The Matt Walker Podcast Ask Me Anything Part 21: Sleep Debt, Snooze Button, Naps & Sleep Myths
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Aug 25, 2025 Join two experts as they tackle the snooze button's negative impact on sleep quality and share strategies for waking up more effectively. Discover the truth behind sleep debt, the effects of eating salt at night, and the myths surrounding sleep aids like grounding sheets. They also explore how different sleep stages can influence mood and examine sleep fragmentation and its health effects. Finally, learn about innovative research linking mitochondrial stress to sleep patterns, revealing new insights into the science of sleep.
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Stop Using The Snooze Button
- Avoid repeatedly hitting the snooze button and wake at your final alarm to protect sleep continuity and REM late in the night.
- Set your alarm for the latest possible wake time and place it across the room to force immediate rising and stabilize your circadian rhythm.
Short Snooze Equals Micro-Nap
- Treat short returns-to-sleep after waking as micro-naps that usually don't hurt nighttime sleep pressure if brief and early in the day.
- Keep naps under 20 minutes and avoid late afternoon naps that reduce sleep hunger and cause grogginess.
Skip Grounding Sheets, Improve Basics
- Don't buy grounding/earthing sheets; they lack plausible mechanisms and credible evidence and are often industry-funded.
- Instead focus on proven bedroom habits: cool temperature, darkness, regular schedule, and comfortable bedding.