up at the same time 7 days a week! I know I don't always do it but unless I have something scheduled during the day on the weekend I stick as close as I can to the same schedule.

Do yourself and your body a favor and just get up and turn off the alarm. Then, get about fifteen minutes of sunlight or bright light exposure to stop the production of melatonin, drink a large glass of water, and start your day.