Is no sleep a reasonable excuse for calling in sick to work?

if she is not well as you say then you both stay at home surely?

I think weirdly weekends and bank holidays can count as part of sick leave if it’s part of a long bout of illness where you end up getting a drs cert.

I know that happened to me last year when I had an awful flu.

Just call in sick.

I have had about 5 hours sleep in 2 days and whilst it's torture, I can catch up in little naps here and there.

What I can't do is ride my bike, make important decisions or deal with people without falling out with everyone or being committed.

So I would 100% call in sick but lie about why or I would lose my job 😳.

Not everyone gets weekends off!

Not if Saturdays and Sundays are non working days

Is no sleep a reasonable excuse for calling in sick to work?

If it was I’d have had at least one day off sick every week of my entire working life. More most weeks. Insomniacs like me just get used to it.

I've called in for no sleep before. I'm autistic and was triggered almost to the point of meltdown at work one day. I didn't sleep that night and due to what my job was at the time, it wouldn't have been sensible to go in the next day. I left soon after and now have a nice admin job where I don't get overstimulated or stressed out. I think it mostly depends on what job you do. I could power through my current job on no sleep, but not my last one.

If you don't feel well, then call in sick and get some sleep.

If you drive don't you could fall asleep at the wheel

Not quite the same, but as a narcoleptic, I have very broken sleep and barely no restorative sleep every night due to a lack of the chemical that controls sleep cycles. Experts liken it to a healthy person staying awake for 48-72 hours and then telling them to function. That’s why we are so sleepy during the day.
I work full time and just have to try and fit small naps in if possible, or just power through.
I can only dream of a normal nights sleep 😅

Not everywhere has the same forms, though? And does the fact that there is a space there mean you have to declare what illness you have?

Your line manager has to fill in a sick form for HR, and there’s a space on that for nature of illness.

Gosh, I am so sorry that you felt so pressured. Please don’t ever do that again though. 💐.

As a people manager, people who force themselves in under circumstances like yours would stress me the f* out. What if you had taken a real turn for the worse? Horrible to think of.

I 100% agree with you that we are all so replaceable so we need to do what is best for ourselves.

I still do think surgery is on the extreme end of the scale vs a horrific night with a child. I had a horrific non sleeper so I would have had the majority of the year off. 😭. Probably needed it to be honest - I was dead on my feet.

Not a dig to @Catermellor - I hope you are ok and made a decision that works for you. I just worry that with a 2 day working pattern, calling in sick on one of those 2 days just before the weekend doesn’t look very good.

@Catermellor as you only work 2 days, you really do need to just suck-it up and go to work.

You'll not be the only parent at work on no sleep. It happens to every parent at one point or another. Stop feeling so sorry for yourself - your work place won't care what happens in your personal life, unless there's a bereavement, they just want you in work to do what you're paid to do.

I did it once - had a total of 3 hours sleep and was 8 months pregnant and weeping on the way to school. Shudder. Sometimes you are just on your knees and won’t do a good job.

If you only work two days a week, I think you can suck it up and work a day on two hours' sleep.

Admittedly my judgement might be skewed by the fact that I'm a very poor sleeper and do a day's work on two hours' sleep quite frequently.

I think the point here is that it isn't just one night of no sleep. She said she went to bed early because she had a bad night the night before (presumably because her child was also sick then). And that would be on top of the usual shenanigans from a toddler that you have to put up with for the first few years.

Don't listen to the people who say "you're work shy" or "it's only one day, don't let down your employer/colleagues". Us Generation Xers/Millennials have been brainwashed into thinking that our self-worth is inextricably tied into our job, and that we are indispensable. Generation Z/Alpha see right through this - I suppose with the decline of the career job, zero hours contracts, constant rounds of redundancies etc - and have the right attitude.

You're shattered? Take a sick day. No one is going to give you a medal for going in. Don't get me wrong, work hard when you are there. That's the social contract you have signed - they'll pay you, you'll do your best. But that doesn't include pushing through exhaustion to show up - maybe in times gone by when a employer would show loyalty to an employee who did that, but those times are long gone.

Tbf GP work is surely sat at a desk all day issuing sick notes and prescriptions, I think I could do that on little sleep.

In a hospital with fast changing situations then that would be challenging but as you say when part of a team there's hopefully others to pick up any slack.

Chronic sleep deprivation is awful but with young dc there is light at the end of the tunnel. I loved the teen years, in bed til lunchtime it was bliss!

Does a drop of Olbas oil or Vicks help? It can be drying though.

I have a very poor sleep and am a GP.. when I was was a younger doc we where all exhausted but you worked as a team so hopefully somebody else noticed in unwell/especially tired.
i am very very conscious that no sleep us very impairing and I fear a patient would come to harm if I am extremely tired. On the other hand a much needed gp list would be cancelled .. and that causes harm. Balancing these potential harms in my head and to try to do the best thing is very hard.

@Catermellor hope you’re feeling better, whatever you decided to do.

I’ve not read the whole thread and I know this isn’t what you asked for, but in case nobody else has suggested it, your kid may sleep better with Olbas Oil or an open jar of Vicks or similar in their room.

My DS sleeps horribly if he’s bunged up, but a few drops of Olbas Oil on a tissue by his bed helps a lot. Don’t put it on the pillow itself as it can sting if it gets onto facial skin.

Sending you good sleep and plenty of ☕️

Suspect the decision has been made now, but I’m usually fine the day after a bad night, one night doesn’t make any difference really (and I’ve had plenty- kids, jet lag, insomnia). And if you get in and feel terrible you can always go home, but at least you’ve made the effort.

I’d actually caution against sleeping too much today or you’ll not sleep overnight.

Guilt. I felt guilted into it. And a the mindset built in of you go to work no matter what. It was that week that made me change. Yes the manager above me appreciated it and even paid me for the days I was off as I think he felt bad.

I was just pointing out the attitude of the person I responded to. The companies we work for just don’t care. We are a number. We do the job and make them money and that’s all that matters.

A night of only a couple of hours of sleep will make you feel rubbish, but it won't kill you.

Say all the menopausal women of the world!