It’s no news that sleep is important for our health. But what about waking up? There are people who set the alarm clock for the latest possible time so that they can sleep as long as possible – and then jump up as soon as it rings. And there are people who prefer to snooze: So-called “snoozers” like to set their alarm clock early, only to be woken up again several times… and then always be able to fall asleep again. Until they actually have to get up.
A study was recently published by Stockholm University that suggests snoozing increases cognitive performance after getting up. However, the study is not very meaningful – because of the small number of participants. You can read more about the result here. But apart from the health aspect, snoozing or not snoozing is more of a way of life. Two stern editors take a look at what speaks for and against them:
Online editor Karina Geburzky is an early riser – at least during the week. But that’s not all: when the alarm goes off, she jumps straight out of bed. Here she explains why she never understood the purpose of the snooze button:
“Sleeping in is a great thing for me too. But only if I don’t have anything planned that day that requires me to get up early. I like to sleep in on weekends or on vacation. But on weekdays it’s completely different.
When the alarm goes off, I immediately jump out of bed. If I let the annoying tone ring several times because I really want to turn around and doze again, I would ultimately annoy everyone who sleeps longer near me. I find that selfish – and my conscience doesn’t play into it.
In addition, I would no longer be able to relax enough to even get back to sleep. If I know that the alarm is going to go off again in a few minutes and I still fall asleep, I would be so exhausted the next time I woke up that I probably wouldn’t feel fully rested all day. That’s why I just get up straight away, don’t annoy anyone around me, and don’t feel like I haven’t slept well all night just because I delayed waking up for a short time.”
Her colleague Wiebke Tomescheit-Bösenberg, on the other hand, likes to press “snooze” again. And he doesn’t think that’s bad at all, on the contrary:
“It’s warm. It’s cozy. The body is relaxed, the brain too – still. I know: the day is about to start. I have to think about various important things, I have to make coffee, get ready for the day, maybe a quick one , get two things done around the house before the next few hours belong to the job, with its tasks and agreements. But still, I’m still lying here like a little cotton ball under my blanket, the busy everyday life is still a few minutes away. And these few I can enjoy minutes without shame. My alarm clock automatically rings again eight minutes after the first ring. And then I start blinking my eyes. And after another eight minutes I get up and make the first coffee.
Yes, my husband could probably do without the alarm going off the first two times. But I tell myself that I’ll make up for the 16 minutes of deep sleep I’ve robbed him of by finally taking care of coffee and breakfast. Deal?
For my part, I say honestly: deep sleep is great and healthy and of course important. But: When I sleep, I sleep. Then I don’t notice how comfortable the bed is, how warm it is under the covers, how relaxed my body is. I’m sleeping. The short snooze time in the morning is there to consciously register and enjoy this state.
By the way, I have very rarely overslept in my life. Because snoozing doesn’t necessarily mean sleeping longer. I just set my alarm clock earlier because the comfort is worth it to be woken up from my dreams a little earlier than necessary.”