Setting an alarm to wake up 5–10 minutes earlier is not worth it for anyone concerned with health. This topic has been discussed in conversations with NEWS.ru, where Anzhelika Polina, an associate professor in the Psychological Counseling Department of the Faculty of Psychology at the State Educational University, warned that the extra sleep window can mislead the brain and trigger unnecessary melatonin production, which is the sleep hormone. According to her, that brief extra nap has little chance of improving wakefulness and may even disrupt the body’s internal clock. Journalist notes from Gazeta.RU echo this view, emphasizing that those extra minutes don’t effectively translate into better alertness.
Polina explains that the tendency to press snooze is most common among young people, a time when internal biological rhythms are still adjusting and daily routines frequently change. Many people hold the belief that waking up gradually is beneficial, but clinicians disagree. They argue that those 5–10 minutes of snoozing can create more harm than good by fragmenting sleep and confusing the brain’s signals. The professional adds that repeated alarms only serve to fragment the sleep cycle further, leaving a person less refreshed when finally awake.
To minimize disruption, the guidance is simple: respond to the first alarm signal, including any repeats. The goal is to preserve a single, coherent sleep cycle rather than peppering it with multiple awakenings. This approach helps the brain transition from sleep to wakefulness more smoothly and supports consistent daytime functioning.
Researchers also point out that seasonal changes can influence sleep needs. Winter may call for a bit more rest, a notion reinforced by coverage in The Guardian that references findings from Frontiers in Neuroscience. The takeaway is not about chasing extra minutes of sleep every day, but about aligning wake times with the body’s natural rhythms as the season shifts. The science suggests that longer, uninterrupted sleep can improve mood, cognitive performance, and overall health, especially when wake times are kept regular.
On the broader question of why snoozing seems so tempting, experts note that the brain occasionally uses a short pause to test whether there is a real need to rise. But this instinct often backfires. The consistent message from sleep researchers is that a reliable wake time, paired with a calm morning routine, yields better daytime functioning than repeatedly delaying the start by a handful of minutes. For anyone trying to optimize sleep, the practical advice is to establish a steady wake time, avoid multiple alarms, and create an environment that supports crisp, restorative sleep so mornings begin with clarity rather than grogginess.