Set Multiple Alarms To Wake Up? Think Again As This Habit Is Doing You More Harm Than Good
Setting multiple alarms can disrupt REM sleep, causing lethargy, mood swings, and higher cortisol levels. Experts advise waking up immediately to avoid stress
Waking up early in the morning is highly beneficial for one’s health. However, nowadays, many people tend to stay up late at night, making it challenging to rise early.
To address this, many individuals set alarms on their phones or clocks to wake up for work or other commitments. Often, people sleep through a single alarm, leading them to set multiple alarms at intervals of 10 minutes or so. Despite these alarms ringing early in the morning, they are frequently ignored, and people continue to sleep, repeating this cycle.
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The Misconception Of Multiple Alarms
Many believe that setting several alarms ensures they wake up on time and avoid being late for work or university. However, setting multiple alarms daily can be detrimental to one’s health. The practice of repeatedly waking and attempting to fall back asleep is harmful, affecting sleep quality and causing various issues.
Health Implications Of Multiple Alarms
Research indicates that multiple alarms can negatively impact health. The British website, The Independent, reports that these repeated alarms disrupt the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep cycle. This disruption can lead to issues such as lethargy, fatigue, mood swings, and increased levels of the cortisol hormone, also known as the stress hormone.
The Body’s Response To Alarms
According to experts, when an alarm rings in the morning, the body enters a fight or flight response, which is highly stressful. Therefore, it is advisable to get up immediately when the alarm sounds.
The first alarm in the morning can disrupt your REM sleep cycle, leading to fragmented rest. REM sleep is when brain activity, breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and eye movement are all heightened. We’re usually in this stage of sleep as morning nears.
If one has had a full 7 to 8 hours of sleep, waking up to an alarm is generally not too difficult. However, if an alarm sounds during deep sleep, it can trigger the body’s fight or flight response. Repeatedly experiencing this can significantly increase stress levels.
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