The Sleep Cycle
According to Chris Winter, MD, a neurologist and sleep medicine specialist in Charlottesville, Va., there are four total stages of sleep divided into two phases: Non-REM and REM sleep. Non-REM sleep includes three stages: N1, or transitional, N2 or light sleep, and N3, or deep sleep.
“Stage N1 is the transition from being awake to asleep and typically lasts around 5 to 10 minutes, and stage N2 is where your body temperature starts to drop, everything starts to slow down, hypnic jerks are common, your eye movement starts to stop and your body prepares to enter into deep sleep,” he explains.
Once deep sleep begins, it lasts as much as an hour at a time and returns about every 90 minutes. For your body to feel rested in the morning, this is the type of sleep you need [to avoid feeling groggy or disoriented in the mornings].
REM sleep, on the other hand, occurs about an hour to an hour and a half after falling asleep.
“This sleep is where you tend to have vivid dreams, your brain becomes active, your body becomes immobilized and your eyes move rapidly,” Dr. Winter says. “As you sleep throughout the night, your body cycles through non-REM and REM sleep, with a full cycle taking approximately 90 to 110 minutes.”
If you’re getting a full eight hours of sleep a night, you can expect to cycle through the entire sleep process about four to five times a night, he says.
The Snooze Effect on Sleep Cycles
According to Chester Wu, MD, a psychiatrist and sleep specialist in Houston, regularly hitting snooze in the morning is not the best strategy to maintain a quality sleep schedule. That’s because sleep cycles vary in length, not only among different individuals but also for the same individual on different nights. This variability depends on various factors, including your age, overall health, stress levels, and previous sleep patterns.
Instead of setting multiple alarms in anticipation of snoozing, Dr. Wu recommends simply setting a single alarm that allows you to get as much sleep as you need.
Hitting snooze, especially when it’s multiple alarms in a short period of time, prevents you from re-entering a restorative sleep phase, so you’re unlikely to get more quality sleep. Repeatedly pressing snooze also eats into valuable morning time, leaving you rushed and potentially more fatigued.
The Battle With Sleep Inertia
Do you typically wake up feeling groggy and disoriented when waking up in the morning, or from a long nap? That feeling is sleep inertia, which everyone encounters to some extent, Dr. Wu says.
“Its duration and intensity can vary based on factors such as the sleep stage upon waking, sleep debt, the individual’s circadian rhythm, and overall sleep quality,” he explains. “For instance, waking from a deep sleep or REM stage can intensify sleep inertia, and an irregular sleep schedule or chronic sleep deprivation can prolong its effects.”
While those feelings of grogginess might tempt you to hit snooze, Dr. Wu advises against it, as it’s more likely to intensify those feelings and make it harder to get up and move on with your day.
While it may be easier said than done, he recommends going to bed earlier to give yourself more time to sleep at night rather than banking on snooze time in the morning.
“Consider also establishing a morning routine that you look forward to—a cup of coffee, a walk outside in natural light, and/or listening to music you like, to help you wake up more quickly and help manage morning sleep inertia,” he says.
“Take naps earlier in the day if you need them,” adds Dr. Winter. “If you take a nap too close to bedtime, it can lower the pressure to sleep and make it more difficult to fall asleep.”
The Stress Factor
You might think you’re tricking your body into thinking you’ve given it more sleep, but in fact, regularly hitting snooze can potentially cause a stress reaction, adding feelings of anxiety into your life.2 When you’re not getting up until you’ve hit snooze a few times, you’re likely rushing around in a panic to get to work or school on time.
Creating a more relaxed and mindful morning routine where you actually have time to do what you need to do can make for a less stressful start to your day.
Dr. Winter also recommends exercising earlier in the day if possible, as working out too close to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep. Working out in the morning, meanwhile, can leave you feeling more alert and energized as you go on with your day.
The Power of Consistency
Experts like Drs. Winter and Wu agree that maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and regularly getting enough sleep make for much better sleep quality and energy levels than relying on snoozing.
If falling asleep early doesn’t immediately come naturally to you, Dr. Winter recommends tidying up your sleep environment, meaning keeping your bedroom cool and dark and putting away your phone, laptop, and other digital screens. Those devices emit blue light, which blocks melatonin, the hormone that helps you fall asleep.
Your mind needs to associate your bedroom with sleep, so make your bedroom your sleep sanctuary. Your bed should only be used for sleep and sex. So many people are working remotely from their beds, but this can create sleep difficulties.
“In truth, the most reliable strategy for feeling refreshed upon waking is keeping a regular wake time and ensuring you get the amount of sleep that’s right for you,” adds Dr. Wu.
Keep in Mind
In short, while snoozing may not have negative effects on your overall health, experts still agree that it’s not the best habit in terms of leaving you feeling rested and refreshed.
It may take some adjusting and changing of daily habits, but embracing a consistent sleep pattern and healthy morning routine can be the secret to feeling refreshed and ready to face the world.