A woman’s ‘unusual’ sleep habit has sparked debate on social media – as users try to figure out whether it’s a good idea or will make you sleepier in the long run
A woman has divided opinion by sharing her ‘unusual’ sleeping habit, which involves setting more alarms than is necessary. But while some believe it’s a great idea, others say it’s only going to disrupt your REM sleep and make you more exhausted in the day.
In a post shared on x (formerly Twitter), writer Beth McColl said: “Saw someone on TikTok who says she sets herself an alarm at 3am so she can have the satisfaction of turning it off and going right back to sleep. then her regular alarm goes off at 7am. So many ways to be a person, aren’t there.”
Commenting on this, one user said: “I do this but not 3am because that’s the witching hour that woman is insane… I do 4:30am.” Another user added: “My daughter has been doing exactly this for several years because she says the best sleep is always after the alarm. Her alarm is set for 2.50am!”
A third user said: “Only thing worse are the people who have 10 different alarms 5 min apart.” One more user added: “Yikes this is horrendous. That being said my body clock does wake me up before my alarm most days.” While another user said this would give them even more anxiety as the extra alarm would startle them in the middle of the night.
Another user questioned: “Isn’t it better for you to just stay sleeping instead of restarting your sleep cycle.. assuming she sleeps 8 hours if you waking up halfway in between how are you ever spending time in deep/REM stages.”
One more user argued: “This is actually terrible for you! Like taking a cake out of the oven halfway through- it won’t rise! Your brain will not fully recover at that! Also a great way to teach your brain to ignore plus sleep through your alarm.”
However, another user pointed out how humans used to sleep in biphrases, where a person sleeps in two phrases per day, suggesting this idea makes perfect sense. One user said: “I just automatically wake up about 3am, putter for a little and go back to sleep. I hate closing my eyes and the next thing I hear is my alarm. This used to be a sleeping pattern for humans. Bi-phase sleeping or some such.”
In response, Beth said: “Someone else literally mentioned this and I’m now fascinated. she actually could be a genius.” Explaining how biphrases works, the Sleep Foundation said: “Although many people sleep for seven or eight hours straight each night, biphasic sleep may be more common than you think. Biphasic sleep is also referred to as segmented or bimodal sleep.
Biphasic sleeping is practiced by a variety of people across cultures. For example, people who enjoy siestas are considered biphasic sleepers. Some people adopt a biphasic sleep schedule to maximise their productivity. Additionally, many animals are biphasic sleepers, including birds, insects, and mammals.”
The NHS recommends seven to nine hours of sleep per night. If you’re worried about how much rest you are getting, consider speaking to a doctor. Alternatively, check out the NHS website for more information.
