Hitting the snooze button might feel like a harmless way to ease into the day, but new research shows it could be quietly disrupting one of the most important phases of your sleep: REM. This stage of sleep plays a key role in memory, emotional regulation, and brain health.
A massive study analyzing over 3 million nights of sleep from more than 21,000 people found that 56% of sleep sessions ended with a snooze alarm. On average, people snoozed for about 11 minutes, but heavy snoozers pushed that up to 20 minutes every morning. While this might not seem like a big deal, researchers say it could significantly affect brain function and sleep quality.
Why Snoozing Isn’t Harmless
During the final hours of sleep, our brains are typically in a state of rapid eye movement (REM), a stage tied to vivid dreaming, mood balance, and memory processing. Interrupting this stage—even briefly—can reduce the restorative benefits of sleep and leave you feeling groggy instead of refreshed.
The study, led by researchers from Mass General Brigham and published in Scientific Reports, highlights that frequent snoozers also tend to have more irregular sleep schedules, which can further disrupt their circadian rhythms. People who regularly snooze tend to go to bed later, have more inconsistent wake times, and end up getting less deep sleep overall.
The Hidden Cost of Disrupted REM Sleep
REM sleep is essential for the brain’s overnight "housekeeping," from sorting memories to stabilizing emotions. Fragmenting this cycle with repeated snooze alarms results in lighter, less productive sleep. Over time, this can lead to:
Decreased focus and cognitive performance
Higher risk of mood disturbances
Reduced physical energy
Disruption to overall mental health
According to the study, snooze use was most common in the U.S., Sweden, and Germany, especially on weekdays when people are trying to delay the start of their day.
Better Habits for Healthier Sleep
If you're tempted to hit snooze, experts recommend a simple but powerful strategy: set your alarm for the latest time you actually need to wake up, and get out of bed as soon as it goes off. This helps preserve the full REM cycle and improves your chances of feeling alert and refreshed throughout the day.
Creating a consistent sleep schedule—going to bed and waking up at the same time every day—can also reduce the urge to snooze and improve your sleep quality.
Takeaway: While hitting the snooze button might offer a few extra minutes in bed, the trade-off is fragmented REM sleep, which can affect everything from memory to mood. Choosing to wake up with your first alarm could be one of the simplest mental health hacks you can make.
Discover more at https://www.interventionalpsychiatry.org/
Citations:
Robbins, R., et al. (2024). Quantifying snooze behavior in a global population of smartphone users. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57896-2
Brigham and Women’s Hospital. (2025). Hitting snooze disrupts REM sleep, global study shows. Neuroscience News. https://neurosciencenews.com/rem-snooze-sleep-25673/
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