Most U.S. Adults Are 'Morning People'

Oct. 16, 2007 -- Are you at your best in the morning? Then you've got lots of company from other "morning people," according to a new Gallup poll.

In the poll, some 1,000 U.S. adults were asked when they're at their best on a typical day. Their answers:

• Morning (5 a.m. to 11:59 a.m.): 55%
• Afternoon (noon to 4:59 p.m.): 15%
• Evening ( 5 p.m. to 10:59 p.m.): 20%
• Late night (11 p.m. to 4:59 a.m.): 6%

They were also asked what hour of the day was their personal best. Their top three hours were 10 a.m., 9 a.m., and 8 a.m.

Age may make the morning sweeter.

In the poll, 43% of adults aged 18-34 favored mornings, compared with 58% of those aged 35-54 and 59% of those aged 55 and older.

"Morning people" are particularly common among people with high salaries.

For instance, 70% of people in households earning at least $75,000 per year prefer mornings, compared with 40% of those in households earning less than $30,000 annually.

The poll, conducted by telephone in August, has a margin of error of +/- three percentage points.

(When do you function best? Morning, afternoon, evening? Tell us about it on WebMD's Health Café message board.)