"The groundwork of all happiness is health." - Leigh Hunt

Hitting the snooze button could provide health advantages

Oct. 19, 2023 – Hitting the snooze button in your alarm clock isn't so bad for you in any case. New research suggests it would even be good for you.

Research has shown that using the snooze button had no negative impact on sleep or thought processes. The research was published in Journal of Sleep Research.

“Research even found that a short period of snooze can alleviate sleep sluggishness, disorientation, and declines in performance or mood that occur upon waking without drastically disrupting sleep.” USA today reported. “It could also improve cognitive function compared to waking up completely after the first alarm goes off.”

In one Press releaseCorresponding writer Tina Sundelin from Stockholm University said: “The results suggest that there isn’t any reason to stop sleeping within the morning should you enjoy it, at the very least not for snooze periods of around half-hour. In fact, it may well even help those that can't sleep within the morning sleepiness to be a little bit more awake as soon as they stand up.”

Two studies were reviewed for the research. One study recorded the waking habits of 1,732 adults. Of these, 69% used the snooze alarm or multiple alarms. The snooze lasted a median of twenty-two minutes and ranged as much as 180 minutes.

The second study checked out 31 snoozers and located that they lost six minutes of sleep for each half-hour they slept. Researchers found no clear effects on mood, stress, fatigue or sleep quality.

According to the CDC, greater than a 3rd of Americans don't get enough sleep. Further research suggests that sleeping seven to eight hours can add years to an individual's life, USA Today wrote.