Doctor Reveals Why Hitting the Snooze Button Makes You Feel More Tired Every Morning
Doctor links alarm snoozing to increased morning tiredness
A few extra minutes of sleep after pressing the snooze button may feel rewarding, but according to Maryland-based physician Dr Kunal Sood, the habit could actually leave people feeling more tired when they wake up. The doctor says repeatedly delaying the alarm disrupts the body's natural waking process, reducing the quality of those final minutes of sleep.
For many people, hitting the snooze button has become part of the morning routine. While the additional sleep may seem beneficial, Dr Sood, a specialist in Anesthesiology and Interventional Pain Medicine, explained in an Instagram post shared on June 29 that the body does not gain meaningful rest during these short intervals. Instead, each time a person falls back asleep after an alarm, the brain begins another sleep cycle that is interrupted just a few minutes later when the alarm rings again.
According to Dr Sood, these repeated interruptions contribute to a phenomenon known as sleep inertia—a temporary period of grogginess, reduced alertness, and slower cognitive function immediately after waking. Because the body is repeatedly forced to transition between sleep and wakefulness, people may feel more fatigued despite technically spending more time in bed. He noted that this fragmented sleep is less restorative than uninterrupted overnight sleep.
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Sleep experts explain that the body naturally prepares to wake by increasing alertness-related hormones before the usual wake-up time. Pressing the snooze button interferes with this process by sending mixed signals to the brain, making it harder to achieve a smooth transition into wakefulness. Over time, regularly relying on multiple alarms may also reinforce irregular sleep habits, especially if people consistently delay getting out of bed instead of prioritising adequate nighttime sleep.
Dr Sood suggested that individuals who struggle to wake up feeling refreshed should focus on improving sleep quality rather than extending sleep in short bursts after the alarm. Maintaining a consistent bedtime and wake-up schedule, getting the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep, limiting screen exposure before bed, and placing the alarm clock away from the bed can help reduce the temptation to snooze. Exposure to natural morning light soon after waking can also support the body's internal clock and improve alertness.
While occasional use of the snooze button is unlikely to cause lasting harm, health experts generally advise against making it a daily habit. Prioritising uninterrupted, high-quality sleep is considered far more effective for boosting energy, concentration, mood, and overall well-being than relying on a few extra minutes of fragmented rest each morning.
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