Gen Z have the UK’s worst wake-up routine, new national research has revealed.

The research from the UK’s most trusted sleep brand, Silentnight found 18 to 24 year olds suffer more from groggy mornings than any other demographic, in part due to bad sleep and wake-up habits.

With almost half of young people (43%) relying on a cup of coffee to wake them up in the morning and more than half (56%) admitting to snoozing their alarm multiple times, Gen Z’s early morning struggles are evident.

According to sleep experts at Silentnight, there is one main reason behind this.

Our circadian rhythm, or internal body clock, can ‘shift’ throughout our lifetime, meaning our timing for sleep (as well as other things) can change. The majority of younger people function in a later shift, so they naturally want to go to bed later and get up later.

As a result, young people are most likely to oversleep, with a whopping 83% admitting they do so at least once per week.

This ‘late shift’ may move again in your early to mid-20s, pulling you back in time with everyday schedules such as work. However, later on in life, at around 50-60, our body clock changes again, this time an early shift.

This is supported by the fact that a third (30%) of pensioners (age 65+) say they don’t feel tired when they wake up, compared to just 3% of youngsters.

This is shown by just over a quarter (27%) of youngsters snoozing their alarm three times in the morning compared to just 10% of OAPs saying they ever snooze their alarm.

Silentnight note that while the snooze button is tempting – especially for Gen Zers battling their circadian rhythm – delaying getting up can leave you feeling worse off as you battle slipping back into a deep sleep and being disturbed again.

However, Gen Z aren’t the only culprits for bad morning habits it seems, as the data also shows that just one in ten of the nation (11%) wake up at the same time every day.

Despite the majority of Brits failing to do so, according to experts, this simple habit is the number one way to get into a good morning routine and avoid oversleeping or groggy starts.

Silentnight’s Sleep Expert, Hannah Shore, has revealed her top four tips for creating a good morning routine and avoiding grogginess.

ROUTINE ROUTINE ROUTINE
Our morning routine and how we wake up is just as important as the routine we have to fall asleep at night. Having a good morning routine can make you feel more awake, alert and ready for the day ahead.
YOU SNOOZE YOU LOSE
One of the first mistakes people make is snoozing their alarm – you begin to drift back off into a deep sleep, meaning you’ll feel groggy, disorientated, and sleepier when you finally summon the strength to rise.

It could actually take another 60 to 90 minutes before you start to feel at your best! This is because you’re essentially waiting for your next peak in your circadian rhythm.

INTO THE LIGHT
If you’re still struggling to wake up, try turning on your light or opening your curtains when your alarm goes off. Bright light in the morning can help suppress the production sleep hormones such as melatonin, therefore making you feel more awake.

Getting out and enjoying the natural light is a great way to start the day refreshed, whether that be a short walk or having your morning coffee in the garden or by a window.

HEALTHY HABITS
The best way to wake up naturally is to ensure a regular time to wake up and stick to it, even at the weekends. Getting into the habit of going to sleep and waking up at the same time daily will massively improve your morning routine.

This is because by doing so your body will start to produce the right chemicals that we need to fall asleep and wake up, at the right time of day, meaning you wake up from a lighter form of sleep.