# From Mattress to Door Knob--What's Your Time? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 13, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667 "2003-06-13T21:13:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/1 "2003-06-13T21:13:35Z")
That is to say - for those with a regular morning routine - how long does it take you to prepare yourself for the work day ahead? For me, it’s a cool 45 minutes. Each and every morning. The alarm goes off at 4:30. Play tag with the snooze button for exactly 15 minutes and then it’s feet on the floor and out of bed. Fifteen to twenty minutes in the bathroom: shower, shave and all that stuff- then in front of the TV to watch the first weather and traffic reports on the local news–all the while enjoying a leisurely breakfast of either a breakfast bar or a Slim Fast shake. After 15 minutes, put on the work costume and it’s out the door NLT 5:30 a.m. So. What’s your time? ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/2 "2003-06-13T21:19:51Z")
Personally…30 minutes. Kids included…stretch it to 50 ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/3 "2003-06-13T21:23:02Z")
I MUST have my hour of coffee and newspaper before I can greet the world, then 30 minutes for shower, dressing, messing around. Awake at 6:00 AM, out the door at 7:30 AM. However, when I lived in the dorms at college, it was a challenge to see how late I could sleep and still make it to class. I’m pround of the fact that I could wake up at 8:20 AM and still make it to my 8:30 AM class. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/4 "2003-06-13T22:01:48Z")
Alarm goes off at 4:50. I drag myself to the shower about 5. Generally out the door by 5:30-5:35. I start work at 6. ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/5 "2003-06-13T22:26:58Z")
Alarm goes off at 6:00. danalan mumbles to mrsdanalan, ‘Hit the button’. Alarm goes off at 6:09. mrsdanalan gets up. mrsdanalan hollers at danalan at 6:16. danalan gets up by 6:20, stumbles to bathroom. danalan leaves bathroom at 7:05, stumbles to bedroom to dress. danalan ready to leave hose at 7:15. danalan & mrsdanalan catch 7:30 ferry. Get to danalan’s work at 8:20. 55 minutes mattress to doorknob. 65 minutes doorknob to office. ---
**Author:** ![Peg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Peg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peg)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/6 "2003-06-13T22:35:52Z")
30-35 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/7 "2003-06-13T22:51:56Z")
40 minutes. Alarm goes off at 6:40. I hit snooze 'til 7:15. Out of shower at 7:35. Ready to go by 7:55. ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/8 "2003-06-14T00:44:10Z")
It takes me 3-4 hours to get going after I wake up. After shower it takes my hair 45 minutes to dry, and I can’t blow dry it from sopping wet so it has to mostly air dry first or else feels really gross. I also have to eat, dance around, read email, answer email, try on about six different sets of clothes, stare in the mirror, put on makeup, brush my teeth a second time after I eat, check the SDMB, make a to do list for the day, get together bank deposits or packages to drop off on the way to work… ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/9 "2003-06-14T00:54:18Z")
Ten minutes! Up at 7:45. Push down toast. Grab clothes out of closet, find one shoe in bedroom, other in kitchen. Snag apple out of fruit bowl, butter toast, grab book bag, out the door. Put on makeup and do hair while brother drives to school. Eat breakfast in front of locker and then brush teeth in the girls locker room. Plenty of time to read the paper or Time or Cosmopolitan or whatever in library and still get to class at 8:07. Yeah, I live on the edge of danger. _flips up collar_ Sarah ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/10 "2003-06-14T01:00:48Z")
-alarm rings at 8:30 -hit snooze 3 times, up at 8:57 and drag myself to the shower -doze in and out of consciousness in the shower until about 9:35 -dress in 2 minutes -5 minutes for breakfast -there is about 3 minutes in between breakfast and the doorknob where I get my lunch out of the fridge, throw on my coat, and look for my car keys and work boots. In total, I guess I spend 75 minutes from mattress to doorknob. If you eliminate the snooze time, I guess it’s 48 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/11 "2003-06-14T01:10:14Z")
Up at 6:30, ready to leave by 6:45 - 6:50. Don’t actually leave until 6:55. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/12 "2003-06-14T01:10:19Z")
For about 8 years when I was working in investment banks, maximum 10 minutes from the morning alarm to out the door. The most time consuming part was making a cappucino and drinking it without burning my mouth while getting ready. I’m slower now with a kid ---
**Author:** ![i\_like\_bacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@i\_like\_bacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/i_like_bacon)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/13 "2003-06-14T01:22:31Z")
alarm rings at 3:30 am, one hit of the snooze button. dress, make coffee, let the dog out, pee, let the dog in, brush teeth, drink coffee and sit online talking on messenger then out the door at 5 30 am. shower and brush teeth again at work. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/14 "2003-06-14T01:25:56Z")
45 minutes or so. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/15 "2003-06-14T01:26:07Z")
It takes me less than five minutes to get ready. I don’t wear makeup, and I have a low-maintanance hair style. I run a brush through it, spritz with hairspray, and I’m done. However, I HATE, HATE, HATE to jump out of bed and run, so I get up at least an hour before I have to get ready. That way, I can watch the news, and read a little. I know it’s bad, but I don’t eat breakfast, so no time’s lost there. My husband once had a girl in his class who said she groomed for \* four hours \* every morning. Such a thing is astonishing to me. I just can’t waste that much time on my appearance when there’s lounging which needs to be done. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/16 "2003-06-14T01:42:36Z")
I get up at 6:00 at the latest on weekdays. (Wednesdays I get up early–about 4:40–to do laundry.) I don’t use an alarm–my internal clock does the job. Out the door at 7:48 to catch the train ten minutes later. At work by 8:30. ---
**Author:** ![as\_u\_wish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@as\_u\_wish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/as_u_wish)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/17 "2003-06-14T01:44:35Z")
I’m a speedy one. Never have needed an alarm–I’m up between 6:30 and 6:45 “like clockwork.” I set out my clothes the night before–which T-shirt and which pair of jeans will I wear. Decisions decisions decisions. I get up, yawn, scratch, “engage in hygiene activities,” strip, dress and leave. I’d say 5 to 7 minutes maximum. Hair gets brushed in the car on the way to work. For breakfast, I keep a box of Rice Crispies and carton of milk at work, so I eat there and brush my teeth on work time, getting paid for it! I’m so cheap, if I could find a way to do the rest of my morning routine on company time, I’d do it. Well, sometimes, it’s Special K or Corn Flakes, but that really doesn’t change the answer, does it? ---
**Author:** ![Tupug\_Anachi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@Tupug\_Anachi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tupug_Anachi)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/18 "2003-06-14T01:48:28Z")
Sloooowwww easy. 3 hours. Whiskery wakeup by Ms. Jade at 5:00 am. Let Ms. Jade and three goombas out to pee and smoke a weed (I smoke, they pee). 5:10 am. Inside make the coffee, distribute biscuits. Visit the water closet and contemplate nature. Return to porch with cuppa, book, more biscuits. 5:45 am. Assemble lunch, distribute more biscuits. 6:00 am. Time for walkies…40 minutes on the treadmill, catch up on news with conventiently placed TV. 6:50 shower, poof, dress. 8:00 am last biscuts and out the door. Horribly hurried. Curse Ms. Jade who is snoring at 6:45 and compress all of the above into one hour and 15 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/19 "2003-06-14T01:48:41Z")
About 70 minutes. Alarm at 5AM Out of bed after the stock report on NPR (roughly 5:07 or so). Downstairs to let the dogs out. Get clothes. Hit shower. Lady Chance let’s dogs in while I’m showering then gets kid up. I come out of shower…she goes in. I dress kicking, screaming, complaining kid. Lady Chance comes out of shower takes kid for hair and teeth etc. I let dogs out. Prepare kids juice and suchlike. I balance checkbook for overnight transactions. Let dogs in…kennel them. Give kid juice. Head out. It’s complicated but efficient and we’re almost always out by 6:10. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667/20 "2003-06-14T02:27:02Z")
Alarm goes off at 4am and I am out the door at 4:45. Been my routine going on 15 years now. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mattress-to-door-knob-whats-your-time/181667.md?page=2)