For the better part of my adult life, I was a chronic snooze button abuser. I actually set the time on my clock 15 minutes fast, (who was I fooling?) and would hit the snooze button no less that 4 or 5 times per day. I would fall right back to sleep, often a deep sleep for what I thought were 10 more precious minutes. Little did I know, I was setting myself up for grogginess and brain fog.
A few years ago, I began a journey into personal growth and development. I began reading authors like Rachel Hollis and Mel Robbins. They all provided solid research on the importance of a morning routine. Said routine did involve rushing out of bed, getting ready in 10 minutes and arriving just in the nick of time for work. They all suggested getting up earlier, having space to reflect on your day ahead, having time to exercise or meditate. I started to really take these things to heart, but still had multiple alarms set.
Then, Mel Robbins taught me about sleep inertia. Sleep inertia is the groggy feeling you have when you first wake up. It creates slower response times and slower reasoning. Maybe you think 10 more minutes will help, but really it just makes it worse and last longer. Expert Dr. Ram shares why.
"The 10 more minutes of sleep you're granting yourself over and over and over isn't productive sleep," adds Dr. Ram. "If anything, all of that interrupted sleep will make you feel more groggy."
This is because pressing the snooze button may cause you to oversleep or throw off your sleep cycle. Both can increase your chances of feeling more tired during the day.
When I stopped my snooze, I instantly felt the difference. Getting up at the first alarm was a huge game changer. Mel Robbin's Five Second Rule is a great tool for making this happen.
So, I challenge you to start a morning routine, even if it is only 15 or 30 minutes earlier, but stop the snooze!
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