# What is the time between you getting out of bed and the first firm commitment of the day? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 11, 2011, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198 "2011-01-11T05:33:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198/41 "2011-01-11T18:44:18Z")
It takes me about 30 minutes to conduct morning ablutions, shave, get dressed, and get out the door. I don’t generally have breakfast (or even a cup of tea) until I get to the office. ---
**Author:** ![kahncss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c2a13f/32.png) [@kahncss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kahncss)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198/42 "2011-01-11T18:45:41Z")
30 min. minimum! It seems that one of the dogs is always off schedule. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198/43 "2011-01-11T18:52:46Z")
1-2 hours for me. From the bed I grab my glasses and my Droid and I stumble to the bathroom, where I spend some time “waking up” (i.e., reading email and Facebook). Then I let the dog out in the back yard, which takes anywhere from 5-20 minutes depending on how long it takes her to poop. I look at news headlines (again on the Droid) while watching/waiting for her from inside. Then we head to the kitchen for the dog’s breakfast, and I usually spend about 10 minutes there watching her eat (if I don’t watch her she’ll just follow me back upstairs and not eat until I get home from work), opening the kitchen and living room blinds, and cleaning up the previous night’s dishes. Then it’s back upstairs where I brush my teeth (5 min) and get in the shower (~10 min), sometimes taking a minute or two to snuggle/play with the dog on the bed. After showering I put my contacts in (1 min), dry my hair (10 min), get dressed (5 min, unless I can’t decide what to wear; I usually figure it out in the shower), put on my usual jewelry (1 min), and spend about 10 minutes applying concealer to my face. Then I’m ready to go. Heck, it took 1-2 hours just to type all of that. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198/44 "2011-01-11T21:28:04Z")
Alarm goes off at 6:25. I hit “Snooze” once or twice. If I’m out the door by 7:35, I’ll be at work between 7:55 and 8:00. So an hour and ten minutes, give or take. ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198/45 "2011-01-11T23:37:46Z")
My three secrets to a five-minute morning routine: shower at night, buzz your hair short so you don’t have to style it, and make your entire work wardrobe successfully mix-n-match. When my alarm goes off, I get up, brush my teeth, apply deodorant, throw on whatever’s clean, and out the door I go. Add to this that work is just a five-minute hop down the highway, and it means that most days I wake up quite literally fifteen minutes before I have to be at work. Wouldn’t have it any other way. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198/46 "2011-01-11T23:48:58Z")
7:00-7:10: Wake up, have morning cig 7:10-7:20: Toilet/Shower 7:20-7:30: Put in contacts, makeup, brush hair, get dressed 7:30-7:40: Get Kid ready for bus, put on coats, wait at bus stop 7:40: Leave for work I’m a low maintenance kinda gal 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198/47 "2011-01-12T17:48:03Z")
My alarm goes off at 7:40 and I snooze until 8, have to be at work at 9. If I leave by 8:40 or 8:45 at the latest I can be there on time. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198/48 "2011-01-12T18:20:28Z")
If I’m at work, I’m in the office before I’m in the shower. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198/49 "2011-01-12T18:25:23Z")
> [@Terraplane](#): > > About 15 minutes. Roll out of bed, brush my teeth, feed the cats, throw on some clothes and I’m out the door. I’ve always thought it must be nice to be a morning person, I’d like to maybe relax for a few and watch the news or something but I just can’t bring myself to wake up earlier than absolutely necessary. It’s precisely because I’m not a morning person that I take so long getting ready. I’m slow-moving when I first get out of bed, and I require plenty of time, and caffeine, to become a fully-functioning human being. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198/50 "2011-01-12T18:46:12Z")
I voted 0-10 minutes because I live on the block I work on, so I can roll out of bed with less than 10 minutes to spare and get to work on time. And have - but prefer not to. There are always things to get done and I like to have at least an hour before work to walk my dogs for more than 2 minutes, cook a real breakfast, and make sure I look presentable (which doesn’t take that long, as I don’t usually shower in the morning and I don’t wear makeup or ‘do’ my hair beyond pulling it back with a clip in 2 seconds) ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198/51 "2011-01-12T18:46:55Z")
If there are no kids to herd, I can be out the door (brush teeth, potty, shower, dress, makeup, no breakfast) in 18 minutes (my hair is still a little damp at that point but will be dry by the time I get to my destination). With kids, it takes 45 minutes (including feeding them breakfast). I do everything I possbily can the night before and follow the exact same routine every morning. I am not a morning person. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198/52 "2011-01-12T20:00:29Z")
I work from home. My home is Eastern time and I work with the Brits - 5 hours ahead. I usually role out of bed, turn on the computer and immediately start working with them. Once I get the main issues out of the way, I walk and feed the dog, shower, and maybe eat breakfast and go right back to it. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198/53 "2011-01-12T21:13:19Z")
Being retired, I don’t usually have to be anywhere any time. Most of my obligations are medical appointments. But before that, I woke up when my alarm went off at 5:30, spent a half hour doing flexibility exercises that have kept my back healthy. Then 45 minutes having a leisurely breakfast and skim the paper that comes before 6. Out the door at 6:45 for my 4 mile stroll to my office in time for my 8:30 class. I still mostly get up between 5:30 and 6, although I wish I would sleep later. I shower before bed and, usually, read till about 11:30. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198/54 "2011-01-12T21:21:17Z")
> [@Kiwi\_Fruit](#): > > You guys that do it in under 15 minutes must go out the door looking like you’ve just got out of bed 15 minutes ago. I take 15-20 minutes for shower and shave, let alone breakfast. The poll is open to broad interpretation because the subject line asks about getting out of bed, but the OP itself says something completely different: > [@](#): > > By first firm commitment, I mean the latest you could leave the house and still be on time for work/dropping kids off at school/your first class/a meeting/whatever. I answered based on how late I can leave and be on time (25-30 minutes), but in truth I get up 80 minutes before I need to be at said first commitment. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198/55 "2011-01-13T17:07:35Z")
My work day starts at 10:00. Often I do two or three errands before work. When I don’t have errands I have two and a half to three hours between when my feet first touch the floor and when I like to leave for work. I love my mornings. I get chores done, including prepping dinner. In the evenings I’m more or less a lump. On days when I need more sleep or don’t feel a hundred percent I can go from asleep to in the car and on my way in about 20 minutes, but that is not my preferred approach. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-time-between-you-getting-out-of-bed-and-the-first-firm-commitment-of-the-day/567198.md?page=2)