"Ugh...Just five more minutes..."
It seems like the perfect mumble of an idea when you're half asleep, reaching over to slap the alarm clock, hoping you swat the snooze button, but as they say, "you snooze, you lose."
Snoozing will actually make you groggier and make it harder to start your day, according to PsyPost.
Two processes regulate sleep: one is a homeostatic process based on previous sleep/wake patterns, and the second is a circadian rhythm (our 24-hour body clock).
Sleep is a cycle. Each cycle occurs about five times throughout the night as you drift between five stages of varying depths of sleep. Each cycle lasts about an hour and a half. We tend to sleep deeper earlier on and lighter as waking gets closer.
Every time we fall asleep, the cycle starts at the beginning. So, instead of taking advantage of the higher core temperature and increased cortisol and waking naturally, the alarm clock jolts us out of a sleep cycle, according to PsyPost. Worse, when we snooze, we put ourselves back into a deep sleep and wake ourselves back up after a short time.
So, how do we keep our hands off that lovely bar that so invitingly asks us to "snooze?"
A regular sleep schedule is a good way to go. Keep a regular bedtime and waking hour, even on weekends. Your body will get into the routine.
The best way is to find your natural circadian rhythm. A morning lark might naturally become tired at 8 p.m. and wake up without an alarm clock at 4 a.m., but a night owl who sleep cycles between 5 a.m. and 1 p.m. would need job flexibility. Without that luxury, a doctor can help in the adaptation of a sleeper's schedule.
Other bonus factors, according to PsyPost, are a healthy diet and regular exercise. Keeping alcohol and caffeine to a minimum is also recommended.
