By 8:36 a.m., the average American knows if it’s going to be a “bad day,” according to a new study.
The survey of 2,000 Americans in the general population found that bad days don’t just start early in the morning — sometimes there’s no escaping them.
A quarter of respondents (26%) said that when something goes wrong in the morning, they can’t turn the day back.
The results also revealed that the average person has four bad days a month – adding up to over a full month of bad days a year (48).
Commissioned by Avocado Green Mattress and conducted by Talker Research, the survey looked not only at the time, but revealed the various causes of “bad days” for Americans.
Waking up and feeling sick topped the list (35%), followed by sleeping poorly throughout the night (31%) or waking up with a headache (29%).
Losing their keys (26%) and forgetting their phone at home (25%) rounded out the top five ways respondents know it’s going to be a bad day in the morning.
The top 10 causes of a bad day also included running out of toilet paper (22%), forgetting your wallet at home (22%) and sleeping with their alarm on (19%).
This is in addition to oversleeping (18%) or forgetting to lock your phone the night before (18%).
And sometimes, there’s no solution to a bad day other than trying to start over:
48% of respondents admit there are times when they’ve woken up feeling like it’s going to be a bad day – and have canceled plans or called off work to sleep back in.
“Bad days happen to everyone, sometimes from stress or poor sleep,” said Christine Carpio, Sr. Manager, Community + Social Impact. “By focusing on self-care and prioritizing rest, you can turn those tough days into opportunities for a fresh start and a brighter outlook.”
Surprisingly, bad days are more likely to occur at the beginning of the week.
Thirty-six percent of respondents said Mondays are when they are most likely to have a bad day – with Gen Z more likely to agree (50%).
This is likely due to work schedules, with the back-to-school season also a contributing factor.
The survey polled almost 500 parents of school-aged children and asked how their child and the back-to-school season affected their “bad days”.
Fifty-five percent said their school-age child is more likely to have bad days at the beginning of the school year as they are adjusting back to the schedule.
But it’s not just kids who are seeing an increase in bad days: 51% of parents said they too have more bad days at the start of the school year.
And they often coincide – as 56% said if their child is having a bad day, then they are having a bad day too.
Parents or otherwise, the survey asked respondents what they do to prevent bad days from happening.
The top three things respondents do are: giving themselves time each day just to relax (41%), making time each day for things they enjoy (37%) and making sure they get enough sleep (35%).
In fact, seven in 10 respondents (71%) said that how they sleep at night can be the “make or break” between a good day and a bad one.
Not only can a good night’s rest be a “make or break” thing, but a good night’s sleep also helps 77% of respondents be better prepared to deal with things that could go wrong in morning.
“As we approach the busiest time of the year, from back to school and the holiday season, slowing down where possible and prioritizing rest is a great way to prevent bad days,” said Laura Scott, Brand Marketing Director.
WHAT ARE THE TOP 20 CAUSES OF A “BAD DAY”?
- Waking up and feeling sick – 35%
- Poor sleep throughout the night – 31%
- Waking up with a headache – 29%
- Lost my keys – 26%
- I forget my phone at home – 25%
- Running out of toilet paper – 22%
- Forgetting my wallet at home – 22%
- Sleeping with my alarm – 19%
- Overall, oversleeping (not waking up on time/when intended) – 18%
- I forgot to connect my phone the night before – 18%
- Sucking my finger – 17%
- Waking up on the “wrong side of the bed” – 17%
- I forget to set my alarm – 17%
- Waking up and finding Wi-Fi doesn’t work — 16%
- My credit card has been declined – 16%
- My partner is in a bad mood – 15%
- No coffee – 15%
- Spilling coffee in the morning – 14%
- Waking up to a mess from the dog/cat (mourning, throwing, etc.) – 14%
- Coping with traffic – 14%
Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Americans of the general population; The survey was commissioned by Avocado Green Mattress and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between July 23 and July 30, 2024.
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