A new study conducted by Mass General Brigham researchers analyzed over 3 million nights of sleep data from more than 21,000 people worldwide. They found that the snooze button was used on nearly 56% of mornings, with about 45% of participants hitting snooze on more than 80% of their wake-ups. Heavy snooze-button users averaged 20 minutes of snoozing daily, with usage being higher on weekdays compared to weekends and lower among people sleeping five hours or less. The study also revealed geographic variations, with the highest snooze usage in the U.S., Sweden, and Germany, while Japan and Australia showed the lowest rates.
Sleep experts warn that snoozing disrupts critical REM sleep stages that occur in the final hours before waking, with only light sleep occurring between alarms. Researchers recommend setting alarms for the latest possible time and committing to getting up immediately when the first alarm sounds to optimize sleep quality and next-day performance.