Nearly Half of Us Will Be Asleep Before Midnight on New Year’s Eve — And Honestly? Fair

Are you staying up to watch the ball drop this year?
Or are you planning to finish an episode of Matlock, look at the clock, say “yeah, that’s enough,” and be tucked into bed by 10?

If the second option sounds appealing, you’re far from alone.

A new survey found that 44% of people say they’ll already be asleep when the calendar flips to 2026. That’s not “dozing on the couch.” That’s full-on pyjamas, teeth brushed, alarm set, lights out.

Turns out, going to bed before midnight on New Year’s Eve is way more common than young people think. Or way more common than we admit when we’re pretending we still have stamina.

Part of the issue is logistics. New Year’s Eve falls on a Wednesday this year, which means a lot of people have to be up the next morning pretending to be functional adults. The excitement of a fresh calendar year starts losing its sparkle when your alarm is set for 6 a.m.

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And then there’s the honesty factor. Some people just… don’t care enough anymore. They’ve seen the ball drop before. Many times. It drops every year. Predictably. Gravity really shows up for that one.

Geography helps too. Folks on the West Coast have cracked the system. You can watch the New York ball drop at 9 p.m., say “Happy New Year,” maybe clink a glass, and still be in bed by 9:01. That’s elite planning.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are weighing our options:

• Stay up late and feel terrible tomorrow
• Or wake up refreshed and let the new year come to us

At a certain age, ringing in the New Year well-rested feels like the real celebration.

So if you’re in bed before midnight, know this: you’re not boring. You’re efficient. And if you do stay up? Congratulations. Please enjoy your nap on January 1. 🥂😴🎆