According to Medical News Today, REM is when your brain and body experiences several changes, such as rapid eye movement, increased heart rate, and blood pressure.
It can lead to numerous negative effects, including sleep inertia (the disoriented feeling when waking up), increased drowsiness throughout the day, persistent fatigue, mood swings, and elevated cortisol levels, which is ‘your body’s main stress hormone,’ per WebMD.
Each time an alarm goes off, it triggers a ‘fight or flight’ response in our bodies.
This sudden surge of adrenaline is stressful, and when repeated multiple times each morning, it can have long-term consequences.
Bruss says it can contribute to long-term stress, depression, cardiovascular problems, and even weight gain – yep, repeated alarm-induced stress can also affect our waistlines.
But the nurse isn’t the only expert issuing a warning.
Sleep coach Beatrix Schmidt says she used to set two to three alarms when she struggled with long-term insomnia.