- We wake at 6.57am but are mentally asleep until 9.56am -
Itâs official: Britain is not a nation of âmorning peopleâ. The average Brit does not feel mentally alert until almost 10am, nearly three hours after they wake up.
Quaker Oats surveyed over 1,250 people and discovered that Britain is a nation running on empty â we wake up before 7am but are not mentally awake until nearly an hour into the traditional working day. Shockingly, 10 per cent admitted they couldnât fully function until after 2pm.
In response to the problem Quaker Oats has harked back to the 1970s to create the worldâs first Porridgemaid â like a Teasmaid, but designed to have a fresh bowl of porridge ready by your bedside when you wake up. This convenient invention ensures you get the essential fuel you need to start the day and make the most of your morning.
There were stark differences to be seen between age groups. While over 40 per cent of 16 -24 year olds wake up before 7.00am, over half said they werenât alert until at least 10.00am. However, the over 55s were the most alert, with almost 60 per cent mentally awake before 10am.
Despite 70 per cent of respondents admitting that the morning is their most important time of day, it is also the time that they are least productive: almost 50 per cent say that they are likely to be found in âauto-pilotâ mode for much of the morning, with over a quarter per cent admitting they are in this mode until at least 11am.
In fact, the time wasted by Brits who ârun on emptyâ costs an annual £9.2 billion to UK industry.
Despite being more physically active, it is the younger generation who tend to skip the most important meal â our research indicating that a third of 16-24 year olds are not eating breakfast every day.
In contrast, the over 55s make more of their morning, with 81 per cent eating breakfast every single day and 60 per cent counting breakfast as the most important meal of the day, compared to under half of 25-34 year olds.
Almost 45 per cent of the over 45s believe that breakfast is their âsecret weaponâ, which gives them the sustenance to achieve more out of their morning. Meanwhile, almost a third of under 35s believe a good nightâs sleep is more important than breakfast in affecting their productivity.
Quaker Oats, made in the innovative Porridgemaid, provides a simple and tasty solution help you make more of your morning. In fact, some people told us they didnât feel hungry for as long as 4 hours, 21 minutes after theyâd eaten a bowl of Quaker Oats for breakfast.1
Gender Divide
Women find it harder to focus earlier in the day than their male counterparts, with over 20 per cent saying they definitely feel like theyâre on auto-pilot in the morning, compared to 13 per cent of men.
Regional Differences
The most loyal breakfast-eaters in the UK are from the South West and North East with 78 and 75 per cent respectively eating breakfast every single day. In contrast, those from the Midlands are the most sluggish of starters in the morning, with almost 20 per cent ârarelyâ having a meal in the morning.
Although Londoners get up the earliest of all regions, they are also the most likely to eat breakfast at their work desk.
A Quaker spokesperson comments:
âWe need to fuel our bodies when we wake up and breakfast is the sensible way to make sure youâre ready and raring for what the day holds. Some people have told us that eating Quaker Oats for breakfast meant they didnât feel hungry for 4 hours and 21 minutes, helping them to make more of their morning.â
This is good news for the large amount of Brits who find theyâre not able to mentally wake up until almost lunchtime. Itâs simple - breakfast will kick start your day and ensure you get the most out it.â