For 4 weeks I have been getting up in the morning without snoozing – these are the effects it has already had on my body

Snoozing: This habit can lead to lower energy and poor sleep. Here's how to break it.

When I think back to my school days, one thing comes to mind: how tired I was. Every morning, I dragged myself out of bed, just waiting for the weekend so I could finally sleep in. As a teenager, I could sometimes even sleep until lunchtime. I can't get that long anymore, but to this day, I simply need my eight hours of sleep to function. My biggest problem: I'm just not a morning person. Or at least, that's what I thought – until now.

The worst thing for me has always been waking up to endless alarms and the snooze button. I'm not alone in this, by the way. Sleep scientist and Oura expert Dr. Rebecca Robbins studied the snooze behavior of over 21,000 users worldwide, and 55 percent of them hit the snooze button, an average of 2.4 times per morning. Germany ranks third in the study for snooze button usage.

This habit resulted in me setting my first alarm 30 minutes before I was supposed to get up, so as not to be constantly late due to my snooze cycles. This time, of course, deducted from my sleep account, which made me feel tired all day and had a hard time waking up.

With this trick I manage to get up straight away in the morning

When summer arrived this year, I'd had enough. Especially when it's already light in the morning, you should be able to make the most of your day than I was doing up until then. So I resolved to get up as soon as the alarm went off. It was a failure. After a few more unsuccessful attempts, I decided more drastic measures were needed: I put my phone next to the door, out of reach of the bed , before going to sleep. This meant I had to get up to turn off the alarm – and hey presto, it worked. I went straight to the bathroom and started my morning.

I have noticed these benefits since I stopped pressing the snooze button

I've been following this strategy for four weeks now, and with a few exceptions where I've gone back to bed, it works every day. I've observed a whole host of positive benefits.

#1 I wake up faster in the morning

The first moment of getting up is hard, but I'm immediately awake and functional. This dazed, foggy state in your head that you just can't shake after waking up is called sleep inertia. Snoozing promotes sleep inertia because the first time the alarm goes off, the wake-up hormone cortisol is released in increased amounts to prepare the body for getting up. But if you're then forced back to sleep, cortisol release drops again. The next time it goes off, you're jolted awake again, which disrupts your hormone balance and makes you feel groggy, unfocused, and tired.

#2 No midday slump and better concentration

This also explains my next observation: I have more energy in the morning, but also generally throughout the day. Because my hormone levels are regulated correctly first thing in the morning, my circulation gets going faster. This allows my body to better prepare for the day, which in the long run leads to more energy and fewer typical midday slumps. I also notice that I can work with greater concentration and no longer experience so-called "brain fog." In fact, a wakeful, well-regulated start to the day increases cognitive performance even in the morning.

#3 I sleep better and deeper

Having a consistent wake-up time every morning stabilizes my sleep-wake rhythm. This even helps me fall asleep more easily in the evening. The quality of my sleep has also improved so much, because without snoozing, my sleep remains deeper and more restful in the final stages. I now usually even wake up on my own a few minutes before my alarm – something that would have been unthinkable before.

#4 Better mood and less stress

Because I only have one alarm clock and get up right away, I have a structured, less stressful morning. I'm no longer under time pressure and can follow my morning routine in a relaxed manner. I don't have to prioritize what I can actually accomplish before going to work – this saves me mental capacity. Everything runs on autopilot, so it's completely stress-free. My mood is also noticeably better, not just in the morning, but throughout the entire day. This can again be attributed to my sleep-wake rhythm. If this is stable, the release of the stress hormone cortisol is also stabilized, which has a positive effect on energy, metabolism, and the immune system.

How to increase the positive effects of getting up

I'm definitely convinced and will try to stick to my anti-snooze routine. The saying "The morning makes the day" really applies here. You can reap the benefits even more if you not only get up at a set time in the morning but also go to bed at the same time every day, if possible. This allows your hormone balance to synchronize optimally with your circadian rhythm, which greatly improves sleep quality .

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