Have you ever woken up to an alarm feeling groggy, disoriented, or as though you could use a few more hours of sleep, even after getting enough rest? One possible reason is the sleep stage you were in when the alarm went off. Waking abruptly during deep sleep can make it harder for the brain to transition to full alertness, a phenomenon known as sleep inertia.

However, alarms are not inherently harmful, even when they interrupt deep sleep. According to Dr Nikhil Jadhav, Consultant Neurologist at KIMS Hospitals, Thane, the more important factors are how long you sleep, the quality of your rest and whether you maintain a consistent sleep schedule.

What happens during deep sleep?

Deep sleep, also called slow-wave sleep, is an important stage of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. During this phase, the brain produces slow electrical waves, while heart rate and breathing generally slow and become more regular.…