Why Do We Set Multiple Alarms but Still Snooze Them All?

Be honest—how many alarms do you set every morning? One? Three? Ten? Most of us tap the snooze button like it’s part of our daily ritual. We set alarms with the best intentions, thinking we’ll get up early, hit the gym, or at least make it to work on time without rushing. Yet, the moment that first alarm rings, we’re negotiating with sleep like it owes us something.

So why do we keep doing it? Why set so many alarms when we know we’ll snooze them anyway?

The Illusion of Control

Setting multiple alarms makes us feel like we’re being responsible. It’s like telling ourselves, “I have a backup... and another backup.” It creates a fake sense of control over waking up. We believe we’re planning ahead, but really, we’re just giving our future selves permission to avoid responsibility.

Think of it like laying out gym clothes at night but ignoring them in the morning. It’s not about being lazy it’s about overestimating our willpower when we’re half asleep.

Snoozing Feels Rewarding (Even If It’s Not)

When that alarm rings, we’re pulled out of deep sleep. Hitting snooze gives us a quick burst of comfort like a reward. The bed is warm, the world is quiet, and those few minutes feel like a gift. But the sleep we get during those snooze cycles? It’s not quality sleep. In fact, it confuses your brain and can make you feel groggier once you finally get up.

It’s the classic trap of short-term comfort versus long-term benefits. And honestly, we fall for it a lot.

Our Brain Just Isn’t Ready

Here’s the science-y bit when we wake up mid-sleep cycle, especially during deep sleep, our brains are still in what’s called sleep inertia. It’s that heavy, foggy feeling that makes decision-making super hard. So even though your 10 p.m. self promised to wake up at 6 a.m., your 6 a.m. brain is like, “No thanks.”

That’s why it’s so easy to snooze over and over again—even when we want to wake up early.

Sleep Debt Plays a Role Too

If you’ve been staying up late or not getting enough rest, your body goes into “catch-up mode.” No number of alarms will fix the fact that your brain is craving more sleep. When we’re sleep-deprived, the temptation to snooze gets even stronger. Basically, our body is saying, “This alarm thing is cute, but I need rest.”

So, What Can We Do About It?

If you're tired of the snooze game (pun intended), try this:

Keep your alarm far from your bed. Force yourself to stand up to turn it off.

Set just one alarm. It sounds scary, but it reduces the temptation to “just snooze a few more.”

Get better sleep. Sounds obvious, but going to bed earlier makes it easier to wake up.

Build a consistent wake-up routine. Your brain loves patterns. Help it out.

Setting multiple alarms and snoozing them all isn’t about being lazy it’s about how our minds react to sleep, stress, and habit. The key is knowing how your brain works and creating routines that actually support it. So tomorrow morning, maybe try one less alarm and see how it feels to get up the first time.

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