2 Your Health: Sleep Expert Weighs in on Ideal Number of Alarms

How many alarms do you set to wake up in the morning?

If the answer is more than one, that’s not ideal for your overall sleep quality.

Alicia Roth, PhD, a sleep psychologist, explains, ” My general advice is that you set one alarm. The more alarms you have, the harder it will be for you to wake up in the morning, explained Alicia Roth, PhD, sleep psychologist.”

The more times you hit the snooze button, the more you’re interrupting your sleep cycle.

Dr. Roth stressed that it’s best to set your alarm for the time you wake up.

Dr. Roth said it’s OK to slowly work your way down to one over time if you’re used to multiple alarms.

You can also try setting up your alarm clock so that you have to get out of bed to shut it off.

Keeping your sleep schedule on the weekends the same as during the week can also be helpful.

A lot of us have a tendency to go to bed and wake up later on the weekends than on weekdays, Dr. Roth said. This makes waking up on Monday morning difficult and prompts us to have multiple alarms or snoozes.

Dr. Roth added an underlying sleep disorder could be the reason you find it challenging to pull yourself away from the sheets in the morning.

If this recurring issue is starting to impact your everyday life, Dr. Roth said it may be time to see a sleep specialist.

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