Don’t Talk to Me Before My Coffee
The Importance of a Morning Routine:
A Case Study

What’s the First 10 Minutes of Your Day Really Telling You?

We teamed up with leading consumer insights and data firm Talker Research to find out just how much your morning routine impacts the rest of your day – and the results might make you rethink hitting snooze. In fact, 37% of Americans say they can tell how their day is going to go within the first 10 minutes of waking up.

Here’s what else we uncovered.

It doesn’t take much to throw off a morning. Whether it’s forgetting to brew coffee, skipping a shower or neglecting to drink water, these seemingly minor slip-ups can have a major impact. Here’s what people said were the biggest morning disruptors:

Why does skipping part of your morning routine affect your whole day? Because routines provide structure, predictability and control, all of which help you mentally and physically prepare for the day ahead. When that structure is disrupted, on the other hand, your brain registers it as a break in rhythm, which can lead to feeling rushed and scattered.

So What Happens When You
Wake Up on the Wrong Side of the Bed?

The short answer? A bad day. Half of Americans say they can tell how their entire day will go based on how they feel right after waking up. Younger generations are especially attuned to this connection, with 67% of Gen Z and 58% of Millennials linking a rough morning to a rough day ahead. The takeaway? How you start your day matters.

Most people don’t just feel the impact of a bad morning, they recognize it. In fact, over 60% said they could likely trace a rough day back to how it started. When you know, you know.

But why does a bad morning lead to a bad day? One possible explanation is that the first hour of your day shapes your mindset, stress levels and energy. Thus, when you wake up feeling tired, rushed or out of sync, it can trigger a cascade of negative emotions and decision fatigue that together make it harder to stay focused, patient or productive.

Can You Turn a Rough Morning Around?

When the morning goes sideways, most people have a go-to fix. For some, it’s a solid breakfast. For others, it’s as simple as stepping outside for fresh air or sipping more water alongside that first cup of coffee.

According to the data, these are the top things people do to turn a rough morning around:

• Eating breakfast early in the day (49%) 
• Getting fresh air (46%)
• Drinking as much water as coffee or tea (42%)
• Stretching (35%)
• Taking a lukewarm or cool shower (27%)
• Exercising before going to work (24%)
• Spending less than 10 minutes scrolling on a phone (21%)

Regardless of gender, the top three ways to improve a morning were the same:

1. Eating an early breakfast
2. Getting fresh air
3. Drinking just as much water as coffee or tea

These simple habits stood out across the board as the most effective ways to reset and reclaim the day.

While it's helpful to know how to bounce back from a rough start, the best mornings are the ones that don’t need fixing. That’s where routine comes in. On average, it takes about 25 minutes to feel fully awake. Millennials take the longest, with a 29-minute gap between waking up and feeling awake, while the Silent Generation needs only 15 minutes.

It’s no surprise, then, that most people build a morning routine that lasts around 30 minutes – just enough time to fully wake up and move through the habits that help them feel ready for the day.

According to our findings, these are the most common ways people start their mornings on the right foot:

• Brushing their teeth (65%)
• Drinking water (60%)
• Making fresh coffee and tea (51%)
• Clearing their eyes (48%)
• Scrolling through missed notifications (40%)
• Stretching (38%)

But What If a Great Morning Starts the Night Before?

As much as we focus on what happens after the alarm goes off, the truth is, better mornings often begin long before that. In fact, most people (68%) agree that a good night of sleep is the real secret to a good day – and the data backs it up.

Sleep well, wake well, live better. It’s a cycle worth getting right. Most adults (75%) believe their day would be better if they got the perfect amount of sleep. This is especially true for Gen Zers, with 80% of respondents born between the years 1997 and 2012 believing that getting the perfect amount of sleep leads to a better day.

We all know what the perfect night of sleep feels like, but how many of us are actually getting it? When we asked people to compare how much sleep they typically get versus how much they wish they got, the gap was impossible to ignore.

The majority report sleeping between 4-6 hours a night, even though 80% say their ideal would be 7-9 hours. And while 72% believe hitting that sweet spot would make their day better, only 47% are actually doing it. The struggle for better sleep? Very real.

How to Give Yourself the Best Chance at Rest

Much like the path to better mornings starts the night before, the path to better sleep starts before your head hits the pillow. Many people rely on small, familiar habits to help them wind down – watching TV, reading, pouring a glass of water or putting fresh bedding on the bed. These routines create a sense of calm and consistency, helping signal to the body that it’s time to rest.

About Talker Research

Talker Research is a leading consumer insights and data firm that specializes in media-friendly market research. Known for their creative survey design and reliable methodology, Talker helps brands uncover timely, relevant insights about consumer behavior and translate them into stories that spark conversation. Their research is regularly featured in national media outlets and used by brands to better understand their audiences.