CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It's Monday morning, so be honest, how many times did you hit the snooze button this morning? Most of us like a little "snooze" in between alarms, but could it be bad for our health?
THE QUESTION:
Does hitting the snooze button multiple times actually make you more groggy for the day?
OUR SOURCES:
THE ANSWER:
Yes, hitting the snooze button several times can make you groggy during the day because it could interrupt deep sleep.
WHAT WE FOUND:
"Sometimes people will set the alarm and hit the snooze button once and get up, and they are good, that is probably not a major issue, Dr. Kirsch said. The problem is when they start using it repetitively."
So say you set your alarm for six and snooze for an hour. The Houston Methodist Medical Center said hitting the snooze button repeatedly can increase your chances of being jarred awake during "deep sleep" which would leave you feeling groggier than usual.
"It is usually dreaming sleep at the end of your sleep cycle. Now you are disrupting, and you are flying between different stages because you are waking yourself up, and then you are trying to get back in that stage, and you don't feel very good with that fragmented sleep," Dr. Kirsch.
Dr. Kirsch tells WCNC that you keep hitting that snooze because you're probably not getting enough zzz's. Instead, he suggests setting your alarm to the time you actually stop hitting the snooze button or try to unwind and go to bed earlier.
"Probably the most important thing is trying to stick to a consistent schedule," Dr. Kirsch said.
Dr. Kirsch tells WCNC to limit your screen time before bed, and if you can stay consistent with the time you wake up for two to three weeks, he tells us it will get easier to rise and shine.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
VERIFY is dedicated to helping the public distinguish between true and false information. The VERIFY team, with help from questions submitted by the audience, tracks the spread of stories or claims that need clarification or correction. Have something you want VERIFIED? Text us at 704-329-3600 or visit VERIFY.