I snooze my alarm most days. It’s not that I’m not a morning person, I just love my bed. To ensure I can enjoy the cosy cocoon of my duvet for as long as possible, I usually set my alarm for 20 minutes or so before I know that I have to get out of bed. That way, it feels like I’m getting a lie in. Crafty, right? Except… it doesn’t always play out quite like that, and I’m grumpier than I would have been if I’d just got up the first time. Oh, and possibly later for work.

At least I’m not the only one who loves to snooze. A recent study published in the Journal Of Sleep Research found that 69% of participants reported using the snooze function or setting multiple alarms at least sometimes. However, there may be good news for the snoozers. The same study, which reviewed 1,732 participants, also found that 30 minutes of snoozing didn’t affect cognitive performance.

Similarly, another study found that snoozing wasn’t associated with decreased sleep duration or increased sleepiness. However, the researchers – who monitored participants over a year – found preliminary evidence to suggest that snoozing is associated with lighter sleep in the last hour before waking and a higher resting heart rate across the night. Researchers suggested that more high-quality research was needed.

So, is setting multiple alarms ever a good idea? We put that question to the experts.

With a lack of research in the area – and what exists being mixed – should we be snoozing as much as we do?

“Snoozing can seem helpful in allowing a ‘fake lie-in’, as you called it, and to ease the transition between sleep and wake,” says Dr Anna Joyce, a chartered psychologist and sleep therapist. “But unfortunately, this is counterintuitive as the time between alarms is usually quite short, so we only really get back into stage one non-REM sleep, which is not restorative; it’s really just a transition stage between wake and sleep.

“During sleep, we cycle through progressively deeper stages of sleep, which repeat in approximately 90-minute cycles throughout the night. Most deep sleep happens at the start of the night. It’s the most restorative phase and the body is good at catching up on deep sleep if we are sleep-deprived. Later in the night is mostly light sleep and rapid eye movement.”

She says that when we snooze, we’re usually waking from light sleep or REM, which is why we might remember quite vivid story-like dreams. “It would be better to set the alarm for the latest time you can get up, which allows the maximum amount of time to complete a natural sleep cycle,” Dr Joyce adds.

Indeed, one recent study found that using a snooze alarm prolonged sleep inertia – the groggy, disoriented feeling caused by waking from deep or insufficient sleep – compared to a single alarm.

Alice Leslie is a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist who regularly works with people through the NHS and privately to solve sleep difficulties. She says that when it comes to snoozing, it’s also important to look at the bigger picture. “For some people, snoozing seems to have no negative side effects. Many people, however, find snoozing depressing. Disrupted sleep can be both a symptom and cause of many common mental health problems.”

Perhaps my fake lie-ins weren’t as clever as I thought, and this certainly explains some of my morning grumpiness. So, how does one master the art of setting a good alarm to avoid hitting snooze?

“The most important point to consider is to set your alarm for the same time every day, even at weekends,” says Dr Joyce. “Try not to vary by more than about half an hour. The circadian rhythm (body clock) is determined by chemical and physiological changes that fluctuate throughout the day, including the hormone cortisol, which helps us feel alert in the morning, and melatonin, the hormone that tells the body when to sleep.”

She explains that having a consistent schedule makes it easier for our body clock to predict what time to release these hormones, helping us feel alert or sleepy at roughly the same time each day.

Leslie says it can be helpful to remove mobile phones from the equation and to keep an old-fashioned alarm clock in your bedroom. “Ideally, it’s out of reach, so you’re out of bed before you know it,” she says. She also advises “making the bedroom really nice before bed, throwing open the curtains first thing, considering some motivational morning affirmations, exercise or meditation, and a pleasurable breakfast routine”.

Martin Seeley, a sleep expert and CEO of MattressNextDay, agrees: “For most people, setting a good alarm means choosing one consistent wake-up time and using a gentle alarm sound that doesn’t wake you in a jarring way.”

Seeley also highlights how important it is for shift workers to maintain a consistent sleep schedule, even on days off. He suggests using blackout curtains, white noise machines and light therapy lamps to help reset your body clock and increase alertness.

Leslie adds: “My heart goes out to shift workers. It’s very hard to have a functional, healthy routine when work patterns are always changing.” She advises meditation before bed and working out a good time to exercise. “Even a few deep breaths can access the parasympathetic nervous system, which is much more conducive to sleep, rest and nourishment.”

However, regardless of the individual, Leslie says: “A good alarm goes off once you’ve had enough sleep or at least created conditions where this could happen.”

With that in mind, I’m off to treat myself to a sunrise alarm clock.

Images: Getty