If you’re looking for another reason to hit that snooze button in the morning, here’s your sign.

A Vanderbilt doctor, who specializes in studying sleep, and a newly published study in the Journal of Sleep Research says that hitting snooze has no impact on sleep quality and may be beneficial.

“Snoozing may be beneficial as it allows us to wake up more gradually. For example, instead of waking up abruptly out of deep sleep, or REM (dream) sleep, we can take a few minutes to go from sleep to wake which is easier on our brains and bodies,” Dr. Beth Ann Malow of Vanderbilt Neurology said.

The study looked at over 1,700 adults and 69% said they hit the snooze button, especially on weekdays, at about an average snooze time of 22 minutes. It found that 30 minutes of snoozing could help and/or not affect cognitive performance while you’re waking up.

Snoozing could also help people who experience drowsiness when waking up in the morning – allowing people to feel more awake.

Below is a look at the summary of the study:

“Pressing the snooze button is a common way to start the day, but little is known about this behaviour. Through two studies we determined predictors and effects of snoozing. In Study 1 (n=1732) respondents described their waking habits, confirming that snoozing is widespread, especially in younger individuals and later chronotypes. Morning drowsiness and shorter sleep were also more common for those who snooze. Study 2 was a within-subjects laboratory study (with polysomnography) on habitual snoozers (n=31), showing that 30min of snoozing improved or did not affect performance on cognitive tests directly upon rising compared to an abrupt awakening. Bayes factors indicate varying strengths of this evidence. Snoozing resulted in about 6min of lost sleep, while preventing awakenings from slow-wave sleep (N3). There were no clear effects of snoozing on the cortisol awakening response, morning sleepiness, mood, or overnight sleep architecture. A brief snooze period may thus help alleviate sleep inertia, without substantially disturbing sleep, for late chronotypes and those with morning drowsiness.”

To summarize the entire study, hit that snooze button on your alarm and don’t feel guilty about it.