How much sleep do you get?

[Karenista]

What time do you go to bed?
What time do you get up?

@Pamwasdreaming I very between 6 and 9 hours depending on what’s going on. I like to stay up late but then struggle to get up with the kids in the morning.
I wondered whether I should be able to survive well on 6 hours and if so, give myself a shake for being tired all the time! But reading everyone’s responses, it seems as though it’s hard on 6 hours for most people. Wish I could have 9hrs every night! If only there were more hours in the day!

Ive always gone to bed so late, usually 12-12.30am, up at 7.
The last 5months, 1.30-2am, up at 7am!

Its a terrible habbit and I really need to start a new routine, by being in bed by 11pm latest!!

Well I woke up at 5am on a Sunday morning today and feel like shit. I hate it. Always been a light sleeper, developed insomnia over the past few years, got hooked on sleeping tablets for a while which were fantastic but knew they were no good in the long run so got off them a while ago and now I am very lucky to get 6 hours max, including waking up at least once during the night.

I would give anything to be a decent sleeper. Previous bosses and boyfriend's etc have had absolutely no idea or sympathy regarding how being a poor sleeper and not getting enough sleep can totally mess you up.

@laughingandcrying - surprisingly no.i went to GP about it a few years ago - he gave me7 days sleeping tabs to try to break the cycle. I still woke up after around 2 hours! GP then said since I’m functioning well on so little sleep then maybe it’s just the way I am. I feel physically fine, work full time ina senior role, read in my down time etc but it really depresses me when I wake up. I started using alcohol at one point which did not end well so I’ve stopped that. Also benylin for a bit but again, not good. Going to try the cannabis oil see if that helps. I’d settle for sleeping even 2 nights a week.

@Lollypop4

I’m the same as you. Very late to bed & early to rise! Let’s kick this habit!

I am getting so much sleep right now c 9 hrs but I usually get 7 hrs. I feel better for it and need to lose 6 pound in weight so will start a diet soon as a couple months ago I was awake by 3 or 4am worrying about money but happily that has now passed. In winter I sleep badly and get 5hrs a night Jan to April so not looking forward to that.

We don't get enough. We usually get between 5-6 hours a night, sometimes less. We often go to bed late (1-2am) and are up early with ds, usually awake before 7am.
Dh often doesn't get home from work until 11-11.30pm, then by the time he has a shower and we sit down and spend a bit of time together it's late.
Ds is starting school in September so will have to get into a proper routine and going to bed at a decent time.
We are pretty much always tired, but so used to having not much sleep. (Occasionally we don't go to bed at all, so we'd be up in the day, stay up all night, be up all day the next day, then go to bed the next night).

After first child was sleeping through I’d sleep from 11pm to 7:30am

I’m now 6 weeks into the baby stage again and go to sleep 11pm stop but wake at 3:30am and again at 6:30am.

Looking forward to getting past the 3:30 wake ups

I find I lose weight when I’m getting more regular long sleeps

Yes I gain the weight when lacking in sleep then lose again when sleep back on track. Happens most years lol.

I go to bed by 10 and get up between 6.30 and 7.30 so I get between 8 - 10 hours sleep a night. I love it!!

Those of you without small DC/babies who wake you up - why do you go to bed so late?

I go to bed late because I like to have a few hours peace and quiet with DH or just reading.

@doggybiccys Have you come across Dr Chatterjee? He has some really, really interesting insights into sleep, and what can help. The podcasts are called Feel Better, Live More, and there are several regarding sleep, particuarly one about circadian rhythms, and another by Matthew Walker (author of Why We Sleep). I think they're on YouTube as well.

Useful episodes are 21, 22, 26 and 27.

Not saying it will tell you anything you don't know already, but it really helped me.

Link here to Dr Chatterjee's page. Hope it's of some help to you - nothing worse than not sleeping.

@bluebeck because I want some down time after they e gone up - and my youngest is a terrible sleeper so shes often up and down the stairs until about 10pm. Then the oldest will get up at 6

@Doggybiccys Has your GP tested your thyroid? You remind me of a colleague who seemed to thrive on very little sleep, always bursting with energy, couldn't bear to sit still.

I usually get about 6-7 hours on average but quality is more important than quantity. I have chronic pain and I'm menopausing, so a night where I've woken up a couple of times I pain but been able to ease into a more comfy position and go back to sleep is a good night.

After a couple of miserable years, the two things that have made the most difference have been cutting out alcohol completely and getting rid of my old memory foam mattress and getting a gel hybrid one. I also splurge on good bed linen.

Sleep is not a contest and needing more sleep than average is not some kind of personality flaw. It's also very individual what helps people get to sleep. I can't stand silence (it makes my tinnitus more noticeable) and fall asleep with the TV or an audio book on.

I've needed less as I get older, I'm fine on 5-6 hours even though I would prefer more. Generally 1-1:30am and wake between 7 and 7:30am (and I'm on mirtazapine)

A lot. I can sleep 8-10 hours a night. Often have a snooze in the afternoon (especially since lockdown!)

When I work (still furloughed) my sleep is drastically reduced (very early starts and very last finishes) I make up for it on my days off though.

No kids.

Aside from those who are prevented from sleeping by young DC as mentioned above, I do think it comes down to what you prioritise.

There's no right and wrong to it at all. It's like prioritising holidays or nice cars, we are all different. For me, I really do prioritise getting plenty of sleep. I am in my fifties now so I have learned that if I don't do that, I end up irritable, fat, my skin is shitty, and my anxiety increases.

Since lockdown I have been getting an extra 22 hours sleep per week ! It’s been amazing and almost life changing for me . Before lockdown , I don’t know how I survived . I was averaging between 4.5-6.5 hours a night in the weeks whilst working part time , looking after 2x children and driving about 12 hours a week . I don’t quite know how I made it through , was even beginning to experience facial twitching / tremors . Since lockdown I haven’t had any and have been averaging 7-8 hours a night throughout the week .
After lockdown , when I finally return to work , I hope I can make some big changes about bedtime . It’s usually 1am ish pre lockdown but during I’ve gone to bed with the kids around 9 each night ( single mum ) .
I’m envious at the amount of sleep others are having ! Need to work on my quota. My bf gets his 8 hours no matter what . Need to take a leaf out of his book !

Four month old baby here.

Getting 4-6 hours in max 90m chunks.

I “need” 8-9 hours. Had an undiagnosed thyroid condition for so long I could often go 12.

😬

Aside from those who are prevented from sleeping by young DC as mentioned above, I do think it comes down to what you prioritise

Insomnia can strike me no matter how much I prioritise sleep

Aside from those who are prevented from sleeping by young DC as mentioned above, I do think it comes down to what you prioritise

I really wish it were that simple for me. Insomnia can strike me no matter how much I prioritise sleep & no matter how good my sleep hygiene is. Insomnia is tough going and unlike being up with DCs, there is very little understanding of or compassion for it.

Still usually awake at 2am, might get to sleep by 3am if I'm lucky, but will wake several times during the night. Get up at 6am when my DP goes to work.
I'm on maternity leave now but when at work I try to go to sleep around 1am and I'm up before 5am as I leave at 5:30am.

My DP and baby sleep soundly for at least 8hrs but I just can't sleep. I'm constantly tired and genuinely can't remember the last time I had more than 5hrs sleep. I've always slept badly and it seems to run in my family - none of them sleep more than 5hrs a night.

My DP hates going to bed so late but we were still bathing the baby at midnight. He'd prefer to be asleep for 10pm every night and sleep until 8am if he could.

I feel your pain @catfeets

@LividLaughLovely my baby is the same age but sleeps through usually.
It must be so tough on you getting chunks of sleep - that's much worse than just having 4hrs of straight sleep.

I'm so used to my lack of sleep that having the baby waking in the night was no different. I hoped she'd tire me out so much that I slept more than usual, but I sleep even less now. It affects my mental and physical health. The more tired I am, the less sleep I get.