To think most people don't realise how important sleep is?

[Notcontent]

I was reading a really interesting article recently, about a man who studies the role of sleep in our health. Anyway, in a nutshell he was staying that lack of sleep has a huge impact on our health and life expectancy, but that most people now are chronically sleep deprived. And while we are bombarded with messages about healthy eating, etc. sleep is seen by our society as almost optional.

I think this is so true. Most adults I speak to don't get enough sleep - and I think a lot of secondary aged kids don't either.

I've always been a bad sleeper but since being pregnant with my first in 2013 my sleep has been awful.

My DD1 has been a shit sleeper from birth. Still bad at 3 years old.
I'm currently trying to get DD2 to nap before we pick big one up from nursery so I can nap.
Newborn DD2 seems to be taking after me.

I'm so tired. I feel like my brain has turned to mush and my temper is shorter.

I feel like this and know it’s due to sleep deprivation. But there’s nothing I can do about it that I haven’t already tried.

I've just started seeing a physiotherapist. He finds it funny that everytime I come in I complain of a new ache and pain then when he touches my body he realises that it is real!

He's given me exercises to strengthen my muscles. He says thats the only way to make the pain go away but it involves effort. I'm forcing myself to do it even though it hurts more afterwards.

I also make myself go to bed before 9.30 every night. But it's depressing as I only finish getting the DC to bed at 8.15/8.30 so I have so little time to see DH/have time to myself in the evening.

DP and I are in bed by 8-9 most nights, unless we're both off work the next day and might manage 10! We both work long days and train a couple of hours on top of that so are often up by 5.

We don't have a TV and I'm sure that's why we're so disciplined!

I've read a number of articles recently impressing how important sleep is. I really do think that my 3 dc have completely screwed up my sleep cycle - my third was a terrible sleeper, and I don't think I've ever recovered.

Just recently I've quit alcohol and tried to prioritise my sleep - let's just say it's a work in progress. In the past, you'll find plenty of evidence of me posting on MN at 2am when I have to be up to do the school run in the morning...

YANBU. Obviously some people have insomnia or small babies. But what I don't get is people who are just in the habit of not getting enough sleep. I have a friend who sits in front of the tv or the computer every night, falls asleep in front of it at past midnight, wakes up uncomfortable in the early hours and then goes to bed. Every single night. Not because she has insomnia, just because that's what she does.

I go to bed by 10.30, lights off by 11, alarm set for 7. Dd (12) has sensible, regular bedtime habits but takes ages to fall asleep and usually wakes up really early, so she's not really getting enough sleep. No idea why - we've tried all the usual suggestions.

I have the opposite problem (narcolepsy) I'm actually chronically sleep deprived as my brain doesn't go through restorative sleep phase but I sleep more to try and compensate this sleep is seen as lazy in the west.

In my case, I think the problem is trying to do too much. At the end of the day, I've got these additional tasks to do until 10 or 11, and then I still think I need to up to date with the latest netflix series or book, and so I fall asleep at 12.30, rather than stopping at 9.00 and having an hour to wind down.

I agree with you OP

I had a severe mental breakdown in Dec 2015 after nearly two weeks of no sleep. It was absolutely the worst thing I have ever experienced - worse than, dare I say it - having an ectopic and close relatives passing away. It was utterly horrendous. I couldn’t move, had to crawl up the stairs, was severely anxious and almost lost the ability to speak when it was really bad.

I am totally convinced I would have died from lack of sleep if I hadn’t taken antidepressants. I would have asked to be put into an induced coma if nothing else was going to help me treatment-wise.

Ugh - just thinking about it now makes me feel bad.

I read that article too. I really need my 8 hours a night (9 is preferable). I'm not one of those people who stays up until the early hours so they can have some peace and quiet after the kids have gone to bed. That said, I often have trouble dropping off as my mind seems to suddenly become very active, or I wake up in the night to go to the loo and can't get back to sleep.

I think sleep is often seen as something that can be cut back on, whereas it should be seen as something essential, like a healthy diet and exercise. Then of course there are distractions from TV, gadgets and the like. I don't miss the newborn days at all!

I spent years getting between 0 and 3 hours sleep. Even now I manage on 5. It's crap. I have ptsd and anxiety. I have chronic insomnia. The effect on quality of life is horrific. Not being able to do something as normal as sleep is horrific.

I ^can^ sleep just not at the right times, no problem during the day but can't seem to manage it at night. I worked night shift for years which I'm sure hasn't helped and then had a traumatic event (which happened at night) and ended up with PTSD and severe anxiety so was too afraid to sleep at night for a long time. Obviously it's not always practical to sleep during the day so I probably am fairly chronically sleep deprived, it's a bit of a vicious circle once you're in it though and extremely hard to break.

I read an article at the weekend where someone was crowing about sleep being, ‘such a terrible waste of time’.

God it got on my nerves!

I've suffered insomnia since I was 13 years old. It sucks. I fully understand the importance of sleep but shift work plus a 1 year old has put paid to any good quality sleep I had any hopes of having. There just isn't enough hours in the day to fit in the required amount of time I need to spend in bed to achieve a decent amount of sleep (from sleep studies as a teenager I found it takes between 3-4 hours for me to drop off to sleep).

I've gotten better in recent months but I still only average 4 hours a night. My body is fucked and has been for years and I know this is hugely down to lack of sleep.

I've really struggled recently. My surgery means I can't sleep on my stomach, and I've slept that way since being a small child! Just can't get comfy. The doctor did give me some sleeping tablets which helped. Weirdly the gastric band hypnosis app helps me!

My youngest is 4 and I’ve not recovered even still from the sleep deprivation.

Best sleep I get is after an evening yoga class. Just wish I could do it more often but between my work schedule and dh’s it’s very hard to get out in the early eve.

I've been there. When I had my first sin I literally didn't sleep a wink for days. I started to see stuff that wasn't there. I definitely prioritise my sleep.

Everyone at my work seems shocked when I say I'm in bed by 10pm most nights, if not sooner. Obviously if I'm out and about doing things it will be later than this but if I'm sat at home I'll easily be in bed by 9.30/10. I'd say I get an average of 8 hours solid sleep a night. Someone told me I slept too much. There seems to almost be a competition about how little sleep people get at work.