Most of us deal with the daily dread of setting our alarm for whatever time we have to get up in the morning. It’s usually then followed by that time rolling around tomorrow and you agitatedly smashing that snooze button, or in our case, pressing the lock button repeatedly, or the volume button… whatever will work to shut the thing up really.
Whether it's your phone buzzing uncontrollably on the bedside table or that old-school alarm clock going wild, there’s one universal truth: the snooze button can be both your best mate and your worst enemy.
the blessing bit
Let's be honest, sometimes you simply just need those “five more minutes" of shut-eye. The stolen moments between alarms can feel like the cosiest, most peaceful sleep you’ve had all night. Your duvet wraps around you like a warm hug, comforting you more than it has all night long, and bang. You drift off again thinking, this is the life.
And sometimes, you really do need it. Maybe you had a late night, you can hear the rain trouncing down on the window, or you know you’ve got an absolutely brutal day ahead — that extra little bit of rest can feel like a tiny gift to yourself. In those moments, the snooze button is your saviour. A pause on reality. A cheeky little lie-in loophole.
but then... the curse
Now, of course, we all know what happens next. you hit that snooze button once… then again… and then suddenly it’s 8:47am, your train leaves in 13 minutes, you get yourself into an absolute panic and then find yourself brushing your teeth while trying to put on socks and check those godforsaken emails all at the same time.
Science even backs it up: constantly interrupting your sleep with short bursts of waking can make you feel groggier and grumpier. Something about sleep inertia — that dreaded foggy, can't-think-straight feeling that turns you into a zombie for the first hour of the day, if not the whole day. So instead of feeling refreshed after your early night and little lie in, you end up feeling more knackered than ever before.
Plus, let’s not forget the guilt. Oh, the guilt. You were meant to get up early. You had it all planned out, a nice breakfast or maybe even a cheeky workout. But instead, it’s now a stressful mad dash and a questionable “cereal” bar on the bus.
so what’s the answer?
Well, it depends. If you're someone who hits snooze once or twice and still manages to get up just fine and go about your day, then honestly you’re probably fine, you do you. there’s no need to feel bad about it. But, if snoozing leaves you rushing, flustered, and more tired than when you first woke up — it is most likely time to rethink your morning routine.
Some people swear by putting their alarm across the room so they actually have to physically get themselves out of bed to turn it off. Others go cold turkey and ditch the snooze button entirely. (Brave souls, honestly.) And then there’s the gradual wake-up crowd — the classy ones with the sunrise lamps, soothing sounds, and all sorts of relaxation techniques to make mornings gentler.
final thoughts
The snooze button isn’t evil. It's just... a bit of a trickster. It certainly feels like a good idea at the time, but it doesn’t always do you a favour. So use it wisely, and it can be a little luxury. Abuse it, and it will undoubtedly turn into your morning nemesis.
So, when tomorrow morning rolls around and your alarm buzzes, when you reach for that tempting little button, just remember to ask yourself: to snooze or not to snooze?
That is the (half-asleep) question.
Until next time, eve Sleep.
