September 23/New York/Reuters -- Two-thirds of Americans drink coffee, and many gulp down their first cup within an hour of awakening, according to a survey.

On average, the 65% of Americans who drink coffee each consume an average of 13 cups of coffee per week, and three out of five agreed with the statement "I need a cup of coffee to start my day."

Timed to coincide with "National Coffee Day" on September 29, this month's survey of 1,009 Americans, which had a margin of error of three percentage points, was commissioned by the 7-Eleven chain of convenience stores. The stores will be giving out free coffee that day from 7-11 am.

Among the findings, 28% of coffee drinkers had their first cup within 15 minutes of waking up and 68% within an hour, 57% added sugar or sweetener to their brew, and 54% agreed that "coffee makes me feel more like myself."

From the September 26, 2011, Prepared Foods' Daily News.