What are Americans' morning struggles?

Two in five Americans are “bad” at mornings, according to new research.

The survey of 2,000 general population Americans revealed 38% agreed with this sentiment — and respondents get out of bed later than planned an average of eight times per month.

For one in 10 respondents, this happens more than 20 times per month.

When they’re rushing through their morning routine, after staying in bed longer than planned, respondents were most likely to skip eating breakfast (41%).

But others will neglect their personal hygiene: 16% will skip showering, while 11% will go about their day without brushing their teeth.

Commissioned by Avocado Green Mattress (https://www.avocadogreenmattress.com) and conducted by Talker Research, the survey also looked at respondents’ alarm habits. Less than half (43%) use an alarm to wake up in the morning — and for these respondents, the results revealed their first alarm goes off at 6:33 a.m.

Younger generations were more likely to rely on an alarm: While just a fifth (19%) of baby boomers set an alarm, 63% of Gen Z and millennials do the same.

Across ages, the average alarm user sets two alarms in the morning, and a fifth will hit snooze at least three times before they actually get up out of bed.

The survey also split respondents by early birds and night owls to see how that impacts their alarm habits and their sleep overall. Two-thirds (67%) of early birds who use an alarm said it’s “very effective” at getting them out of bed on time — compared to just half (52%) of night owls.

Early birds were more likely to use a “standard” or preset alarm sound (70% vs. 58%), while night owls were more likely to have an “annoying” sound — like a fire alarm or honking cars — to wake them up (20% vs. 12%).

Unsurprisingly, night owls were more likely to struggle to get out of bed on time (54% vs. 17%). Night owls were also more likely to say their body needs more sleep than they’re currently getting (70% vs. 55%).

That’s despite the two groups getting about the same amount of sleep — right around six and a half hours per night.

“Whether you’re a morning person or a night owl, quality sleep is non-negotiable,” said Laura Scott, Director of Brand Marketing at Avocado Green Mattress. “Your natural sleep rhythm should be supported — not disrupted — by an environment designed for deep, restorative rest.”

The top reason Americans aren’t getting enough sleep? Their own worries are keeping them up (51%).

That was followed by a sleep condition (like insomnia, sleep apnea, etc.) (30%) and nightmares or stress dreams (20%).

Also in the top five was an uncomfortable bed or mattress making it more difficult to sleep (19%) and loud noises outside (14%) keeping respondents awake.

While night owls (35%) and early birds (37%) were almost equally likely to struggle to stay asleep, night owls were more likely to face other difficulties.

This included going to bed later than they “should” in the evening (48% vs. 24%), struggling to fall asleep (44% vs. 27%) and staying in bed longer than they “should” in the morning (25% vs. 8%).

“So many of us lie awake at night, our minds racing with worry or stress,” said Scott. “That’s why it’s so important to create sleep spaces and habits that are calm and supportive — so you can wake up feeling like yourself again.”