Catching Some Extra Z’s

October 9, 2009  
Filed under Entertainment

Many people become sleep deprived during their busy day to day lives. Often times, we hit the snooze button to catch just a little more sleep before we start our day. The snooze button is generally either a person’s best friend or their worst enemy.  It can help you get just the right amount of extra sleep.  Or it might make you late. Not a lot of people enjoy rushing around in the earlier mornings.

“I set my alarm for 6:25 and when I’m not able to get up right away, I hit the snooze button and catch some extra Z’s,” junior Nathan Ward said.

According to www.wisegeek.com, the snooze button was added to alarm clocks in the 1950s. Studies show that it takes somewhere between 5 to 10 minutes to reach stage one of sleep. In other words, it allows you just enough time to doze off. Several people consider that extra “snooze time” when they set their alarm clocks at night.

“I do push snooze. I set my alarm for 5:25 so that I can push snooze once and then get up at 5:30,” Mrs. Cherry Coen, family and consumer science teacher, said.

For some, it is part of their morning routine. They may push snooze numerous times before they finally get up out of bed.

“Until about two weeks ago I would push snooze four or five times. Then I traded the snooze button for the off button,” senior Cody Croucher said. “Now my mom has to come in and wake me in the mornings.”

The real question becomes whether or not the extra “snooze time” is healthy.  Some believe that it is all in the persons head. Others think that it is unhealthy. This time could be used as the usual REM sleep for those few extra minutes, rather than just dozing off. It just depends on how you look at it.

“I think it feels a lot better when you do hit the snooze button at least once. I feel more ready to face the day when I get that one good snooze,” said nurse Mrs. Lisa Shea. “But it really depends on each person and their daily routine. It is better to stay in the same routine all week, including the weekend. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.”

Take a look at your daily routine. Decide if the snooze helps you or hurts you in the end. Obviously sleep is important, but what about those extra z’s?

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Abby New

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