Each year, the American Automobile Association expects as many as 85 million Americans to travel from December 23 through January 3.
Most of these travelers will be headed to relatives’ homes for Christmas. If they’re like recent travelers, however, they won’t be spending the night there. A 2019 survey — taken before the coronavirus pandemic —showed 65% would stay somewhere else.
SleepZoo.com, a website that seeks to help people improve their sleep, surveyed 1,738 Americans about their holiday plans. And while 81% of respondents said they will see family during the holidays, the site said, only 55% indicated they’re actually looking forward to it.
Here are some of the reasons respondents said they will stay at a hotel or Airbnb (answers add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to choose more than one reason):
45% anticipate drama/arguments with family, with many citing political differences as a source of friction
20% want to avoid an uncomfortable sleeping arrangement (e.g. sleeping on the couch or the floor)
18% cited insufficient space/too many people in the home, making them feel cramped and uncomfortable
18% said sleeping at a relative’s home would keep them from being able to make love to their partner
15% don’t want to sleep over because they won’t be able to watch TV on their own
12% don’t like the food their family serves and would rather stay elsewhere to enjoy a better meal
10% said they won’t be able to stroll around in their underwear or in the nude if they spend the night with family
9% would have to share a room with a relative
5% wouldn’t be able to enjoy a drink/nightcap
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