3 Ways to Avoid the Snooze Button Sabotage

Are you a snoozer? Your alarm goes off in the morning but you're in the middle of deep sleep and absolutely not ready to get up. So you hit the snooze button, hoping to feel better with those 9 more minutes of sleep. Do you hit snooze once? Twice? More?

I've been there! I can definitely be slow to wake up in the morning. When I was having trouble sleeping and I'd be up in the night for an hour or two, I hated to hear my alarm going off. It always seemed to be minutes after I finally fell asleep.

But hitting the snooze button can actually make you feel tired most of the morning. You may get a few more minutes of sleep. But if you fall asleep again, then your alarm going off the next time will interrupt that sleep cycle and lead to grogginess that's hard to kick. This groggy, fuzzy headedness is called sleep inertia and can last 2-4 hours.

Another reason snoozing is counterproductive is that you aren't getting restorative sleep you need to feel more rested. You also throw off your internal clock by getting up at different times every day. Then your body doesn't know what time to go to sleep at night and your entire clock gets thrown off, leading to sleep deprivation and insomnia.

3 ways to avoid the Snooze Button Sabotage

1. My first suggestion is to not use an alarm clock most days! This idea may sound crazy but it's what I truly believe is best for us. Allowing your body to wake up naturally ensures that you are getting all the sleep you need on a regular basis. (Yes, this means going to bed early enough to allow for the 7-9 hours of sleep you need.)

2. I realize there are times we have to go to bed late or get up early and an alarm clock is necessary. In these cases, it's better to go ahead and get up when your alarm goes off. You'll be tired initially but you'll snap out of it more quickly than if you keep snoozing.

To avoid the temptation of the snooze, put your phone/ alarm clock away from your bed where you can't reach it. Then you'll have to get out of bed to turn it off-and you'll be up for the day!

3. Another option is to get a gentle-wake alarm clock that helps you wake up gradually and naturally with light, vibration, sound or scents. Ranging from $37-200 depending on the bells and whistles, these alarms wake you up gently by helping your body make the changes to wakefulness (increase body temperature, end REM sleep, etc.).

The habit of hitting the snooze button can be a sign of not getting enough sleep or of a sleep disorder. If you want to sleep but can't or think you may have a sleep disorder, don't hesitate to get in touch with me or your doctor.

We need sleep to be healthy in the long-term but also to be productive, motivated and happy in our day to day lives. You can get the sleep you need!