I bet there’s at least one morning a week when you keep hitting the “snooze” button on your alarm to get just a few extra minutes of sleep. Recent studies show that when you doze off after your alarm wakes you in the morning, you’re actually setting yourself up to feel a little less alert and not as productive throughout the day. This can be explained by the term “sleep inertia”.

Sleep inertia takes place when you don’t get a sufficient amount of sleep. The feeling of grogginess and disorientation can result from waking up from a deep sleep. Sleep inertia can take up to two hours to shake off, and it slows your decision-making abilities and your overall performance once you’ve gotten out of bed.

Will avoiding the snooze button automatically solve your problems, and make you feel your best during the day? Not necessarily, but it may help if you don’t get use to using it too much. If hitting the snooze button isn’t enough to better your sleep, then what is?

Below are some suggestions on how to get a good night’s sleep so you will feel refreshed in the morning.

• Avoid drinks or food that contains caffeine later in the day and evening .
• Instead of keeping your phone near you when you go to sleep, put it away in a place where you can’t reach it. As a result, you won’t be tempted to use it while you’re trying to fall asleep.
• Having a consistent sleep schedule is much more beneficial to your body. Go to bed and get up around the same time every day. It’s ok to sleep a bit more on weekends or holidays, but try not to make it a habit.Make sure you don’t go to bed either hungry or full, and limit the amount of liquids you drink before bed.

-Monica