Britons need four extra hours a day to get everything done, poll claims

Research finds 59 per cent of those polled work beyond their standard working hours

The study found the number one thing people would do if they had more time was get some much-needed sleep (Rex Features)

Britons have said they need an additional four hours a day to get everything done, according to research.

Researchers who polled 2,000 UK adults found around half were struggling to cram everything in amid a feeling there were simply not enough hours in the day.

Hectic workloads, looking after children and keeping on top of housework were the most common reasons for believing we need a 28-hour day.

The study also found that if the day was a little longer, the number one thing those polled would do was get some much-needed sleep.

Getting stuck into a good book was their second choice, followed by having some ‘me-time’ and going for a walk in third and fourth spot respectively.

The survey was commissioned to celebrate the second season of MARS, which premieres on National Geographic on Sunday 11 November.

The National Geographic series examines our future on the Red Planet, where the days are 37 minutes longer.

A spokesperson for National Geographic said: "Most of us will have uttered the words 'there are not enough hours in the day' at some point.

"And that's unlikely to change anytime soon, but on Mars it's a different story - a day is 37 minutes longer than on Earth.

"Readers might be wondering what good that is to them, but as our new show MARS reveals, Earthlings could be living on the Red Planet in the not-too-distant future."

Other things those polled would do if they had more time included learning a musical instrument, watching videos on YouTube and having a hot bath.

Listening to more music than normal, exercising more and cooking a meal from scratch also featured.

In addition, half longed for more “me-time” than they currently had, while 56 per cent wished they were able to find more time to have fun.

Around six in 10 also revealed they could not remember the last time they had 37 minutes spare to do something they really want to do.

Despite this, 52 per cent admitted they rarely “seize the day”, while half admitted they tend to get easily distracted when trying to make the most of their time.

This was possibly because much of the population is exhausted from work – a fifth of those polled said they were hindered by an uneven work/life balance.

The research, carried out through OnePoll.com, found 59 per cent worked beyond their standard working hours – typically three hours extra on a weekday.

One in 10 even did extra work at the weekend, totalling an average of four hours over Saturday and Sunday.

SWNS