By 8:36 a.m., the average American knows if it’s going to be a “bad day,” according to new research.
The survey of 2,000 general population Americans revealed that not only do bad days start early in the morning — sometimes there’s no saving them.
A quarter of respondents (26%) said when something goes wrong in the morning, they can’t turn the day around.
The results also found that the average person has four bad days per month — adding up to over a full month of bad days per year (48).
Commissioned by Avocado Green Mattress and conducted by Talker Research, the survey looked not only at the timing, but it pinpointed the various causes of “bad days” for Americans.
Topping the list was waking up and feeling sick (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’ll be a bad day in the morning.
The top 10 causes of a bad day also included running out of toilet paper (22%), forgetting their wallet at home (22%) and sleeping through their alarm (19%).
That’s in addition to oversleeping (18%) or forgetting to plug their phone in the night before (18%).
And sometimes, there’s no remedy for a bad day except trying to start over:
48% of respondents admit there are times they’ve woken up feeling like it’ll be a bad day — and they’ve canceled plans or called out of work to go back to sleep.
“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 chances for a fresh start and a brighter outlook.”
Unsurprisingly, bad days are most likely to hit at the start of the week.
Thirty-six percent of respondents said Mondays are when they’re most likely to have a bad day — with Gen Z most likely to agree (50%).
This is likely due to work schedules, with the back-to-school season also a contributing factor.
The survey included almost 500 parents of school-aged children, and it asked how their child and the back-to-school season impacted their “bad days.”
Fifty-five percent said their school-aged child is more likely to have bad days at the start of the school year as they’re re-adjusting to the schedule.
But it’s not just children who see an increase in bad days: 51% of parents said they, too, have more bad days at the start of the school year.
And those often coincide — as 56% said if their child has a bad day, then they also have a bad day.
Parents or otherwise, the survey asked respondents what they do to prevent bad days from occurring.
The top three things that respondents do are: giving themselves alone time each day to relax (41%), making time each day for things they enjoy (37%) and ensuring they get enough sleep (35%).
In fact, seven in 10 respondents (71%) said how they sleep at night can be the “make or break” between a good day and a bad day.
Not only can a good night’s rest be a “make or break,” but sleeping well at night also helps 77% of respondents to be more prepared to deal with things that might go wrong in the morning.
“As we approach the busiest time of the year, from heading back-to-school and into the holiday season, slowing down where possible and prioritizing rest is a great way to prevent bad days,” said Laura Scott, Director of Brand Marketing.
WHAT ARE THE TOP 20 CAUSES OF A “BAD DAY”?
- Waking up and feeling sick — 35%
- Sleeping poorly throughout the night — 31%
- Waking up with a headache — 29%
- Losing my keys — 26%
- Forgetting my phone at home — 25%
- Running out of toilet paper — 22%
- Forgetting my wallet at home — 22%
- Sleeping through my alarm — 19%
- Generally oversleeping (not waking up on time/when intended) — 18%
- Having forgotten to plug my phone in the night before — 18%
- Stubbing my toe — 17%
- Waking up on the “wrong side of the bed” — 17%
- Forgetting to set my alarm — 17%
- Waking up and finding the Wi-Fi is down — 16%
- My credit card is declined — 16%
- My partner is in a bad mood — 15%
- Running out of coffee — 15%
- Spilling my coffee in the morning — 14%
- Waking up to a mess from the dog/cat (poop, throw-up, etc.) — 14%
- Running into traffic — 14%
Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 general population Americans; the survey was commissioned by Avocado Green Mattress and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between July 23 and July 30, 2024.
