When I was growing up, I remember there was a paperback book on the shelf in my grandparents' basement called The Seven Minutes by Irving Wallace. The book was published in 1969, so I probably found it when I was perusing the shelves in the early 70's when I was 11 or 12. It was VERY risque and graphic, so naturally I had to secretly read it. All these years later, I still think of that book when I savor my own special time...the nine minutes (which have nothing to do with the subject matter of the book if you were curious enough to click on the link).

Nine minutes. In nine minutes I get some of the most decadent sleep in the world. In nine minutes I can have a vivid, memorable dream. In nine minutes, I can lie still and contemplate the coming day. In nine minutes I can feel like a rebel. A rebel with a snooze alarm.

I wonder who decided that nine minutes was the appropriate time for an extra few Zs in the morning. They probably did all kinds of consumer testing like analyzing dream cycles, REM sleep, impact on mood, etc. Or the person who invented it found out that the clock wouldn't accept a two-digit number for a snooze cycle, so went with the next lower single-digit number. It doesn't matter. I love my nine minutes.

I'm pretty sure that with my fancy iPhone I could program my snoozing for any length of time I wanted. But there is something comforting about nine minutes. I can justify it. I'll only have one cup of coffee before leaving instead of two. I don't REALLY need a shower. I can put my make-up on at stoplights. (This is not the NOW me because I work at home in my pajamas...but I remember my commuting days!)

I have to leave the house to take my son to school at 6:20. My alarm is typically set to 5:50. I could hit the snooze button and still be up before 6! I had plenty of time to make sure my son was up and running. If I set up the coffee maker the night before, I might even be able to have a second cup before driving.

It's only recently that I have consciously appreciated the nine minutes. I don't know why. Because really, if I wanted to, I could come home and go back to sleep after dropping my son off. But I don't. And it wouldn't be the same. I decided to try an experiment and see if a SECOND nine minutes would be as delightful as the first. So I reset my alarm to 5:40. I KNOW my iPhone could make it 5:41, but when you grew up analog, you just can't do that.

It was as delightful as the first nine minutes...maybe even moreso because I knew I could hit the snooze AGAIN and another nine minutes of decadence. OR, I could jump out of bed full of energy and get a head start on the day. And I really do that sometimes. Not often.

I would like express my appreciation to the unsung hero who invented the snooze alarm and came up with that magic time of nine minutes. I think of you every day. 

Now if they could just come up with a snooze alarm that works on children!