There may be nothing so comforting as hitting the snooze button. For ten minutes the world’s problems are kept at bay as you burrow back into the covers. Rejoining the dream world can feel luxurious — especially doing it a few times — but are you doing it for the right reasons?
If you’re using the snooze button to make up for lost sleep, this small deferment won’t help you recharge. Dr. Charles Czeisler, team sleep specialist for the Boston Celtics, said combining snoozing with unhealthy sleep habits turns us into zombies in the morning. Sleep-deprived denizens are unable to snap fully awake — they’re victims of “sleep inertia” — and instead drift in the liminal stage between sleep and wakefulness. Put another way: you snooze, you lose.
Jim Braude and Margery Eagan talked with Czeisler about how to get better rest.
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