Beep-beep! Beep-beep!! It’s wake-up time, and your alarm is going off. But you’re sooo tired, and the bed is sooo comfortable. Before you know it, you hit snooze. And in a few minutes, you hit snooze again. And again. It’s a penalty-free grace period that never expires—after all, you’ll get up eventually, right? No harm done.
Unfortunately, those 20 or 30 minutes deliciously lost to snoozing can become problematic. Adding insult to injury, the sleep you manage to get between snooze alarms doesn’t benefit you much anyway. “For most of us, that alarm is going off at a time when we are likely having REM sleep, one of the most restorative stages of sleep,” explains Ilene Rosen, MD, associate professor of medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, who studies sleep disorders and sleep deprivation. But once REM sleep is interrupted, Rosen says, you don’t immediately return to the same stage. So those extra nine or so minutes post-alarm aren’t very restful. “You’re short-changing yourself,” she says.
Of course, waking up is hard—sometimes even after eight hours. That’s why so many folks fall victim to the siren song of the snooze button. What to do? We asked sleep experts for answers.
Work on your timing
Although you’re typically in REM sleep by wake-up time, there’s a chance your alarm will go off during a deeper sleep cycle instead. The resulting grogginess can be one reason you’re especially tempted to hit snooze. “You’re setting an artificial time to wake you that’s not in sync with your body rhythm,” explains Nathaniel Watson, MD, professor of medicine and co-director of the University of Washington Medicine Sleep Center. To address this issue, some sleep-tracking apps, such as the Wirecutter-recommended SleepScore, monitor your sleep cycles and wake you at an optimal time within a programmed range (for example, during the light sleep of non-REM stage 1 instead of the deep non-REM stage 3), thereby increasing your chances of waking up feeling refreshed and ready for the day.
Opt for a gentler sound
You might expect that the louder and more unpleasant the alarm, the more effective it would be at waking you up. In fact, it may have the opposite effect: As W. Christopher Winter, MD, president of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine and author of The Rested Child, says, “A lot of times, when people hear that jarring sound, they shut it off immediately,” only to fall back asleep. Instead, he suggests trying soothing sounds (birds chirping, bells chiming, a favorite song) that gradually increase in volume and peak at your scheduled wake-up time. “It’s allowing you to sort of wake up, become more conscious and thoughtful about your actions, and then get up,” Winter says. You may find a range of more-pleasant sounds in your phone’s clock feature, on a few of our alarm clock picks, and in all of our sunrise alarm clock and sleep-tracking app recommendations.
Harness light
“Light cues our brain to be awake,” Rosen says. “If you have trouble getting up in the morning, a brighter room will be easier to wake up to.” If the actual sunrise corresponds to your desired wake time, leave your shades raised a bit at night, as long as light sources outside your home—lamp posts, street lights, the neighbors’ off-season Christmas decorations—aren’t visible through your window (because they can prevent you from falling asleep in the first place). Or consider a smart shade, which you can program to rise at a certain time.
If it’s still dark when you need to wake up, switch on a lamp as soon as the alarm goes off (it’s even better if you have to get out of bed to do that—see “Get on your feet” below). Artificial lighting isn’t as bright as sunshine, but turning it on is more helpful than staying in the dark. Otherwise, a sunrise alarm clock, which slowly brightens the room for the 15 to 30 minutes before your alarm goes off, can take the edge off waking up. Some models, such as our top pick, the Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light HF3520, start with a soothing red-tinted glow that gradually transforms into a bright white light that fills the room, accompanied by the sound of chirping birds (or other gentle audio options).
Incentivize yourself with scents
Although odors can’t necessarily wake you up as effectively as bright light or loud sounds can, they can at least pull you out of bed once your alarm wakes you up. Rosen says she used to program her coffee maker to finish brewing right before her alarm went off: “It was an association like, ‘Look, all I have to do is get to the kitchen and fill the mug, and I can get started feeling better.’” Similarly, Winter would put his bread maker up to the task. The aroma that would waft through his house a handy 30 minutes before his scheduled wake-up time was “really powerful and kind of motivating,” he says.
Get on your feet
Unlike cows, humans can’t sleep standing up, Rosen points out. “So if you stand up, even if you’re tired and don’t feel that great, you will at least be able to move through the motions you need to do to promote your alertness,” she says. Watson says some of his patients have reported success with Clocky, a wheeled clock that scoots across the room as its alarm sounds so you have to crawl around and find it to shut it off. As for me, a cell phone (or alarm clock) left in the bathroom does the trick: Not only does it force me to walk over and turn the alarm off, but at that point I’m also just one step away from brushing my teeth and showering. Or you might try alarm apps, including the Wirecutter-tested Sleep as Android, which compel you to perform tasks such as walking several paces or scanning a QR code to make the noise stop. Another free app available to iPhones as well as Androids, Alarmy (iOS or Android) prompts you to shake your phone back and forth, which I have also resorted to when I knew I’d be reluctant to wake.
Raise the stakes
Getting up for essential appointments (like jobs and international flights) isn’t necessarily hard, but waking up for lower-stakes events (like that morning workout I promised myself I’d do today for sure) can feel impossible. “The brain kind of knows what is ‘necessary’ and what is kind of a ‘bonus’ thing, and can often sleep through the bonus things,” explains Winter. One way to bypass this problem is to make the event more “necessary.” For morning workouts, sign up for a non-refundable fitness class or plan a run with a friend who will not forgive you if you bail. For brunch, tell your date that you’ll pay for the meal if you’re late.
Enlist a human alarm clock
You might use hotel wake-up calls while traveling—why not at home? Simply tap your favorite morning person to phone you when you need it. (Hopefully, they’re also dependable and loquacious.) That’s what Rosen would sometimes do when she was particularly sleep deprived during her residency years. I use my sister—after five minutes of hearing about her crise du jour, there’s no way I’d be able to fall back asleep. Now that we live on opposite coasts and her commute coincides perfectly with my wake-up time, our calls have become more frequent.
Sleep more (and better)
We saved this strategy for last because we figured it’s the one you’d least want to hear. But as Watson explains, you would likely not even need an alarm if you were consistently getting a good night’s sleep—you would just spontaneously wake up right around when you wanted to, assuming you went to bed early enough. Unfortunately, few people are able or willing to set aside a full seven to eight hours for sleep consistently every night, much less turn off their electronics, avoid alcohol and coffee before bedtime, or skip other sleep-inhibiting substances and activities.
Mentioned above
- After more than a hundred hours of research, and a month sleeping with eight sleep trackers, we think our best sleep tracking app picks are the most helpful.The Best Sleep-Tracking App
- We found the best alarm clocks for all kinds of spaces, from analog and digital ones to smart alarms that gradually wake you up.The Best Alarm Clocks
- We tested six sunrise alarm clocks to find the best models, with soothing dawn and dusk simulations, sleek designs, and a good price. Here's what we recommend.The Best Sunrise Alarm Clock
- Smart shades and blinds save energy and make life more convenient. And they’re a huge help for those with inaccessible windows. But most come with a hefty price.The Best Smart Window Shades and Blinds
- We’ve covered coffee makers since 2015, and we think our top-pick drip coffee maker offers the best combination of convenient features and delicious coffee.The Best Drip Coffee Maker
- After baking close to 40 loaves of bread in eight machines, we found the most reliable bread machine for people baking loaves at home. Here's what we recommend.The Best Bread Machine
Further reading
Wirecutter Picks to Revamp Your Bedroom on the Cheap(ish)
by Gabriella DePinho
Redoing your room doesn’t have to blow your budget. Here’s a handful of less-pricey picks for mattresses, pillows, and everything in between (ahem, sheets).
Wirecutter’s Most Popular Picks in January 2023
by Gabriella DePinho
The 100 picks that our readers loved most in January, from a performance plunger to a plush pillow.
How to Prep Your Bedroom for Winter
by Alex Arpaia
Warm bedding and proper insulation can transform a drafty bedroom into a cozy spot. Here’s what we recommend to prepare your bedroom for winter.
5 Smart(ish) Things to Help You Wake Up Easier
by Rachel Cericola
No one really enjoys waking up, but using smart-home devices can certainly help you rise, shine, and streamline your morning routine.
FAQs
Stop Hitting Snooze! Here Are 8 Expert Tips for Waking Up on Time.? ›
As it turns out, sleep science suggests that hitting the snooze button can not only disrupt healthy sleep patterns, but may leave you feeling drowsy for the rest of the day. If you're an avid lover of the snooze button, consider these 3 reasons why getting up to greet the day right away is always a better idea.
How do I stop hitting the snooze button in the morning? ›- Improve your sleep hygiene. ...
- Set your alarm for a realistic time. ...
- Sit up as soon as you wake up. ...
- Turn on a light once your alarm goes off. ...
- Move your alarm clock across the room.
As it turns out, sleep science suggests that hitting the snooze button can not only disrupt healthy sleep patterns, but may leave you feeling drowsy for the rest of the day. If you're an avid lover of the snooze button, consider these 3 reasons why getting up to greet the day right away is always a better idea.
Why you should stop hitting snooze? ›Hitting Snooze Can Confuse Your Internal Clock
If you normally stick to a consistent sleep schedule, your body's internal clock likely expects you to wake up when your alarm goes off. Hitting snooze can confuse your brain (and your internal clock), leaving you lethargic and drowsy in the morning.
The snooze button likely feels tempting because of sleep inertia. Sleep inertia is a groggy feeling you might feel at times immediately after waking up. During sleep inertia, you are still not fully alert, and you want to go back to sleep rather than get out of bed and begin your day.
Why I can't wake up in the morning? ›Difficulty waking up in the morning causes
These include: parasomnias, such as sleepwalking, sleep talking, and night terrors. sleep apnea, which causes periods of stopped breathing during sleep. sleep deficiency, which can involve not getting good quality sleep, or sleep deprivation, which is not getting enough sleep.
Getting up at the same time each morning helps maintain circadian rhythm, the internal biological clock that's responsible for feelings of sleepiness. Make an effort to rise at the same time every day — even on weekends — to see if you can banish the midmorning slump.
How long should you lay in bed after waking up? ›Light exposure stops the production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep. Staying in Bed Too Long: If you wake up during the night and cannot fall back asleep, experts recommend getting out of bed after 15 to 30 minutes.
Why is it harder to get up after hitting snooze? ›“Most people don't go back into the final, restorative REM stage of sleep. Instead, the body tries to go back into a deep sleep, which is harder to wake up from.” You'll feel, and actually be, more tired than if you'd gotten up with your first alarm.
Is snoozing bad for your mental health? ›We snooze our alarm clock to savor just a few extra minutes of sleep. But the sleep you get after snoozing your alarm isn't productive. It's fragmented sleep that might make you more tired. Fragmented sleep also can compromise your attention span, cognitive ability and negatively impact your mood.
Why is snooze 9 minutes? ›
“That was the mechanical limits of a mechanical clock.” Clockmakers had to decide if the snooze would be a little longer than ten minutes or a little less. Fearing more than ten minutes would allow the clock owner to slip back into a deep sleep (and risk being late), they picked nine minutes.
Why is my snooze 8 minutes? ›Alarm clocks did exist before the snooze function, so there was already a standard gear setup that innovators had to work with. Getting the gear teeth to line up to allow for exactly ten minutes wasn't possible, so they had to choose between setting it at nine minutes and a few seconds or a little bit over ten minutes.
What is the snooze button on Android? ›Snooze: To delay an alarm for 10 minutes, on your lock screen, swipe left. Stop: To stop an alarm, on your lock screen, swipe right.
Why can't I wake up no matter how much sleep I get? ›Sleep inertia, or wake-up grogginess, is the main reason you're unable to fully wake up in the morning or after a nap. It's a completely normal part of your sleep-wake cycle that's intensified by factors like high sleep debt and circadian misalignment (caused by sleeping in, social jetlag, and travel jet lag).
Why is it so hard to wake up? ›One reason for having trouble waking up is sleep inertia, a brief time when the body transitions from sleep to being awake. Sleep inertia can make a person feel groggy, disoriented, and even cognitively impaired immediately after waking.
How do I make sure I wake up in 2 hours? ›- Assess your health. ...
- Keep a drink on your bedside table. ...
- Place your alarm clock strategically. ...
- Get an alarm clock that lights up. ...
- Download this alarm app that will force you out of your bed. ...
- Don't drink caffeine or alcohol the night before. ...
- Try smelling salts. ...
- Train yourself.
The best time to wake up in the morning is between 6:30 am to 7. Waking up early is considered to be one of the healthiest morning habits that shape the rest of your day.
How can I make waking up early easier? ›- Set an earlier bedtime. ...
- Unplug before bed. ...
- Avoid late-night snacking. ...
- Avoid sugary energy drinks and coffee. ...
- Silence your phone. ...
- Avoid all-nighters. ...
- Sleep with your curtains open. ...
- Place your alarm clock across the room.
- Keep Consistent Wake Up and Bed Times.
- Get Enough Sleep.
- Let in Natural Light.
- Listen to Energizing Music.
- Take a Shower.
- Eat a Nutritious Breakfast.
- Exercise Regularly.
- Practice Good Sleep Hygiene.
If you wake up at 3 a.m. or another time and can't fall right back asleep, it may be for several reasons. These include lighter sleep cycles, stress, or underlying health conditions. Your 3 a.m. awakenings may occur infrequently and be nothing serious, but regular nights like this could be a sign of insomnia.
Why am I so tired when I wake up after 8 hours of sleep? ›
Why am I still tired after 8 hours of sleep? Most likely, you're still tired after 8 hours of sleep because you don't know your sleep need, you're getting less sleep than you think, you've got sleep debt, or you're out of sync with your circadian rhythm.
Why am I always tired and have no energy in the morning? ›The reason you're tired in the morning could also just be part of your normal waking up process. The period between opening your eyes and actually feeling energized is called sleep inertia. "It can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour (or even two hours in extreme cases) to feel like a functioning person," says Dr.
What not to do when you wake up? ›- Checking social media. ...
- Forgetting about breakfast. ...
- Anything you could have done the night before. ...
- Hitting snooze. ...
- Waking up at inconsistent times. ...
- Checking your email. ...
- Drinking coffee right away. ...
- Making your bed immediately.
| Wake-up time | Bedtime: 7.5 hours of sleep (5 cycles) | Bedtime: 9 hours of sleep (6 cycles) |
|---|---|---|
| 4:45 a.m. | 9 p.m. | 7:30 p.m. |
| 5 a.m. | 9:15 p.m. | 7:45 p.m. |
| 5:15 a.m. | 9:30 p.m. | 8 p.m. |
| 5:30 a.m. | 9:45 p.m. | 8:15 p.m. |
As a result, you usually end up emerging again from dreamland smack within your deep sleep—or REM sleep—cycle. “It becomes kind of like jet lag,” says Dr. Winter. “You wake up feeling kind of groggy, like you have a dull headache, maybe a bit of nausea, and lethargy—you just don't feel like doing anything.”
How many times does the average person hit snooze? ›And plenty of us do it: According to one survey, more than one in three adults press snooze three times before getting up in the morning. And more than half of adults in their twenties and early thirties say that they hit the snooze button every morning.
What percentage of people hit snooze? ›NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Don't beat yourself up if you can't help but sleep in for an extra few minutes most mornings. Researchers from the University of Notre Dame focused on the tendency to hit the snooze button and found most people (57%) habitually sleep in.
How many people hit snooze every morning? ›A study by researchers at the University of Notre Dame is painting a clearer picture of our tendency to hit the snooze button — and if you delayed getting out of bed this morning, you're certainly not alone. The study, published in the journal SLEEP, found that 57 percent of the participants were habitual snoozers.
What is the healthiest way to wake up? ›- Work with your sleep cycle. Your body's natural circadian rhythm is designed to wake up with light and sleep in darkness. ...
- Don't hit snooze. ...
- Consider a.m. exercise. ...
- Eat a solid breakfast. ...
- Do something that brings you joy.
While most experts agree that a straightforward sleep addiction is not a medical condition, it is possible to develop an addiction to sleeping pills. This can lead to symptoms of hypersomnia.
Does snoozing cause brain fog? ›
In fact, research shows that hitting the snooze button may break up REM cycles, making the snoozer even more tired and contributing to lingering annoyances like that groggy, brain fog feeling more formally known as sleep inertia.
Why does snooze sleep feel so good? ›When you doze off after switching off the alarm clock, it does feel great, because the body emits serotonin as a reward when sleep 'rebegins'. Serotonin creates a feeling of happiness but only until the snooze is over, so you become more and more tired and irritable each time you snooze.
Does an extra 5 minutes of sleep help? ›But from what sleep researchers have said, we can derive an answer. Unfortunately for those of us who enjoy that idea of just a few more minutes, it's not great news. Most sleep researchers says snoozing won't make you any more rested. If anything, it can make it harder for you to wake up.
What does snooze for 5 minutes mean? ›a button on an alarm clock that, if pressed when the alarm is going off, will suspend its ringing for a brief time before allowing it to go off again.
What does snooze for 30 days mean? ›Snoozing a profile, Page or group prevents you from seeing their posts in your Feed for 30 days. The profile, Page or group you've snoozed won't know that they've been snoozed. You can only snooze someone from a post in your Feed. To snooze a person, Page or group from your Feed: 1.
What is the default snooze time? ›Most alarm clocks default to nine minutes of snooze time. This tradition stems from limitations on the physical gears of mechanical clocks. 10 minutes might have been a perfect amount of snooze time (and a nice round number), but mechanical clocks can't snooze for exactly 10 minutes, so the nine-minute snooze was born.
How long does snooze mode last? ›Snooze Mode hides your profile from potential matches for either 24 hours, 72 hours, a week, or indefinitely.
How long does snooze last? ›However, it was the "snooze" description and nine-minute duration that won, eventually becoming the industry standard still recognized today.
What happens if you snooze too much? ›"The 10 more minutes of sleep you're granting yourself over and over and over isn't productive sleep," adds Dr. Ram. "If anything, all of that interrupted sleep will make you feel more groggy." This is because pressing the snooze button may cause you to oversleep or throw off your sleep cycle.
How do I get rid of snooze button? ›- Retrain Your Internal Clock. Set your alarm for the actual time you need to wake up and then, actually, get up when it goes off, every day at the same time. ...
- Move Your Alarm Across the Room. ...
- Let the Sunshine In. ...
- Reward Yourself. ...
- Wake Up Hungry. ...
- Try a Sleep Tracker.
Should I turn snooze on or off? ›
Hitting Snooze Can Confuse Your Internal Clock
If you normally stick to a consistent sleep schedule, your body's internal clock likely expects you to wake up when your alarm goes off. Hitting snooze can confuse your brain (and your internal clock), leaving you lethargic and drowsy in the morning.
And plenty of us do it: According to one survey, more than one in three adults press snooze three times before getting up in the morning. And more than half of adults in their twenties and early thirties say that they hit the snooze button every morning.
How do I change the snooze time on my iPhone? ›Open the Alarmy app on your iPhone and go through the initial setup. Tap the Plus (+) button at the bottom-right corner and select the Alarm option. Set your preferred alarm time. Select the Snooze option, choose the snooze duration to your preference, and hit Done.
Why is snooze 9 minutes instead of 10? ›“That was the mechanical limits of a mechanical clock.” Clockmakers had to decide if the snooze would be a little longer than ten minutes or a little less. Fearing more than ten minutes would allow the clock owner to slip back into a deep sleep (and risk being late), they picked nine minutes.
How do I guarantee to wake up in the morning? ›- Start Small. 1/11. ...
- Put Your Alarm Out of Reach. 2/11. ...
- Let in the Light. 3/11. ...
- Enjoy a Morning Splurge. 4/11. ...
- Sip a Cup of Joe. 5/11. ...
- Schedule a Morning Sweat Session. 6/11. ...
- Fuel Up. 7/11. ...
- Power Down Before Bedtime. 8/11.
- Keep Consistent Wake Up and Bed Times.
- Get Enough Sleep.
- Let in Natural Light.
- Listen to Energizing Music.
- Take a Shower.
- Eat a Nutritious Breakfast.
- Exercise Regularly.
- Practice Good Sleep Hygiene.
There could be a variety of reasons why you are still tired after sleeping for 8 hours. It could be due to poor sleep quality, lifestyle factors such as stress, poor diet, and lack of exercise or an underlying health condition.
How do I change my 9 minute snooze? ›In your phone's Clock app, click the three vertical dots in the upper right. Choose “Settings,” and look for “Alarms.” You should see a “Snooze length” option that allows you to choose different options for your snooze time.
Does hitting snooze make you tired? ›Pressing the snooze button every once in awhile won't do much harm, but making a habit of it can actually make you feel more tired during the day. Before you wake up, you've typically just finished the REM cycle. So if you hit snooze as soon as your alarm goes off, your body and brain go right back into the REM cycle.
Why is iPhone snooze 9 minutes? ›As Apple Explained says, "This was a problem, since they [alarm clock makers] couldn't adjust the clock's gear teeth to line up perfectly for a ten-minute snooze." This left them with a decision to have the snooze feature silence clocks for 10 minutes and 43 seconds or nine minutes and three seconds.
What is the best sound to wake up to? ›
Progressive sounds
A sound that starts relatively quiet and calm and gets progressively loud and energizing is most effective, Giordana says. “Rather than just literally pulling them from sleep into the wakeful state, you're sort of gently escorting them into the wakeful state,” Giordano says.