Nearly all adults complain about feeling tired an average of three times a day – a total of 1,095 times a year.
A study of 2,000 adults revealed nine in ten have made a mistake due to being tired, including muddling up words, tripping over and sending a text to the wrong person.
And tiredness seems to equal forgetfulness, with many struggling to remember why they walked into a room, someone’s name, or the day of the week.
Other mishaps in the top 30 list were missing appointments, putting cereal in the fridge and milk in the cupboard, and even leaving car keys in the car.
It also emerged the average adult makes three mistakes a day due to tiredness – with forgetting what year it is, bumping the car when driving, and putting clothes on backwards or inside out also on the list.
(Image: Ute Grabowsky/Photothek/Getty Images)
Zoe Trimble, spokeswoman for Lucozade Alert, which commissioned the research ahead of the clocks going forward this weekend, said: “It’s no surprise to see the nation struggling to feel fully alert after losing an hour of rest.
“When we’re tired, we’ve all forgotten why we’ve walked into rooms, where we’ve placed our keys, or thought of the perfect comeback way too late. The brain fog is real.”
The study also found that when adults think back to the mistakes they’ve made due to tiredness, they feel embarrassed (35%) and annoyed (33%) – yet also amused (25%).
But 68% went as far as to say they struggle to think straight as a result of getting less sleep than usual, and 70% can’t concentrate on tasks.
After a poor night’s kip, 38% have slept through their alarm, while 35% have cancelled social plans, and a quarter even called in sick to work.
Respondents predicted they need seven hours of sleep to avoid suffering from tiredness, and believe they waste three hours a day due to not feeling fully awake.
(Image: Ulrich Baumgarten/Getty Images)
The research found 2:32pm is the time of day the most mistakes are likely to be made, while 10:18am is when people feel most alert.
And Friday is the day of the week Brits believe they’ll make the most sleepy mishaps.
But two-thirds (67%) have had someone else point out mistakes they’ve made as a result of being fatigued.
With the clocks going forward this weekend, one in five adults believe they’ll feel tired, while 15% expect to experience confusion, and 13% will be zoned out.
As a result, more than a third (35%) of those polled, via OnePoll, will avoid making any social plans on March 27th.
And almost half (44%) admitted their whole routine feels messed up the day after the clocks go forward, with it taking an average of four days to adjust fully.
Zoe added: “With Brits complaining of feeling tired an average of three times a day, and the research finding we’ll take an average of four days to recover, we want to help the nation get sharp.”
TOP 30 MISTAKES BRITS MAKE AS A RESULT OF BEING TIRED:
- Forgotten why you walked into the room
- Muddled up your words
- Forgotten why you walked up the stairs
- Forgotten someone’s name
- Mixed up the days of the week
- Forgotten to defrost food for that night’s dinner/evening meal
- Tripped over
- Forgotten to take the washing out of the washing machine
- Put clothes on backwards/inside out
- Forgotten food was in the oven and it burnt
- Sent a text to the incorrect person
- Left your lunch at home on a work day
- Forgotten a route when driving or taken a wrong turn
- Thought of a comeback too late
- Missed an appointment
- Left your house keys in the front door
- Forgotten your house keys
- Sent an email to the incorrect person
- Used the wrong measurements of ingredients when cooking
- Accidentally liked a social media post
- Forgotten what month it was
- Forgotten what year it was
- Put cereal in the fridge and milk in the cupboard
- Bumped your car when driving
- Forgotten why you phoned someone when they answered
- Forgotten your car keys
- Forgotten your own personal details e.g. date of birth
- Missed a deadline at work/college/school
- Left your car keys in the car
- Messed up on a work call/pitch
