Health
Most Americans hit the snooze button every morning — here’s why it could be bad for your health
More than half of sleep sessions end with the snooze button, with people sneaking in an extra 11 minutes on average, a new study reveals — but experts say it may not be a good idea.
Researchers from Mass General Brigham analyzed data from the Sleep Cycle app, which included sleep habits from more than 21,000 people globally.
Among the more than three million sleep sessions tracked, nearly 56% ended with the snooze button.
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The heaviest users of the snooze button — who used it for more than 80% of the mornings included in the study — slept an average of 20 extra minutes.
These heaviest snoozers were also shown to have “more erratic sleep schedules” than those who used the snooze button less often, the researchers found.
More than half of sleep sessions end with the snooze button, with people sneaking in an extra 11 minutes on average, a new study reveals. (iStock)
The snooze button was more likely to be used on weekdays and less so on Saturdays and Sundays.
The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The problem with snoozing
“Unfortunately, the snooze alarm disrupts some of the most important stages of sleep,” said lead author Rebecca Robbins, PhD, in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in a press release.
“The hours just before waking are rich in rapid eye movement sleep. Hitting the snooze alarm will interrupt these critical stages of sleep and typically only offer light sleep in between snooze alarms.”
“Snoozing feels good, but effectively results in less sleep.”
It’s common for people to feel grogginess upon waking up, called “sleep inertia,” which can make the snooze button tempting, according to Dr. David Kuhlmann, spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and medical director of sleep medicine at Bothwell Regional Health Center in Sedalia, Missouri.
“While hitting snooze may make it easier for some to wake up, it’s not recommended,” Kuhlmann, who wasn’t involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “Falling back to sleep for just a few extra minutes disrupts your sleep cycle, which can impact your mood and energy throughout the day.”
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Alex Dimitriu, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist and sleep medicine doctor and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California, agreed that hitting the snooze button is disruptive to one’s rest.
“Snoozing feels good, but effectively results in less sleep,” Dimitriu, who also did not participate in the research, told Fox News Digital.
“Unfortunately, the snooze alarm disrupts some of the most important stages of sleep,” said the lead study author. (iStock)
“Snoozing specifically impacts REM sleep or dream sleep, which happens most in the morning hours.”
REM (rapid eye movement) sleep has wide-ranging benefits, according to the expert — including that it helps regulate emotions by repeating past events and preparing for the future.
“There is evidence that our brains get emotionally calibrated during REM sleep — so it matters a lot,” Dimitriu added.
Tips for skipping the snooze
“When the alarm goes off, we should feel ready to start our day,” Dr. Stephen Carstensen, a dentist and sleep expert in Washington, told Fox News Digital.
It’s as simple as breaking the habit, noted Cartensen, who wasn’t part of the MGB study.
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“Habits are changed by determination, which is always easy to say, hard to do,” he said. “Just don’t do it, and soon the habit is gone.”
If someone feels like they need those extra minutes, however, the expert suggests thinking about what might need to change.
To optimize sleep and feel rested the next day, experts recommend setting the alarm for the latest possible time and getting out of bed when it goes off the first time. (iStock)
“Maybe you aren’t going to bed early enough, or sleep quality suffers from snoring or other breathing problems,” he said. “You might have another sleep problem or a bed partner who keeps you from getting good sleep.”
“The issue isn’t really the snooze button, but why you need it.”
To optimize sleep and feel rested the next day, experts recommend setting the alarm for the latest possible time and getting out of bed when it goes off the first time.
“Most people use the snooze button either because they go to bed too late or because an early-morning wake time does not line up with their natural sleep cycle,” Dimitriu said.
“The issue isn’t really the snooze button, but why you need it.”
In both cases, he recommends adhering to a consistent sleep schedule that you can stick to, with “regular(ish)” bedtimes and wake times.
“It also helps to put down shiny, colorful screens full of interesting information in the hour before bed,” Dimitriu added. “You need to slow down to get sleepy, or you won’t get sleepy.”
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“I tell my patients ‘tech off at 10’ — dimming the lights and reading a book helps a lot.”
Kuhlmann recommends that people keep their phones across the room at night to force them to get out of bed when the alarm goes off.
If someone is still overly reliant on the snooze button even after improving sleep habits, it may be a sign of unrefreshing sleep from an underlying disorder, an expert warned. (iStock)
“If you’re hitting snooze regularly, it could be a sign that you aren’t getting enough or good-quality sleep,” he noted. “To improve your sleep, prioritize healthy sleep habits, like keeping a consistent bedtime, avoiding large meals and alcohol before bed, and aiming for at least seven or more hours of sleep per night.”
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If someone is still overly reliant on the snooze button even after improving sleep habits, it may be a sign of unrefreshing sleep from an underlying disorder, Kuhlmann warned.
“In that case, speak with your healthcare provider, who may refer you to an AASM-accredited sleep center for treatment.”
Health
Katie Couric couldn’t remember the year or the president during frightening brain episode
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
Health
One walking habit could signal a healthier brain after 80, scientists say
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
Health
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