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. )

I get an average of 6 but would prefer 7.

I feel good after 9-10 hours (I found this out after a recent hotel stay), I usually get around 6 and am permanently tired and run on caffeine.
OP you’re right though, I don’t prioritise sleep. Family/lifestyle/work have meant that I haven’t had a regular sleep pattern for twenty years and whereas I’m conscious of eating well and exercising I don’t think of sleep in the same way. It’s something I need to work on.

I get between 7-9 hrs and works for me so probably would estimate I need about 8 hours per night?

I do go to bed eventually night at 9pm.

But my ds is a swimmer so we are up at 4am 3 times and week (school/work days) and 5am on a Saturday.

The other 2 school days we get up at 6.30am one day and I get up at 7 on the other and ds gets up at 8.30 when I go to work.

He also trains 4 evenings during the school/work week so I run a tight ship and batch cook etc so we eat well.

I agree people don't prioritise sleep sometimes when they could find ways around it. I often hear colleagues ask how I do it because they don't are are shattered. Then they talk about watching tv until 11/12pm and getting up at 6 for a shower etc when they don't need to leave for work until gone 8am!

The only time I've got enough sleep is during the first lockdown and I could work from home till the June. (was able to clock off an hour and a half early each day too). Was great, I was able to get up later so felt more refreshed. Was able to put a couple of loads of washing on/dishwasher etc so could easily keep up with housework which meant I didn't have to do any in the evenings.

Now the house is a shit tip and I'm permanently knackered. I've visibly aged since I went back to work! (school)

I'm a night shift worker. I sleep approx 3-4 hours a day in the week and 8-10 hours at weekends because I'm exhausted.

After kids, I now seem to average about 5.30-7 hours a night which is alright for me. I’m tired (permanently tired with an atrocious memory!) but I survive. If I manage to get 8 hours or more I feel fabulous the next day, under 4 hours I can manage for a couple of days before I cry for no reason.

Before kids I needed 8+ hours, but twin pregnancy and newborns soon saw to that!

I wish I could make myself go to bed earlier, but the quiet night time when my entire family and DH are asleep is my time to be. I watch tv, do nothing, listen to the silence, safe in the knowledge that nobody is going to demand a thing of me and I bloody love it. Until the next morning that is!

@Ludoole same here, I worked all weekend,1 night off, 1 night in, Im off tonight then back to work tomorrow night and Friday. Had 3 hours sleep since yesterday afternoon.

I can manage on 5 or 6 hours but prefer 8 I feel significantly better when I’m off work and able to wake naturally.

I do permanent nights and never get enough sleep through my shift pattern 😳
I average 5/6 hours a day over 4 or sometimes 5 nights in a row, about once a fortnight I 'catch up' and sleep for about 15 hours (when work/life allows) straight. It's broken sleep too, be that daytime or on my nights off because I constantly mess with my sleep pattern.
I say sleep pattern, it's more like a sleep scribble tbh!
On weeks off once I've got over the first few days I'll sleep for around 8 - 8.5 hours and wake naturally and feeling refreshed, so I'd say that's what I ideally need.
So when I'm on my nights I lose at least a full night's worth of sleep a week. I can function on 5/6 hours but I don't feel good!

I don't think anyone really takes sleep and the effects of sleep deprivation seriously, we're pushed to do more and more and 'everyone' is tired. I do think it contributes to mental and physical health issues, state of mind and general well being. Unfortunately, though the costs of getting enough sleep are high financially and productivity wise for many and for me at least it's not really a choice. It's higher on my priority list than nutrition and social life, but below work and home admin/house work. I don't think it really features in most employers priorities at all.

Pre children, I needed my fitbit to say 7.5hrs of sleep in order to feel decent. That usually entailed going to bed at 10.30 to get up at 6.30.

I currently have a newborn so am muddling along on 5 hours of broken sleep (which I know is better than some with newborns, with DS it was more like 3 or 4 hours). 3yo DS also wakes in the night and is up at 5am.

I am so looking forwards to the end of the sleepless nights, I hate not feeling rested. Since I get pregnancy insomnia, I haven't felt rested fir 4 years. I prioritise sleep where I can, I go to bed as soon as the baby goes to sleep but it means I have 0 child free time. I personally find that more important than staying up to watch TB

My alarm goes off at 4.30 and I usually get up at 5 to walk the dogs.

I am generally in bed by 9pm and asleep by 9.30pm latest.

I hate staying up late and I absolutely love early mornings.

I also nap after lunch most days. I do a lot of exercise and eat well.

I sleep like a log except just before my period.

I get around 6 generally, I am at my best off about 9.

I'm on some medication that impacts my sleep. My body's natural sleep/wake would be bed at 1, wake at 10, but that doesn't work with my job, so it's 1/7 when I'm WFH, or the one day a week I'm in the office it's a disgusting 1/6, so just 5 hours.

I have very lazy weekend lie ins to balance it out!

I usually have 6. Its ok unless it's broken sleep which it generally is. 8 would be better!

I go to bed about 10.30 and wake up at 7.36 (the children’s internal clock has decided) at the weekend i lie in until about 9.15. I’m up in the night with the children so I never feel completely rested. I tend to have a nap a few times a week too 😮

We are usually lights out at 9 (at the latest to be honest).

Up at 5.15. It started as a habit as my train to work left at 06.05. Now we are usually trying to get elderly dogs out the door.

Last night we were awake (but in bed) until 10 pm and DH joked; 'I didn't even know there was a second 10 o'clock in the day'.

It's a bugger for going out though as most normal people want to meet about 7 pm.

I need at least 8-9 hours to feel amazing but I have a 12 week old so a stretch of 5 hours is now the dream! I can deal with that but it’s the get ups every few hours when she’s feeding lots that I struggle with. Luckily I get the chance to make it up but I do hate the lack of sleep!

What annoys me is people like my mum for instance who constantly complain about being tired but don’t go to bed before midnight and get up at 7. If she’s that tired then she should go to be earlier! 😂😂😂

I find if I'm stressed I need a lot of sleep just because I'm so tense in the day.

If I'm fit, well and happy I can function on a lot less.

@unicornpower

I need at least 8-9 hours to feel amazing but I have a 12 week old so a stretch of 5 hours is now the dream! I can deal with that but it’s the get ups every few hours when she’s feeding lots that I struggle with. Luckily I get the chance to make it up but I do hate the lack of sleep!

What annoys me is people like my mum for instance who constantly complain about being tired but don’t go to bed before midnight and get up at 7. If she’s that tired then she should go to be earlier! 😂😂😂

See I can't sleep earlier! I moan I'm tired but if I go to bed earlier I just can't sleep and it's so frustrating My natural bedtime is about 1am but I get up at 7

I definitely don’t get enough sleep thanks to my non-sleeping baby, but as a general point yes I do go to bed very early. I’m in bed between 9 and 10 most nights and get up around 6am.

My ideal pattern would be about 11pm to 7 / 8am, but those days a long gone!

As a general rule I like to get at least 8 hours in the week, although I can cope on 6-7 for a few nights if needed. At the weekends I’ll usually catch up on sleep and get more like 9-10 hours. As a teen I would regularly sleep for stints if 12-14 hours but I can’t do that anymore, I think 10 is about my limit.

I can manage on 5 hours and did so for about 3 years. If its broken sleep I find it harder no matter how long I sleep overall. I feel well rested after 9 hours but that hadn't happened in the last 5 years.

I'd love to get more sleep but I'm a light sleeper and wake up several times a night. I also have an overactive bladder which has me up 3/4 times in the night so I never go more than 2/3 hours in a block. Then I find I'm fast asleep when my alarm goes off so wake feeling groggy and tired

Since the menopause I sleep 4-5 hours a night. I rarely feel tired. I used to get 8-10 hours. I got to bed around 2am.

My sleep is an absolute riot.

I don’t understand how people with kids and full time jobs have time to go to bed at like ten o’clock. I think I need to be more organised.

That said if I fell asleep at ten I’d be up for the day at 2am.

I also find that if I have a big sleep 8+ hours I’m then not particularly tired for the next two nights 🤦🏻‍♀️

I hate that we have to sleep. It seems such a waste of time. I love my kids to the ends of the earth but I relish that few hours when they’re asleep and I can piss about on my phone and watch shite on tv guilt free

I read a great book called Why We Sleep recently. It's made me reevaluate my sleep schedule and I make sure to get a minimum of 7 hours now and closer to 8 if I can. It can affect your health hugely. I had a lot of mental health problems when my kids were little and I think a lot of that was caused by inadequate sleep as I haven't had any issues since they stopped coming into my bed at night!