Not all of us can be early risers, ready for the day at dawn’s early light. Some of us enjoy our sleep far too much and rely on the snooze button to get us out of bed (eventually) in the morning. Part of the reason we do this is because we want to sleep a little longer but more so, it has to do with your body temperature. While you sleep your body temperature is lowered, and your body steadily begins to warm up in the couple hours before naturally waking up. If you’re going to sleep too close to your alarm time, you’re not getting enough sleep. And with your bed feeling extra warm and cozy, you’ll be more inclined to hit the snooze button. But while it seems like a godsend, it’s really not that great for you. When the alarm goes off again and you jerk yourself out of bed, your body and brain are slightly shocked. This groggy, fuzzy-headed feeling that you get as a result is called sleep inertia. Here are some more reasons why you should forego the snooze and choose to set your alarm to a proper time to avoid sleep inertia.
Immediate Negative Effects of Snoozing
Your body takes time to wake up and get you ready for the day. Fragmented sleep doesn’t actually help you. Letting yourself go back to sleep, even for just 10 minutes, communicates to your body that you’re not getting up and that it’s OK to go back into rest mode. If you’re someone who likes to press the snooze button multiple times, your brain and body get more and more confused. You can feel out of it and even more tired than you would have if you had gotten up with the first alarm. Rather than lose out on restful sleep with all that snoozing, it’s better to set your alarm to a realistic time
Gradual Negative Effects of Snoozing
Sleep inertia can last up to four hours after you finally get out of bed. It can also leave you lethargic and make it difficult to perform basic tasks. This can make those morning commutes and work meetings even more exhausting, and a caffeine boost can only do so much. You’re also messing up your internal clock by getting up at different times.
Synching Up to Sleep
Waking up at the same time every day can help your body know when to start feeling sleepy, and when to wake you up. Snoozing can make it harder to start waking up with the first buzzer. Ignoring your alarm can turn into an automatic response, making it difficult for your body function to actually listen to the stimulus of the alarm.
Set your alarm to the time you have to wake up, then actually get up when it goes off, every day at the same time. If you need to, put your alarm away from your bed, so you actually have to leave the temptation of soft pillows and warm blankets. Eventually, your body’s internal clock will sync with your schedule and you’ll be able to wake up without the need for an alarm.
If you’re having trouble sleeping and waking up, talk to the medical associates of SC Internal Medicine Associates and Rehabilitation. We diagnose and treat a variety of sleep-related conditions with superior service and state-of-the-art treatment methods. Call us at (803) 749-1111 to schedule an appointment or fill out our simple online appointment request form today. We look forward to serving you.
