Countdown nearing end: Snooze button widely used in Germany - Rush in the final seconds:
Article:
A recent study published in the journal "Scientific Reports" suggests that the snooze button on alarm clocks, often used for an extra five minutes of sleep, is popular, particularly in Germany. Led by sleep researcher Rebecca Robbins from Harvard Medical School, the study analyzed data from over 21,000 users of the "Sleep Cycle" app across nearly three million nights.
The analysis revealed that users utilized the snooze function in nearly 56% of nights. Moreover, nearly half of them used the button on more than 80% of days, averaging an additional 20 minutes of sleep on those days. Overall, all app users slept an additional 11 minutes per day when using the snooze function.
Interestingly, women were found to use the snooze button more frequently than men. On average, women hit the snooze button about 2.5 times per morning, spending approximately 11.5 minutes snoozing, while men hit snooze approximately 2.3 times and spent about 10.2 minutes in snooze mode.
The study further indicated that people typically press the snooze button multiple times, averaging 2.4 times. However, repeated snooze presses disrupt crucial sleep phases, especially those rich in REM sleep, which occur just before waking.
Sleep deprivation can negatively impact health, increasing the risk of mental health issues, cardiovascular diseases, and cognitive impairment. To maintain optimal health, experts recommend uninterrupted sleep and setting an alarm for the latest possible time, getting out of bed immediately upon its first ring. Generally, it is advised to aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
Germany, Sweden, and the United States have some of the highest snooze button use, while Japan and Australia have the lowest. This pattern holds globally, with women tending to snooze more frequently and for slightly longer durations compared to men.
This comprehensive study offers the most objective and extensive insight into snooze behavior to date, highlighting common worldwide practices that aim for a little more sleep but vary significantly between genders and countries. Germany aligns closely with the US and Sweden in relatively frequent snooze use, while Japan and Australia are characterized by less frequent snoozing despite similar gender patterns.
- The study on snooze behavior published in "Scientific Reports" also delved into the implications of this practice on health, revealing that excessive use of the snooze button can disrupt crucial sleep phases and potentially lead to health issues, such as mental health problems, cardiovascular diseases, and cognitive impairment.
- In light of the correlation between sleep deprivation and negative health outcomes, community policy and health policy should consider promoting healthy sleep habits, advocating for uninterrupted sleep and setting an alarm for the latest possible time, in line with expert recommendations of seven to nine hours of sleep per night, to ensure overall health and wellness.
