You snooze, you lose
- One in four Brits start their day arguing with their partners about the snooze button -
Friday 17th February 2012: New research out today reveals that, rather than get up and go, Brits spend an average 29 minutes with their alarms on snooze during winter mornings - an increase from just 17 minutes in the summer. One in ten Brits (eleven per cent) even confessed to spending over an hour with their alarms on snooze.
The study, by Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance, found that the snooze button leads to arguments amongst more than a quarter of British couples (27 per cent). Almost the same number (28 per cent) said they even argue the night before about what time to set the alarm, while 15 per cent bicker over which alarm sound to use.
The typical Brit sets their alarm for 6:47am but, after hitting the snooze button four times, does not actually get out of bed until 7:12am. They then spend 62 minutes getting ready before finally walking out of the door at 8:14am.
One in three Brits (35 per cent) said they put their alarm out of reach in the mornings to force themselves out of bed, while over half of those polled (51 per cent) admitted to regularly sleeping straight through it. The research also revealed that one in ten Brits (11 per cent) set three alarms or more to wake themselves up.
Almost one in three Brits (30 per cent) surveyed confessed that sleeping through their alarm was the most common reason for being late to work. Despite this, ashamed Brits opted for more creative excuses when they snoozed in with over a quarter (26 per cent) blaming transport problems, eleven per cent pointing the finger at a home emergency and nearly one in five (18 per cent) holding bad weather responsible.
Those living in Eastern England were found to be the biggest snoozers with 37 minutes as their average snooze time in the winter months compared to just 19 minutes for those in the East Midlands. As a result, those in the East Midlands were first out of bed at 6.50am, while those in the West Midlands do not get out of bed until 7.25am.
Britain’s Top Ten Early Risers:
1) East Midlands – 6.50am
2) North East – 6.58am
3) Yorkshire – 7.09am
4) Wales – 7.12am
5) East – 7.14am
6) South East – 7.16am
7) North West – 7.18am
8) Scotland – 7.19am
9) London – 7.20am
10) West Midlands – 7.25am
Behavioural Psychologist Donna Dawson said: “Our ancestors would have been all too happy to sleep in on cold winter mornings, but work schedules in the modern world do not allow us that luxury. This leaves us irritable and lethargic when getting up on dark mornings.
As a result, hitting the snooze button is an appealing option, but also counter-productive as the body is not getting quality sleep during this time. Setting your alarm later and training yourself to get up first time will give your body the extra rest needed to make it through the day.”
Jacky Brown, at Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance, commented: “Scheduling in snooze time not only denies your body much needed rest, but is also a common source of arguments at home, which is the worst way to start off a day.
“It’s important that people train themselves to ‘get up and go’ as then you are less likely to make a careless mistake, like forgetting to switch off an electrical appliance or leaving yourself vulnerable to burglars by not locking the front door properly as you rush out.”
Age differences:
The study found that those under 25 years of age spent an average 40 minutes snoozing, which steadily drops to 25 minutes by the time they reach the age of 45. Brits under 25 were also the most likely to sleep straight through their alarm with one in five (21 per cent) admitting to doing it regularly.
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Sheilas’ Wheels press contacts:
For further information please contact the Sheilas’ Wheels press office at Mischief PR on 020 3128 6520 or email sheilaswheels@mischiefpr.com
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Notes to Editors:
(1) Sheilas’ Wheels used the independent online research company FlyResearch who surveyed 1,010 Brits aged 18 and over, between 7th and 10th February 2012. FlyResearch is an online market research company. Its researches are members of the MRS, PRCA, BPC and Esomar, and abide by their guidelines. Further information is available at www.FlyResearch.com
About Donna Dawson:
Donna Dawson is a behaviroural psychologist who has previously worked as an agony aunt and relationship expert for both print and broadcast media. She gained her credentials from the prestigious Brandeis University in Massachusetts, Manchester University and Goldsmiths College at the University of London.
