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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To call in sick for lack of sleep

142 replies

giggly · 01/04/2022 05:32

I suffer from insomnia which is well known in work. I probably average 4-5 hours a night every night and permanently exhausted. It’s now 5.29 am and I’ve not had a worse long sleep yet and have a full diary of patients tomorrow. Until now I’d never cancel anyone but would just struggle through the day sometimes giving a no doubt less than good service. My but here is that so many patients cancel at the last minute with no reason given, which is fine so why is it so difficult for me to make this decision.
I just want to go to sleep before the alarm goes off at 7.30.

OP posts:

LowlyTheWorm · 01/04/2022 05:33

don’t say it’s the insomnia- say you need a pcr test

Ginandvomits · 01/04/2022 05:36

Insomnia is awful, I can relate. It really comes down to how fit you are to work. When you say a full list of patients, you need to consider if you're judgement is impaired and will you be a risk?

If so then cancel, if you think you'll manage then get the coffee in early.

I personally find I can run on adrenaline after a terrible nights sleep to get me through most of the day but I tend to crash early and struggle in the afternoon.

Fingers crossed you are already asleep now OP.

Dancer47 · 01/04/2022 05:54

It sounds like you need to change your occupation. You are dreading the heavy responsibility of your work which is making your insomnia even worse. It's a vicious circle.

carefullycourageous · 01/04/2022 05:58

Don't say it is insomnia, say it is something else.

Do you get any help with the insomnia, have you tried all the normal advice?

peasandcarrrots · 01/04/2022 06:02

Say sick/diarrhoea then switch your phone off and have a guilt free day in bed

unfortunately anyone who doesn't suffer with insomnia won't get how soul destroying and exhausting it is and you don't need the worry of people judging you.

This isn't a long term solution though, you need to access proper help and consider whether your job is triggering it.

Aprilx · 01/04/2022 06:07

I suffer from insomnia, I rarely sleep more than an hour at a time, I go to bed early and try and get as many naps as I can really. So I do understand. But it is not something I would generally take time off work for, as mentioned I try to deal with it as best I can.

If you really feel like you can’t go on today, we’ll we all need a sick day sometimes, I would say you are feeling unwell. But there is a longer term problem to resolve as you can’t keep doing this.

PAFMO · 01/04/2022 06:14

Depends if it's a one off or a regular occurrence.
I'd agree that if you are so tired you can't do your job then you should take a day off sick. Without explaining why.

I'm obsessed with "more than 7 hours" sleep. If I can't fall asleep knowing I've got 7 hours, I'll be awake to the point of only getting 3 or 4. It is doable as a one off (I'm a teacher) but if it became an ongoing thing, I know I'd need to do something about it.

flyingdream · 01/04/2022 06:19

Unfortunately when people say insomnia it doesn't get the same response as vomiting/diarrhoea and sickness. Just say any of those...it will be a long time before people acknowledge how bad insomnia can be..

crystalize · 01/04/2022 06:25

There was a program on BBC last night with Dr Michael Moseley about sleep. Well worth a watch for anyone who suffers with insomnia.

I personally would tell the truth why you need to stay off, people need to understand how debilitating lack of sleep can be.

purplesequins · 01/04/2022 06:30

seems like you are too unwell to do your job safely.

so yes, stay home. rest.

Bickles · 01/04/2022 06:35

I’m wondering what you do as you mention patients. In some jobs there is a patient safety issue if you have had no sleep.

Nidan2Sandan · 01/04/2022 06:35

YANBU if you feel you pose a risk to your patients.

I too have insomnia, I tend to fall asleep easy enough initially but then wake after a couple of hours and then not sleep again.

I have learnt I can power through quite well on 4-5 hours of sleep. Anything less than that and I'm hyper on adrenaline that day, but absolutely dead on my feet the following day (even if I manage to sleep between). For me the day after, the day after is always worse.

ButtOutBobsMum · 01/04/2022 06:37

I went through a period of insomnia so totally empathize. I had to call in sick due to total exhaustion a couple of times but said I had a migraine.

Not sure whether you've tried it but I find sleep headphones and meditations help me off to sleep. It took a while to learn to relax though.

Sweepingeyelashes · 01/04/2022 06:39

I would probably make some other excuse as I suspect people who are not sufferers don't realise how debilitating it can be and it's not your job to educate them.

I know this is really simplistic but I find I have to relax my muscles - including my face muscles - before I get to sleep. When you start thinking about those muscles you suddenly realise that they are clenched in some part of your face. Of course the more you worry about not getting to sleep the tighter those facial muscles get unless you make a conscious attempt to relax them.

frazzledasarock · 01/04/2022 06:41

I’ve had to do this a couple of times. I tell them I have a migraine (usually if I attempt to work through an all night waking period I do get migraines).

Call in sick and try and get some sleep.

Cyberworrier · 01/04/2022 06:43

I had to do this once, as a teacher. I think when you're in sole charge of children all day/making decisions for patients, you know when you're able to or not. I'd gone in regularly after bad nights sleep but I think this one might literally hadn't had a wink and felt completely out of it. Like everyone has said, I said it was a stomach problem as knew not sleeping would get raised eyebrows. However I did book a GP appt to try to get help with my sleep (it wasn't my first time trying to get medical help for insomnia but hadn't been for a while). Have you had help for your sleep?

fizzyfood · 01/04/2022 06:47

Hi. My partner suffers terribly from insomnia when he went to the GP not much help was offered, for anyone who's had help from the GP what was it?

Thanks

CoconutQueen · 01/04/2022 06:57

Also interested if anyone has had any useful help from GP (other than stating the obvious) as I also barely sleep .....

Ohpeequeueare · 01/04/2022 06:57

@fizzyfood

Hi. My partner suffers terribly from insomnia when he went to the GP not much help was offered, for anyone who's had help from the GP what was it?

Thanks

My GP told me to have a baby

Shehasadiamondinthesky · 01/04/2022 07:03

I totally get this. I'm an NHS podiatrist and a full clinic after no sleep is horrific. Dont tell them it's insomnia Id go with a migraine as well.
I used to have stress insomnia. I cured it with hypnosis recordings and falling asleep to 10 hour long youtube videos...rainfall cracking fires and soothing noises. And having a cat. The purring is very comforting.

WorriedMillie · 01/04/2022 07:08

You don’t sound in any way fit to work

ThinWomansBrain · 01/04/2022 07:13

i get insomnia - many years ago I was prescribed sleeping tablets - about 12 a year - which i'd take occasionally to break a pattern of not sleeping.
GP stopped prescribing (clearly an average of 1 a month was habit forming) - he reccomended Nytol (the original anti-histamine based ones) which work for me.
I have on occasion taken time off - or more often flexed my hours, if i've been too tired to work eg started at midday & worked late.

Didicat · 01/04/2022 07:15

I too would claim migraine.

I too suffer in the summer/ mid winter I can’t get enough.

I find going to bed an hour early and taking nytol for three days can sometimes get me the additional sleep to be functional. However had a terrible headache and feel asleep at 7:30 last night and woke at 12:30. 4 and 5am. Hypnosis has helped me in the past.

HistoricMoment · 01/04/2022 07:17

I did this once after a sleepless night with my kids.
I wouldn't say it's insomnia though.

Ambition9to5 · 01/04/2022 07:19

I agree, use another reason.

I have zimovane 7.5 mg and i take one once a week just to take the anxiety out of having got no sleep. I sometimes take one sunday night so i feel rested monday, ok tuesday, wednesday, who knows....

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