Why postponing an alarm is bad for humans: the explanation is frightening

According to research, almost 2.3 billion people worldwide experience some form of insomnia, which leads to sleep deprivation. The habit of setting multiple alarms or postponing the signal for 5-10 minutes each time can lead to very negative consequences.

Fragmented sleep can lead to even greater fatigue. Scientists note that using snooze increases sleep inertia.

Sleep research

To understand how many people rely on the snooze button, researchers surveyed nearly 3,000 people, and the results were surprising. More than half (57%) of the respondents said they use the snooze button every day.

A quarter of respondents press the snooze button three to four times every morning. Another 9% said they snooze 5 or more times. 66% said that 1-2 repeated alarms with an interval of 3-10 minutes are enough for them to wake up. Two-thirds of respondents admitted that they suffer from sleep deprivation or wake up frequently at night.

Why napping can ruin your sleep

The circadian rhythm is an internal 24-hour biological clock. It regulates your well-being and sleepiness throughout the day by responding to changes in light. Thanks to the morning light, your brain knows it's time to wake up.

Scientists have coined the term "snoozers" to describe people who regularly use the snooze button.

Repeatedly pressing the snooze button can cause your body to mistake the "first bells" as a false alarm. As a result, you may feel dizzy and tired for several hours after waking up.

If you regularly take naps but feel like you're only getting worse, this is an important warning sign. Napping is associated with a lighter phase of sleep, which most often occurs about an hour before waking up. But because sleep is more sensitive, environmental factors such as your partner snoring or noise outside are likely to disturb you, leading to a lack of sleep.

The previously mentioned study also measured caffeine consumption and found that it increased significantly on days when participants used the snooze button.

When we wake up naturally, our stress levels (or cortisol levels) are at their peak. But repeated napping disrupts your sleep cycles - mainly if you fall into a deep sleep and wake up before that cycle naturally ends.

You should be careful because drinking too much caffeine in the morning when your cortisol levels are high can lead to increased caffeine tolerance.

Tips for healthy sleep

1. Don't set multiple alarms. If you're worried about waking up early, try waking up for at least a week by setting your alarm only once and not hitting the snooze button. The results will surprise you, scientists promise.
2. Do you have a standard alarm on your phone and feel stressed when you hear it? Scientists advise you to set melodic, pleasant music.
3. Put the alarm on the other side of the room so you have to get out of bed to turn it off.
4. If the alarm has already rung and you find it difficult to get up, try putting one foot on the floor or pulling it out from under the covers. A sudden change in temperature will help you wake up.
5. Light is the enemy of sleep. Turn on the light when the alarm goes off so that your brain knows it's time to wake up and get ready for a new day.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA published 10 effective tips to help you learn to wake up early.

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