In Defense of the Snooze Button
Everyone wakes up differently, but most people agree that the repeat button is bad . But I would like you to listen to a different opinion. I want you to think that the repeat button is good.
People may say, “You postpone, you will fail,” but people like to say rhyming things. (If you don’t believe it, try “you are asleep, cucumber .”) Waking up is awful. Getting up is even worse. The idea that you have to undergo something terrible (wake up) and then immediately take part in something even worse (get up) with no intermediate buffer is insane. I don’t care that I am “ playing around with my body’s natural awakening mechanisms ”; When I get up with the first alarm clock, I feel sad, and if I allow myself to postpone the alarm for half an hour, I, if not happy, then much less sad. (If you’re a morning person who doesn’t like it, great! I’m happy for you!)
I am a gentle houseplant that should seep out until morning. (I leave my white noise generator on for an hour after I get up to avoid overstimulation.) For people like me, the snooze button is a gift. Yes, it allows you to get some sleep, but it also allows you to mentally prepare for the new day. Without getting out of bed, you can map your morning, allowing yourself to doze and wake up from light sleep every nine minutes, until you are finally ready to face an existence you haven’t asked for. (Nobody asks to be born.)
This should be pretty obvious, but the key to successfully postponing sleep is to set your alarm at least half an hour earlier than the time you need to physically get out of bed, as sleeping after “wake up time” sets you up for a stressful and tired morning. and we try to avoid fatigue. Between the first alarm and the wake-up time, your time is yours. You can listen to a pleasant song or podcast, cuddle a pet or person , have sex (or masturbate), or meditate . You can also enjoy those extra minutes of sleep and not feel bad about those extra minutes of sleep, no matter how loudly society shouts at you. (You don’t hear society. You sleep.)