Neurologists Warn This Morning Habit Could Be Secretly Shrinking Your Brain

It's a common misconception that getting older means not being as mentally sharp as you used to be. While some brain changes with age are normal, experiencing a decline in cognitive health as you age isn't inevitable.

As we age, gradual changes occur in the hippocampus, a part of the brain that plays a major role in learning, the consolidation of long-term memories and spatial navigation. This is why it may take you longer to learn something now than when you were younger.

But here's what's really interesting: You can counteract this by building new neurons, strengthening the connection between them and even increasing brain volume in specific parts of the brain. You can boost new cell growth in the hippocampus (a process called neurogenesis) by exercising regularly, maintaining a balanced, nutrient-rich diet and making a conscious effort to keep learning.

Related: We Asked 4 Brain Doctors the Best Daily Habit for Memory-Their Answers Were Identical

Similar to how it's possible to grow new brain cells, it's also possible for the brain to shrink with age, which is called brain atrophy and happens when neurons and their connections are lost over time.

There's one morning habit in particular that can lead to brain atrophy (and it's so common there's a good chance you did it this morning). Here's what to know.

Related: Neurologists Warn This Nightly Habit Could Be Secretly Shrinking Your Brain

The Morning Habit That Can Shrink Your Brain, According to Neurologists

If you want to keep your brain healthy, consistently getting enough sleep is crucial. "Sleep is when the brain shifts from performance mode into repair, learning, memory consolidation and restoration. Chronic poor sleep deprives the brain of that nightly maintenance window," explains Dr. Meredith Broderick, MD, a neurologist and sleep medicine doctor.

Dr. Evian Gordon, MD, PhD, a neuroscientist and the chief medical officer at Total Brain, adds to this, explaining that circadian rhythm (the body's biological clock) is intricately connected to brain health. "During sleep, particularly in deep slow-wave and dream REM stages, the brain flushes out metabolic waste-including proteins linked to chronic mental health diseases and Alzheimer's-consolidates memories and restores the electrochemical balance needed for optimal calm, mood, focus and decision-making," he says.

Related: Neurologists Say This Nutrient Is Critical for Brain Aging-but Most Adults Don't Get Enough

There's one common morning habit that can interrupt this important process: repeatedly hitting snooze. Dr. Gordon explains that each time you hit snooze, you interrupt REM sleep and interfere with the body's circadian rhythm.

"Each time you fall back to sleep, your brain initiates a new cycle it cannot complete, leaving you stranded in the heaviest, deepest phase of a fresh non-REM cycle when the alarm fires again. Over time, this fragmentation sends confusing signals to your circadian clock, gradually disrupting and eroding the reliability of your biological wake signal," he says.

The Dangers of Sleep Fragmentation

Neurologist Dr. John Jon Stewart Hao Dy, MD, FPNA, explains that repeatedly hitting snooze and interfering with circadian rhythm leads to what's known as "sleep fragmentation," which is when the brain repeatedly transitions in and out of sleep rather than completing a more consolidated waking process. In the short term, it can lead to feeling groggy and make cognitive tasks more challenging.

"For many people, habitual snoozing is also a sign of chronic sleep deprivation or a mismatch between their biological sleep rhythm and daily schedule. Over time, irregular sleep and wake patterns can make it harder for the body to maintain healthy sleep quality, stable energy levels and optimal cognitive performance throughout the day," says Gregg Pauletti, a cognitive health specialist and the co-founder of NeuroSynchrony Health.

If you're hitting snooze because you're sleep deprived, it's important to realize this because all four experts told Parade that chronic sleep deprivation can literally cause the brain to shrink. "Multiple large studies have found associations between chronic poor sleep and reduced brain volume, particularly in areas involved in memory and cognition," Pauletti says.

For example, Dr. Broderick points to a study of 600 adults showing that those with moderate sleep difficulty had brains estimated to be 1.6 years older, and those with the most difficulty had brains estimated to be 2.6 years older, even after adjustment for several health and lifestyle factors.

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How To Create a Morning Routine That Supports Brain Health

If you're repeatedly hitting snooze in the morning because you're still tired, it's important to get to the root cause of your sleeping problems and treat them accordingly. If you're not sure what the root cause is, that's when working with a sleep medicine doctor can be helpful. You may have a health condition that's impacting your sleep that you don't know about, such as sleep apnea.

Want to create a morning routine that supports brain health? First, Dr. Gordan says to resist pressing snooze and get up when that first alarm goes off. Pauletti adds to this, saying that it's beneficial to wake up at the same time each morning. "Our brain responds extremely well to predictable sleep and wake patterns, so maintaining a consistent wake time-even on weekends-is one of the most impactful habits for supporting circadian health," he says.

Dr. Broderick and Dr. Gordon both recommend steering clear of bright lights and your phone, computer or TV for the first hour of the day. These unnatural sources of light can interfere with the circadian rhythm.

Instead, all four experts suggest focusing on exposing yourself to morning sunlight, which supports circadian rhythm. Open your blinds and, even better, go on a short morning walk. "Physical movement in the morning, even something as simple as a short walk, can further reinforce healthy brain function and mood regulation," Pauletti says.

It's impossible to underemphasize the importance of consistently getting good sleep. If you're regularly hitting snooze in the morning because you're sleep-deprived, consider this a wakeup call. Your brain will benefit from getting to the root causes of your sleep problems.

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Related: The Popular Lunchtime Habit Brain Health Experts Are Begging You To Stop

Sources:

• Xu, Y., Valentino, D. J., Scher, A. I., et al. (2007). Age Effects on Hippocampal Structural Changes in Old Men: The HAAS. Neuroimage. 40(3):1003-1015.
• Hippocampus. Cleveland Clinic.
• Dwamena, A., Beragama-Arachchi, R. and Wong, H. (2025). Boosting Neurogenesis as a Strategy in treating Alzheimer's Disease.International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 26(18):8926.
• Vågberg, M., Granåsen, G. and Svenningsson, A. (2017). Brain Parenchymal Fraction in Healthy Adults-A Systematic Review of the Literature. PloS One. 12(7):e0170018.
• Dr. Meredith Broderick, MD, neurologist, sleep medicine doctor and founder of Sleep Guru.
• Dr. Evian Gordon, MD, PhD, neuroscientist and the chief medical officer at Total Brain.
• Dr. John Jon Stewart Hao Dy, MD, FPNA, neurologist specializing in neuroimmunology, neuromuscular diseases and neuroarts.
• Gregg Pauletti, cognitive health specialist and the co-founder of NeuroSynchrony Health.
• Sehar, U., Mukherjee, U., Khan, H., et al. (2025). Effects of Deep Sleeprivation on Brain Atrophy in Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease.Aging Research Reviews. 99:102397.

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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 2:25 PM.