How to Stop Hitting Snooze: 10 Ways That Actually Work
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The snooze button feels like a gift at 6am. Nine more minutes. Then another nine. Then you're running late and somehow more tired than when the first alarm went off. This guide explains why snoozing doesn't help, and gives you practical ways to stop hitting snooze for good.
The short answer: snoozing gives you a few minutes of broken, light sleep, not real rest. To stop, set your alarm for the time you actually need to get up, put the off switch out of reach or use an alarm without a snooze habit attached, and make the first few minutes of your morning easy. Most importantly, get enough sleep so you're not fighting your alarm in the first place.
Why snoozing doesn't give you more rest
When your alarm goes off and you hit snooze, you usually drift back into light sleep for a few minutes before the next alarm. That's not the deep, restful sleep your body is after. And each alarm is another jolt.
Snoozing also teaches your brain that the first alarm doesn't really mean "get up". Over time, it's easier to ignore. See why can't I wake up to my alarm?
If you share a bed or a house, there's another cost: every snooze wakes the people around you too.
10 ways to stop hitting snooze
1. Set the alarm for when you actually need to get up
If you always snooze for 30 minutes, set your alarm 30 minutes later and sleep straight through. That's 30 minutes of unbroken sleep instead of three short naps.
2. Get enough sleep
The Sleep Health Foundation recommends 7 to 9 hours a night for most adults (source). Snoozing is often a sign you're short. Work back from your wake-up time to a realistic bedtime.
3. Put the alarm out of reach
If you have to get out of bed to switch it off, you're already up. This works well for sound alarms, but it's no help if you share the room, because the alarm keeps ringing while you walk to it.
4. Use an alarm without snooze
Many alarms let you turn snooze off. Do it. If the only option is "off", you have to make a decision.
5. Set one alarm, not five
Multiple alarms are a snooze button in disguise. Set one main alarm and, at most, one backup a few minutes later.
6. Change the signal
If you've learned to ignore the same ringtone, change it. A vibrating alarm on your wrist is a different kind of signal, and good ones build in strength rather than repeating the same sound.
7. Feet on the floor straight away
Make a rule: when the alarm goes, sit up and put your feet on the floor before you do anything else. It sounds simple, but it breaks the habit.
8. Make the first five minutes easy
Have water by the bed, a dressing gown within reach, and the coffee ready to go. The less painful the first few minutes are, the less you'll want to hide from them.
9. Get light early
Open the curtains or turn on a light straight away. Light helps tell your body it's morning.
10. Keep the same wake-up time
A regular wake-up time, including on days off, makes mornings easier over time.
What if you share a bed?
If your partner snoozes, you hear every alarm. If you snooze, they do. A silent alarm you wear solves this: only the wearer feels it. See how to wake up without waking your partner.
When to talk to a doctor
If you're snoozing because you're exhausted no matter how much you sleep, or you're very sleepy during the day, the Sleep Health Foundation recommends talking to your doctor (source).
Where the Sovune Nudge fits
We make the Sovune Nudge, a silent vibrating wristband alarm, so we're not neutral. It's designed to get you up, not lull you back to sleep:
- Three intensity levels that start gently and build.
- Each alarm runs for a full minute, stepping up as it goes, and you can switch it off sooner.
- Silent, so a partner isn't woken.
- Three alarms, for one main alarm and one backup.
- Set on the band, so your phone (and its snooze button) can stay out of reach.
It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Quick answers
Is snoozing bad for you? Snoozing gives you a few minutes of broken sleep rather than real rest, and can leave you groggier. It's better to set your alarm for when you need to get up.
How do I stop snoozing? Get enough sleep, set one alarm for the time you actually need to get up, put the off switch out of reach, and get your feet on the floor straight away.
Why do I keep hitting snooze without remembering? Grogginess right after waking can make it easy to switch off an alarm on autopilot. Putting the alarm out of reach helps.
Does a vibrating alarm help you stop snoozing? It can help if you've learned to ignore your usual alarm, because it's a different signal, felt rather than heard, and it builds through three levels.
For every type of silent alarm compared, see our complete guide to vibrating alarms in Australia.