Hitting snooze button could do you harm

Alarming fact

Be careful the next time you hit the snooze button of the alarm clock to grab some extra sleep in the morning after a sleepless night, for a study says that it could actually make things worse.

This is because it would throw the body’s natural clock off its natural rhythm and exacerbates the problem, according to researchers at Loughborough University.

Even insomniacs who have not slept at all would be better off getting up at the same time each morning rather than staying in bed to grab some extra sleep, said Prof Kevin Morgan, who led the two-year study.

The study, which involved more than a thousand people, found that those with insomnia – a condition which affects one in 10 adults – were ten per cent less efficient at work than their colleagues, The Daily Telegraph reported.

People with the condition, which can be short-term or chronic and causes difficulty falling or staying asleep, were more likely to be absent, have accidents in the workplace and to be unhappy in their jobs.

Insomnia can be effectively treated with drugs or talking therapy sessions, but many people may not realise they have a problem and try to compensate by having a lie-in, Prof Morgan was quoted as saying.

Setting the alarm back or pressing “snooze” will not help because the body works best when it wakes up at the same time every morning, he explained.

Prof Morgan added: “Everyone who finds their sleep challenged, like a new parent or someone starting a new job, is exposed to the possibility of developing insomnia.

“If your sleep is vulnerable you would be much better advised to set your body clock to the same time every morning by always getting up at the same time. This tells your biological system when it needs to start and it works better than always going to bed at the same time in the evening.

“It is only an issue if your sleep is being threatened or if you are someone with a wobbly sleep pattern, but if you are then it is the best possible advice. Sleeping in late or pressing the snooze button is not good practice.”