But it was the second experiment that provided the most interesting results. To measure the impact of snoozing, the researchers took 31 habitual snoozers and asked them to spend two nights in a sleep lab. On one of the mornings, they were allowed to snooze for 30 minutes; on the other, they had to get up straight away. They then underwent a series of tests to measure how their body responded to the wake-up method.

Ultimately, the study found that while snoozing led to a minimal amount of sleep loss (about six minutes), it had no negative effect on the release of the stress hormone cortisol, mood or sleep quality throughout the night. In fact, when the participants were allowed to snooze, they performed better on cognitive tests taken directly after waking – suggesting that snoozing could help us to function better in some cases.

The experts believe this could be to do with the fact that snoozing prevents the shock of going from deep sleep to full wakefulness – by going back into a light sleep stage first, we’re able to wake up more gently.

Love hitting snooze? It may just improve your cognitive function in the morning, say sleep experts