To think some people don't prioritise sleep enough?

[Hadtocomment]

Reading the other thread where various posters seemed to be getting somewhat competitive about how early they get up etc. I was genuinely curious as to if people getting up seriously early also go to bed really early. We know sleep is important to health and people maybe need different amounts too. I was also taken aback by judgemental comments implying that the op should look at her diet and exercise if she was needing so much sleep as though enjoying sleep was some sort of health problem! So I just wondered. How much sleep do you need/get? And those getting up super early are you going to bed super early too to get enough hours or do you naturally not need much sleep?

myself I reckon I need around 8 and a half to 9 hrs to feel optimum and I've always been like this. I can manage on a bit less for some days but catches up with me and have to make it up at some point.

(I understand those with small children may be getting a lot less sleep for a while or broken up sleep and don't want this thread to be ignorant towards those struggling with sleep as I know that can be really tough. )

Standard night for me (I'm a night owl anyway)

I consider it a good night if I manage between 4 and 5 hours.

I get up around 5.30 on weekdays and am always asleep before 10pm, I usually get between 7 and 8 hours sleep a night.

I get nowhere near enough sleep. Generally sleep for 5 hours a night. It’s an improvement though. I used to sleep for less than 4 hours.

I'm lucky if I get between 2/4 hrs and that's with waking up in between too.constantly tired.

Can function fantastically on 6 hours.

I WISH I could get more sleep! 6 hours is a good night for me, it's usually more like 4. Going to bed early doesn't help - if I'm asleep by 10pm, chances are I'm awake again by 2am.

It's not like I don't much sleep, I feel pretty terrible without it. I'm permanently exhausted and I look it.

Pre kids I used to feel knackered if I got less than 8 hours. Now after years of broken sleep for various reasons that can't be helped I feel bloody amazing if I have 5-6 hours of unbroken sleep. Also I can easily sleep in and I think its a top skill! If I have a terrible week of sleep I can catch up at the weekend and I've learnt not to feel guilty. Everyone's situation is different and I get it where I can

I definitely feel that is the quality of sleep as well as the number of hours you get. I go to bed really early but get up at 5 am. I don't fall asleep straight away when I go to bed but like the resting feeling of just lying there & watching something.

But I also wake up every hour/other hour most nights. (single, no kids or partner, so it's not that). And for about ten minutes feels anxiety before telling myself off and going back to sleep.

I would love to get 6 to 8 hours of sleep in one block as feel like it would refresh me.

Even when I technically get to sleep from 10-6 it's rarely good enough if DD(2) wakes me up even briefly because she's chatting etc. God I'd kill for 3 or 4 nights of a solid 8 hours unbroken sleep. DH is fab and gets up early with her but I'm a light sleeper so I've got no chance regardless!

A few nights ago I had two blocks of unbroken sleep - about 4 hours and 3 hours. I felt amazing!
First and only in at least 12 years. I would love to be able to sleep for longer.
Just started HRT and hoping it helps with this. I think the other night was just a coincidence as it wasn’t enough time for it to start working.

My optimum sleep time is around 5 hours, and I am a night owl. I mainly work nights in my current job, and sleep better after nights than I would sleeping at night.
Actually, last night, I was so tired I went to bed bath ridiculously early (8pm) meaning I was then awake at 1:30am and no longer tired

I’ve found that I only need 5.5 hours, in one block or broken. I always go to bed at 9pm, fall asleep at about 10pm after reading, then I wake up at 3.30am and read or listen to book/music until we get up at 6am. My husband sleeps for 8-9 hours.

Yanbu
I'm very rigid about my bedtime. I have bipolar and I find it much harder to manage if I'm not getting adequate sleep. I got to bed no later than 10pm, preferably 9.30 and get about 9 (broken) hours of sleep if the kids wake up. I would not be feeling well on less sleep.

My DH is one of those people who rabbits on and on and on about being up at the crack of dawn as though it makes him superhuman. He doesn’t value rest either really at all, and wants to ‘be busy’ (starting but not completing jobs it seems).

It’s actually incredibly wearing, but I ignore him now.

He actually considers me sleeping until 8am (very rare!) a big lie in!

The whole weird lark competitive early riser thing is bizarre. It's like some people feel they are morally better because they happen to have a lark circadian rhythm. Wtf is that about?

Good quality sleep is absolutely vital to good health. It's more important than diet and exercise. You should also sleep according to your circadian rhythm, which many night owls aren't able to due to the world being set up for larks. So night owls tend to have a lower life expectancy as a result.

Like you OP I am a night owl who needs a good 8.5/9 hours a night. Unfortunately due to various health issues I rarely get this, and this has only worsened in recent months with the impending menopause.

I need at least 8 hours of sleep. That means I am in bed for 9+ hours (time to drift off, waking up at night etc… make it much longer).

And yes I’m amazed at the Uber competitiveness of how much sleep people need, as of needing little sleep was saying a lot about how great you are

Personally I’m jealous as people have so much more time to do stuff. I’d love to need only 5 hours a night. Doesn’t mean anyone who only needs 5 hours are automatically amazing people.

Lifelong insomniac with 3 poor sleeping children. I have no idea how much sleep I’d need to feel ‘well’, as it has never happened.
It does frustrate me a bit when people say things like ‘I couldn’t cope on less than 8 hours’… because you kind of have to. I can’t just opt out of working and looking after my children because I’ve only had 3 hours sleep.
I’m sure I’d be much happier with 8 hours though!

I probably function best on 8-9 hours but usually get around 6. To be honest I just really want to fit EVERYTHING into my day - not in a hustle-culture type way though. More of a “life is short” type thing, if that makes sense?

Like, I want to get up and go for a walk around town before work, I also want to have a nice leisurely evening after work (which ends around 6:30/7) cooking a meal and chatting with my husband for an hour or so, I also like to veg out and watch telly/play board games/plan fun life stuff once we’ve eaten, then there’s housework and/or our sex life to nurture lol. Before bed I browse social media, text friends I haven’t replied to all day etc. By the time I’ve done all these things it’s usually about 11:30 or later…

I know it’s not great for my health, and most of these activities are totally unimportant, but personally, I’d still rather do all these things each day than be asleep.

I get between 4 and 6 hours a night. Before I had kids, it wasn't much different. I usually go to bed between midnight and 2am. If I wake up in the night for whatever reason, I can't get back to sleep so I'm up for the day.

Pregnancy related pain and restless legs had me on 2 hours sleep last night because I ran out of medication and couldn't access it until today. I got 2 more this morning thanks to my wonderful DH but I am absolutely bloody exhausted.

I get 6 hours of very broken sleep on good night at the moment. I cannot WAIT until the baby is here because at least the quality of the sleep will be better without the pain and tossing and turning.

I'd love to sleep more. Depending which shift I'm on, I get between 3 and 6 hours.

I used to make off for it on my days off, but since menopause I can't.

So I'm just permanently some level of tired.

18 years of rotating shift work is starting to take its toll on me I think 🤔

I'm a night owl, who also has chronic pain (oh, and I've gone through early menopause, so the night sweats are real!)
I probably get about 6 hours, but am better on 8-9 - if that ever happens....
I can manage on 4, but only for a few nights.

I realized very recently that I don’t get enough sleep and just because I spent a lifetime getting up at 5am I no longer have to now that I’m retired.

These days I just snuggle down again till 8am after reading or watching something on my IPad and I already feel the benefit.

I wonder if some people are set to be energetic at different times. I never feel brilliant in the morning. But I do feel brilliant later in the day. Other people I know are at their most energetic in the morning and not so great later. The early bird versus night owl thing. I wonder if people have different systems? I understand the person who found the comment about 9pm being a kids bedtime annoying. On the other hand I suppose that's relevant to many who want to have some time after the kids have gone to bed etc.

I can manage on 7 hours but I don't feel so good on that as on longer I must admit.

Lauriefairycake - I've had some sleeping problems recently that I have never had before which is maybe why I was feeling more conscious of this issue than usual. I know a lot of older people who have found it increasingly hard to get enough sleep and aren't happy with how little sleep they get. It seems to be a big problem for many as they get older and I'm conscious of that too. Sleep is such a mysterious thing and not always in our control is it?