Are you one of those people who constantly snooze the alarm clock before they actually get up? Then be careful: sleep researchers warn against it!
The alarm clock is ringing. And instead of jumping out of bed full of energy, you briefly press the popular snooze button and drift off again into the land of dreams. Do you recognize yourself there too? No wonder, after all, slumbering is really something beautiful. Unfortunately, we are not doing our health any favors by continuously snoozing, as sleep research has found.
Snoozing disturbs the sleep-wake rhythm
US sleep disorder researcher Robert Rosenberg argues that waking up and sleeping can harm us. Because the eternal slumber disturbs the so-called circadian rhythm. That means: Our brain no longer knows whether to be awake or tired – which in turn can lead to greater tiredness during the day. This also weakens the performance.
Social jet lag as a cause
Unfortunately, the problem is not solved by simply doing without the snooze button in the future (that would be difficult enough for most of us … ?). Because Rosenberg sees the general reason why we just can't get out of bed in the morning in most cases with a chronic lack of sleep – also known as social jetlag.
Sleep deprivation is a night with less than six hours of sleep. Rosenberg suspects that most people only use the snooze button so excessively because they generally don't get enough sleep.
Laptops, smartphones and the like are to blame.
Although many people suffered from sleep disorders even before the technical revolution, since smartphones and the like found their way into bed, the problem has worsened again, according to Rosenberg. And research proves him right: The blue-wave light that the devices emit confuses our sensitive nervous system and thus the sleep-wake rhythm. The light lowers the level of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin.
And now? The first step in eliminating sleep disorders and not needing the snooze button the next day is to banish technical devices from the bedroom in the evening. In general, laptops, smartphones and the like should be switched off about 90 minutes before going to bed. so that the body can adjust to sleep. Even evening rituals such as a cup of soothing tea (e.g. with hops or valerian) or breathing exercises can help you fall asleep relaxed.