This is what snoozing does to your health, did you know this?
The era of alarm clocks like the one pictured is pretty much over, and even clock radios and digital alarm clocks have given way to our smartphones. And let this beautiful device have just one very tempting feature: the snooze button, also known as snooze. On most devices this is set to ten minutes by default. Your alarm clock rings, you press ‘snooze’ and after ten minutes you are woken up again. It gives you a wonderful feeling, as if you can sleep a little longer. Unfortunately, this is not good for your health, so you’d better unlearn it.
Snooze
Snoozing involves setting an alarm clock where you have a snooze option, the snooze button. Pressing (or swiping) this button delays the alarm for five, ten or fifteen minutes. In between these alarms you can have a nice sleep, also called snoozing. Many people love this and even we on the editorial team have been late for work because we pressed the snooze button one time too many. Unfortunately for us, according to scientists, snoozing is not useful at all.
Sleep quality
The naps you take between alarm clocks are so light that they don’t actually benefit you. You are interrupting your long, deep sleep by taking a series of naps. Instead of waking up, you’ll feel sleepier and wake up dull and tired. In Margriet, sleep expert Alies Coster explains: “During the time you snooze, your sleep quality is not good enough to contribute to recovery of your body and brain. That’s because your sleep is interrupted each time.”
So it is better for you to set your alarm clock when you really need to get up. That way, you can sleep as long as possible and enjoy a deep sleep. In the long run, this makes you feel better and fresher. You also run an increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease if you do not get enough sleep or sleep of poor quality.
With the following step-by-step plan, you can unlearn your snoozing habit
1. Enough sleep
Exactly how much sleep you need is personal. On average, adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Go to bed on time so you’ve actually had enough sleep as soon as your alarm goes off.
2. Sleep Rhythm
The best thing for your overall well-being is to keep a steady sleep rhythm, even on the weekends! So go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every day. Your body will get used to this rhythm and will already wake up at the time you need to wake up. Are you really a snoozer? Then try to go to bed half an hour earlier than you are used to, so that your body gets enough sleep anyway.
3. Move your alarm clock away
Force yourself to wake up by putting your alarm clock or phone on the other side of the bedroom. You do have to get out of bed now to turn off the alarm clock. And well, once you’re up you might as well actually get up. That way you don’t run the risk of falling asleep after your alarm has gone off.
4. New alarm clock
Do you not wake up properly because it is dark in your bedroom? Then you might benefit from a wake-up light. Do you wake up every day very sleepy? Then download an app that asks you to solve a puzzle before it turns off, such as the “I Can’t Wake Up” app.
5. Prepare your breakfast
Bribe yourself with a nice breakfast and a cup of tea or coffee! Put a nice breakfast in the fridge the night before that you can eat right away. Make yourself a cup of coffee or tea and allow yourself a moment of pleasure in the morning.
6. Appointment
Make sure you actually have something to do in the morning, whether it’s work or exercise. This will simply keep you from lying down longer than necessary. Good luck!
Source: Real Simple | Image: Pexels