The snooze button: nine minutes of self-deception

At 6:30 the alarm goes off, and your hand finds the snooze button blindly, faster than any ninja. At 6:39 it rings again, snooze, at 6:48 once more, snooze. And at 7:15 you leap out of bed in a panic, feeling like a wreck and wondering why you're so incredibly tired when you "had a bit of a lie-in".

Sound familiar? I'm afraid we all do it.

Why nine minutes, anyway?

A little something for your next bit of small talk: the snooze function on classic alarm clocks often lasts exactly nine minutes. The reason is said to be wonderfully mundane: on the old mechanical clocks, that was simply the easiest setting for the gears. And there it's stayed to this day, even on some smartphones.

Why snoozing rarely helps

Now for the uncomfortable part. Those extra minutes are hardly real sleep, more like broken dozing. Every time the alarm rings, you're pulled out of sleep, and every time you drift off again, falling asleep starts all over again.

Then there's what's known as sleep inertia. Right after waking, the brain is still in half-asleep mode, a bit like a computer still installing updates. Snooze again and again and you only put off the restart. To be fair, the research isn't unanimous, and according to one Swedish study, people who like a snooze or two don't come to much harm. It still won't turn you into a well-rested person.

How to beat the button

1. Set the alarm for the real time. If you need to get up at 7:00, set it for 7:00. The half hour of snooze-dozing beforehand does little for you.

2. Banish the alarm. Put it on the other side of the room. If you have to get up to switch it off, you're already half awake.

3. Lights on. Bright light in the morning tells the body the day has begun. Opening the curtains or a wake-up light helps enormously.

4. A little reward. The first coffee, five quiet minutes at the window, your favourite song. Getting up is easier when it's worth it.

5. Go to bed earlier. I know, but if you snooze three times every morning, your body is really saying just one thing: I'm not sleeping enough.

The verdict

The snooze button is a very charming liar. It promises you more sleep and mostly gives you more dozing.

But fine, we'll all press it once more anyway, just nine more minutes.