SNOOZING your alarm could actually be good for you, a study suggests.
Researchers reckon spending an extra 30 minutes under your duvet can make you more alert in the morning.
GettyHitting snooze on your morning alarm could be good for you, scientists say[/caption]
People who got an additional half an hour’s kip performed better on brain tests upon waking than those who jumped straight out of bed.
Dr Tina Sundelin, from Stockholm University, said: “The findings indicate that there is no reason to stop snoozing in the morning if you enjoy it.
“In fact, it may even help those with morning drowsiness to be slightly more awake once they get up.”
Scientists put the performance boost down to not being woken too abruptly from REM sleep, when most dreams happen.
The team carried out two experiments.
The first, which looked at 31 habitual snoozers, found that 30 minutes of dozing either improved or did not affect performance on memory, concentration and maths tests when compared with waking suddenly.
People lost about six minutes of slumber, but hitting snooze prevented them from stirring too much during deep sleep.
There were no clear effects on stress hormone levels, morning sleepiness, mood, or overnight sleep structure.
The second part of the study analysed the morning waking habits of 1,732 adults.
Around two thirds (69 per cent) said they used the snooze function or set multiple alarms at least “sometimes”.
Time spent snoozing per day ranged from one to 180 minutes, with an average of 22.
Snoozers tended to be younger “night owls” who slept less overall.
The most common reason for snoozing was “feeling too tired to wake up”, followed by “it feels good” and wanting to “wake up more slowly/softly”.
Even though participants felt equally sleepy upon waking in both conditions, they scored better when they had been allowed 30 minutes of snoozing beforehand.
It did not, however, make them feel any less groggy or negative.
Dr Sundelin said: “If the first alarm interrupts slow-wave or REM sleep, snoozing may allow for the opportunity to reach a lighter sleep stage before having to fully wake up.
“This could make it easier to wake up and diminish the drowsing effects of sleep inertia – the transitioning period from sleep to waking characterised by impaired performance and sleepiness.”
The study was published in the Journal of Sleep Research.