How you start your morning might predict your whole day

One in three Americans can have their mornings thrown off by missing simple steps in their routines.

In a new poll of 2,000 U.S. adults, it was revealed that mornings can be easily thrown off for people if they forget to make fresh coffee or tea (38%), don't brush their teeth (34%), skip drinking water (28%), don’t shower after getting out of bed (25%) or don’t exercise (22%).

Half can tell how their day is going to go based on how alert or tired they feel after waking up, and 49% said their morning plays a "major" role in dictating how the rest of their day goes — especially for millennials, 57% of whom said their mornings influence the quality of their day.

In fact, 37% of respondents reported they can tell if their day is going to be good or bad just within 10 minutes of waking up.

Commissioned by Naturepedic and conducted by Talker Research, the study found it takes the average person 25 minutes to feel fully awake after sleeping.

Generationally, baby boomers take the least amount of time to wake up (just 19 minutes), and millennials take the longest — a full 10 minutes more than their boomer peers.

Universally, morning routines take about a half hour, regardless of age or gender.

For respondents, typical morning routines usually consist of brushing their teeth (65%), drinking water (60%), making fresh coffee and tea (51%), clearing their eyes (48%), scrolling through missed notifications (40%) and stretching (38%).

Two-thirds (62%) believe they could likely identify if a bad day was caused by having a bad start to their morning. Gen Zers are especially in-tune with this identification, as 73% believe they can tell when they’re about to have a bad day.

And to improve their morning, all that would be needed is an early breakfast (49%), getting fresh air (46%) or drinking just as much water as coffee or tea (42%).

When looking at the data from a gender comparison, men were most likely to eat an early breakfast (53%) in order to improve their day. Women, meanwhile, were inclined to improve their day with fresh air in the morning (46%).

The study found having a good day is also cyclical: 68% credit having a good day to having a good night of sleep. And 70% said having a good night of sleep leads to a good day.

"It's clear that 'waking up on the right side of the bed' is more than just a turn of phrase," commented Arin Schultz, chief growth officer at Naturepedic. "How we spend those first few minutes of the morning is critical to make sure the rest of our day follows the right path."

According to the survey, the average person gets six hours of sleep per night, but the "perfect" night of sleep would allow them to have one extra hour. Nearly three in four (72%) believe their day would be better if they got the "perfect" amount of sleep. Gen Zers are the biggest believers of this idea, as four in five of them think having the “perfect” amount of sleep can lead to a better day.

The contributors believe what can help them get the "perfect" amount of sleep includes watching TV in bed (44%), reading (28%), drinking a glass of water (27%), putting fresh sheets on the bed (19%) and scrolling through social media (17%).

For 87%, sleep isn't always completely restful. They reported feeling occasional stiffness or pain after waking up. Forty-three percent said back pain was their biggest morning irritant, followed by joint pain (37%) and neck pain (30%). Back pain was highest amongst aging Gen Xers (50%), while stiffness was the biggest issue baby boomers face after waking up (53%).

Forty-six percent of them believe feeling stiffness or pain can have a negative impact on their day.

"Getting fresh air or drinking a glass of water in the morning can definitely help good mornings turn to good days, but sleep also plays a vital role," continued Arin. "Getting good quality sleep and following your natural circadian rhythm helps ensure your body is physically ready for the next day."

TOP SEVEN THINGS TO DO IN THE MORNING TO BOOST YOUR DAY

Eat breakfast early in the day - 49%
Get fresh air - 46%
Drink just as much water as coffee/tea - 42%
Stretch - 35%
Take a lukewarm/cool shower - 27%
Exercise before going to work - 24%
Spend less than 10 minutes on your phone - 21%
Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 general population Americans; the survey was commissioned by Naturepedic and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between May 16 and May 22, 2025.