Millions of Brits admit they can’t bear to talk to anyone until at least 8am, it has emerged. Researchers found a bad night’s sleep, worries about the work day ahead and the dark winter mornings mean almost three quarters of people struggle to get going once they get out of bed.
More than half even admit they are so grumpy when they wake up, they avoid talking to friends, work colleagues or even their own partners until they feel more ‘with it’.
More than half of the 2,000 adults polled said they had been accused of being in a zombie-like state in the mornings because they find it so difficult to wake up.
Jon Lucas, spokesman for Zombie Underground, which commissioned the study to mark the launch of the new app, said:
”Mornings are a struggle for most people, especially in the winter.
”Waking up after a bad night’s sleep, or knowing you have a long and stressful day ahead of you can put you in a bad mood before you have even stepped out of bed.
”Coupled with the dark mornings, bad weather and the thought of the commute to work, it’s no wonder that many people want to crawl back under the covers instead.
”And it seems many people are dealing with their bad moods by ignoring those around them and avoiding all conversation until they feel more with it.
”But you never know, having a chat with someone could help pull you out of your dark mood, especially if the other person has got out on the right side of their bed that morning.”
The study found after waking up at an average time of 6.49am, it’s another hour and 15 minutes before tired and grumpy folk feel up to having a conversation.
Partners are most likely to bear the brunt of the grumpiness, with 43% of people saying they avoid talking to their other half until they are ready.
Almost a third dodge conversation with their colleagues first thing in their morning, while 21% even ignore their children.
Nearly half of people also admitted they have rowed with someone – an average of twice a month – because of their bad mood in the mornings.
14% have even broken up with someone, or had someone break-up with them, because of their zombie-like state after getting out of bed.
Those who have to commute to work on public transport are even worse, with 71% saying they dread strangers talking to them because they can’t bear to face anyone that early in the day.
Instead, 37% bury themselves in a book to avoid making eye-contact with anyone, while another 34% listen to music.
16% even admitted to pretending to talk on their phone to dodge any unwanted chat.
A massive four in ten commuters have even ended up in an argument with a stranger on the train, bus or tube because they tried to start up a polite conversation.
Researchers found a bad night’s sleep is most likely to put Brits in a bad mood in the mornings, followed by the dark winter mornings.
More than a third say they just simply take a little while to get going in the mornings while one in five get a gray cloud over their head when they look out their window at wind and rain.
Another 19% get down in the dumps worrying about their day ahead at work.
But, for 54% of grumpy Brits, a simple cup of tea or coffee is all it takes to brighten their mood and help them to wake up.
36% feel more with it after eating breakfast, while 22% resort to splashing cold water in their face.
Listening to loud music or having a cold shower were named as other popular ways to get going after getting out of bed.
Jon Lucas added:
”I’m a regular commuter on public transport I sometimes struggle most days with the zombie-like states people go into when commuting to work.
”That’s what gave us the idea for Zombie Underground. A game you can quickly pick up and play at the moments you need it the most- a fun and more constructive way to take out your frustrations and get you through the morning rush.”
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