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Does hitting the snooze button really help you feel better?
Why we hit the snooze button
It's important to understand why we are using the snooze button in the first place.
For some, it's a habit that started early on. But for many, it can signal a significant problem with sleep. And poor sleep has been shown to be associated with a number of health disorders including high blood pressure, memory problems, and even weight control.
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Why we hit the snooze button
It's important to understand why we are using the snooze button in the first place.
For some, it's a habit that started early on. But for many, it can signal a significant problem with sleep. And poor sleep has been shown to be associated with a number of health disorders including high blood pressure, memory problems, and even weight control.
What normal sleep looks like
Our natural body clock regulates functions through what's known as circadian rhythms: physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a daily cycle.
Most adults require approximately 7,5-8 hours of good sleep per night. This enables us to spend adequate time in the stages of sleep known as nonrapid eye movement sleep (NREM) and rapid eye movement sleep (REM).
What affects sleep cycles
- If a person is not breathing well during sleep (snoring or sleep apnea), this will disturb the normal sequences and cause the individual to awaken feeling unrestored.
- Sleep quality can be diminished by the use of electronic devices, tobacco or alcohol in the evening.
- Even eating too close to bedtime can be problematic.
Don't snooze your alarm
It's probably best to set your alarm for a specific time and get up then.
Delaying getting out of bed for nine minutes by hitting the snooze is simply not going to give us any more restorative sleep. In fact, it may serve to confuse the brain into starting the process of secreting more neurochemicals that cause sleep to occur, according to some hypotheses.
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Eating before bed
It is important to leave at least a couple of hours between eating and sleeping.
There is a whole raft of so-called sleepy foods – anything containing tryptophan, serotonin, melatonin, magnesium, calcium, potassium – often eaten in the hope they will aid sleep.
If you do want to eat these foods, do it because it’s a nice ritual, not because you need it to sleep.
A cure for sleepwalking
There isn’t a cure.
People who sleepwalk usually are advised to keep their room safe by locking windows and doors, and to maintain what’s called good sleep hygiene: keep to a regular sleep routine, turn mobile phones off, avoid stimulants, and so on. Sleepwalking can often occur as a result of poor or disrupted sleep.
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Eat Meals Earlier
Don't eat any heavy foods within two hours of bed time.
If you get too hungry as bedtime creeps around, there are a few foods that are okay to eat before bed, and can even h...
Do Something After You Eat
After you eat, get up and do something a bit more active—even if it's just washing dishes or taking out the trash. It'll avoid that post-meal drowsiness, and it's a great time to have a 10-minute cleaning burst to keep your house looking nice.
Avoid Napping
Napping can make it more difficult to fall asleep at night:
If, after you've thoroughly tested your evening routine and gotten better sleep, you still feel drowsy, you can try adding a power nap to your day, preferably during the early afternoon.
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Slow-wave sleep (deep sleep) – SWS
About 80% of our sleeping is of the SWS variety, identified by slow brain waves, relaxed muscles and deep breathing.
Deep sleep is important for the consolidation of memories. New experience...
Rapid eye movement (dreaming) - REM
Dreaming accounts for 20% of our sleeping time.
The length of dreams can vary from a few seconds to almost an hour. During REM sleep, the brain is highly active. The muscles are paralyzed, and the heart rate increases. Breathing can become erratic.
Sleep quantity
Although eight hours is the common mention, optimum sleep can vary from person to person and from age to age.
One review that worked through 320 research articles concluded 7 - 9 hours of sleep are enough for adults. According to experts, too little or too much sleep can both have a negative impact on your health.
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