NEW YORK, BRONX (ORDO News) — When that dreaded morning alarm pierces through the tranquility of slumber, many of us are guilty of fumbling for the “snooze” button on our trusty watches or smartphones, craving just a few more precious minutes of rest.
While experts have often discussed how this habit of intermittent snoozing might negatively impact our sleep patterns and cognitive processes, there has been a lack of direct evidence to settle the debate. However, a recent study conducted by researchers from Sweden has sought to shed light on this matter once and for all.
Published in the Journal of Sleep Research, this study, led by psychologists and clinical neuroscientists Tina Sundelin and John Axelsson from Stockholm University and the Karolinska Institutet, delves into the common practice of hitting the snooze button after the alarm goes off and how it affects sleep quality, mood, and cognitive abilities.
The study was carried out in two stages. In the first stage, researchers anonymously surveyed 1,732 volunteers about their morning waking habits.
A majority of the participants identified themselves as being from Sweden (80%), but there were also respondents from the United States (8%), Finland, the United Kingdom, and Australia (approximately 3% each).
The survey results confirmed the widespread habit of morning dozing, with 69% of participants reporting that they occasionally or frequently set multiple alarms or used the snooze feature.
This behavior was more common among young people and night owls. The average duration of morning dozing was 22 minutes, with a range from one to a whopping 180 minutes. Participants who indulged in this habit typically reported feeling groggy in the morning and getting less overall sleep.
In the second stage, the researchers selected volunteers who routinely engaged in morning snoozing but did not exhibit significant sleep difficulties or other physical or mental health problems. The experimental group consisted of 31 individuals who spent three nights in a sleep research laboratory.
After the first night for familiarization, participants underwent two more nights in the lab, spaced apart by two days to two months. On the mornings of these nights, participants experienced two modes of awakening: one where they enjoyed a half-hour snooze after the initial alarm, and the other where they immediately rose as the alarm went off at a set time.
Upon waking, the room’s ceiling light was activated, and the participants provided saliva samples to measure cortisol levels (a stress hormone) and engaged in cognitive testing using the Karolinska WakeApp. They also assessed their own sleepiness, effort, performance, and mood after each test.
This process was repeated after 40 minutes, and participants were then served breakfast before leaving the laboratory. Throughout the day, the volunteers used their smartphones to complete KWA tests two more times, gauging their mood and sleepiness around lunchtime and in the afternoon. There were no restrictions on coffee consumption after leaving the laboratory.
The findings of the experiment revealed that, despite the intermittent morning napping, most participants managed to accrue more than 20 minutes of additional sleep. Importantly, none of the participants awoke directly from the slow-wave sleep phase, as can occur with immediate alarm-triggered wake-ups.
Furthermore, after their final awakening, participants exhibited slightly improved performance on cognitive tests. The study did not find any significant impact of morning dozing on salivary cortisol levels, morning sleepiness, mood, or nighttime sleep patterns.
Tina Sundelin, one of the lead researchers, concluded, “Our results show there’s no reason to stop taking a nap in the morning if you enjoy it, at least if the duration of the nap is around 30 minutes.
In fact, such a habit can even add a little more energy to those who usually feel sleepy after waking up.” So, for all the snooze-button enthusiasts out there, you may rest assured that your brief morning respite is not in vain and may even offer a small energy boost to kickstart your day.
—
Online:
News agencies contributed to this report, edited and published by ORDO News editors.
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.
To eliminate any confusion arising from different time zones and daylight saving changes, all times displayed on our platforms are in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).