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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

My husband wakes me up between 4-5 am and thinks it's reasonable

196 replies

Tiredbehyondbelief · 28/11/2022 09:14

Hi there, I would appreciate your opinion. I work full-time as a NHS midwife on the labour ward. I work full-time and my commute is 1.5 hours each way. I work 12.5 hours shifts with 1 hour break. Sometimes I have to work for 8 hours before getting my break, sometimes I get no break at all. If I am lucky I would have a 10 mins tea break. On most shifts, it's just 1 hour break and that's it. So I am mostly working not stop, either from 07:30 am to 8 pm or from 7:30 pm to 08:00 the following morning. I love my job but it's also very stressful as women are in pain, partners are anxious etc. So my job is very demanding, physically, emotionally and mentally as I am responsible for the life of the mother and the baby. (It's upon me to spot any deviation from the normal and call a doctor if I suspect things are going wrong). My husband is on the other hand works in a DIY store 4 times a week 6 hours at a time. He is guaranteed to have 15 mins paid break in the middle of his shift. His commute is 5 mins as the store is round the corner. The job is fairly demanding and he has to lift heavy objects when a delivery comes in. Our biggest issue at home is my sleep. I am constantly exhausted as I am constantly swithcing between night and day shifts. Plus, if I have 2 shifts in a row, which happens a lot, I only manage 5-6 hours rest between shifts. My husband sometimes needs to get up at 4 am for his work. He keeps forgetting to take his staff downstairs the night before so that he keeps coming back into the bedroom until I am fully awake. Then I spend my morning and early afternoon walking like a zombie until I manage to doze off for 1 hour in the afternoon. My husband thinks I am placing unreasonable demands on him to remember to get everything he needs for work the night before. Your opinion on this matter would be much appreciated

OP posts:
caringcarer · 28/11/2022 10:32

He is incredibly selfish. I would have given him a final warning by now. Stop doing it or leave permanently. Sleep deprivation can kill.

Cornelious · 28/11/2022 10:34

Totally unreasonable. When my dh worked shifts he'd sort his things the night before and set them in the spare room so that he didn't have to come back into the bedroom.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 28/11/2022 10:35

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that your JOB is unreasonable.

Why do you wait 8 hours for a break?

Why do you have a job that requires a 1.5 hour commute each way? That is nuts.

No wonder you're tired and grumpy.

But on the other hand...

My husband thinks I am placing unreasonable demands on him to remember to get everything he needs for work the night before

Ridiculous. He's a grown adult. Let him fuck his own stuff up. Does he want you to tuck him into bed with his PJs on too?

Just leave him to it and put ear plugs in.

fussychica · 28/11/2022 10:35

Arse.
Your sleep deprivation could not only harm you but your patients.

Rainingnow · 28/11/2022 10:35

Op shouldn't need to instruct her husband to make a list to tick, he's not a child. He's a nasty, selfish shit. The inequality in working hours, plus this, I'm not sure there's much of a relationship. If there is it should be possible to sit him down for a really serious talk and for him to change his ways.
I don't hold out much hope. Any decent person wouldn't need to be told.

PizzaPizza56 · 28/11/2022 10:35

Have you got space to sleep in separate rooms?

whoruntheworldgirls · 28/11/2022 10:36

He is V unreasonable, it's not hard to get stuff ready the night before! When my husband works away he's up early for the train so leaves all his clothes etc in the bathroom and gets his bag/work stuff together and leaves by the front door so he's up dressed and out with minimal noise.

Anpetu · 28/11/2022 10:36

Apart from being totally unreasonable, he is also being a spoiled brat who needs to grow up. If it's manageable, give him the boot, his behaviour and attitudes are appalling.

Tubs11 · 28/11/2022 10:36

What a man child.

stuntbubbles · 28/11/2022 10:36

MyPurpleHeart · 28/11/2022 10:24

I don't work as many crazy hours as you but I'm in senior management in a demanding office and work my butt off from 8 - gone 6 every day. And im 4 months pregnant.

My husband has an alarm around 5.30. I get up at 7.

He snoozes this alarm 4-5 times each morning by the time I'm wide awake and he's still half asleep. I've asked him so many times to set his alarm when he needs to get up and then get up and go.

This morning Id had enough and got up at 5.45 and moved into the spare room.

Wankers.

I would flush his alarm clock/phone down the loo. Or turn it off if you’re less bloody-minded than me. Or move permanently into the spare room. It’s entirely unfair to keep repeatedly waking someone because he’s too lazy to respond to his first alarm.

JoanOfAllTrades · 28/11/2022 10:37

As a fellow nurse, you have my complete and utter sympathy.

Your husband is a total dickwad (it’s quite late here, I’m in pain and tired so…) and the only right now practical solution that I can come up with is separate bedrooms because he is being completely unreasonable.

My other, take slightly longer but practical suggestion is to either find work closer to home or move closer to work. A 1.5 hr commute with a 6 hour shift and confirmed breaks is much easier than those gruelling 12.5 hour shifts, where breaks are hit or miss plus a 1.5 hr commute.

Seriously? If I still had to work those shifts in this country, which is a lot hotter than the UK, I would probably buy one of those little vans, throw a mattress in the back, lay out my scrubs (if you’re unlucky enough not to get to use hospital issue ones) get my essentials such as undies, shower gel etc and sleep in the van and shower in the staff showers, eat in the cafeteria, etc.

Am I right in thinking you work 3 days one week and 4 days the next? That’s how my shift patterns fell when I worked for the NHS.

I would also look at the cost of petrol and then compare that to staying in a Travelodge or similar budget hotel/motel close to the hospital, and that way just sleep there (and save wear and tear, petrol etc.). That’s assuming your shifts are in blocks that would make that practical and assuming you don’t have young children at home (although I should imagine that on work days you don’t see that much anyway, if at all).

You need to tell your husband to either remember to take his stuff downstairs or to the bathroom or wherever, or you will have to take drastic action (as per the above)! 🌹

AdoraBell · 28/11/2022 10:38

He is unreasonable, if he is an adult he can be reasonable.

bumblebeemumma · 28/11/2022 10:38

Fellow midwife here with a similar shift pattern. Frequently do 3-4 long days (07:00-20:00) or 3-4 nights (19:30-07:30) in a row so literally come home to shower, shove some food in my gob and try and sleep for a few hours before getting up and doing it all over again. Its physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting and a career I'm considering leaving because of the knock on effect it has on my home life and time with my family. That's with a partner who can get up, get dressed, make his packed lunch and leave the house for work without waking me or our 4 kids. He can also look after and keep all 4 kids quietly entertained at home during the day when I'm sleeping off a night shift because he appreciates how hard I work and how much sleep matters so I can function safely at work and drive there and back without falling asleep at the wheel. Your partner is incredibly thoughtless and childish to behave the way he does.

HairyToity · 28/11/2022 10:39

Pre my husband's spinal injury, he used to occasionally disturb me due to not having his shit ready the night before. It wasn't all the time though.

Give him a load of psychobabble about creating good habits and routines.

I don't think it's divorce grounds, but very annoying.

GirlGotGuts · 28/11/2022 10:39

He’s a selfish wanker. Hope that helps.

Please show him this thread so he know every other woman alive would lose their shit at his lazy, thoughtless fuckery.

FaazoHuyzeoSix · 28/11/2022 10:43

He is being unreasonable. He should get his stuff ready before going to sleep, and should sleep on the sofa or wherever else away from you that is possible on any nights when you have a limited time between shifts.

DonutWorry · 28/11/2022 10:44

He's being completely unreasonable and a bit pathetic. Of course he can get his shit ready the day before, he's a grown man, he is choosing not to.

Is he generally very inconsiderate/selfish?

Badger1970 · 28/11/2022 10:46

DH used to regularly wake me when going to a business breakfast meeting - he'd crash round the bedroom like an elephant. I was recovering from a head injury at the time Hmm and sleep was very precious.

In the end, I absolutely lost the plot one morning and threw all of his clothes and his electric razor out the window. He got ready very quietly downstairs after that. Our DC giggled for weeks about "don't get Mum mad".

It's just so disrespectful.

Stillafatknacker · 28/11/2022 10:51

What a selfish prick he is. He can absolutely get his shit ready the night before for his 6 hour shift 4 days a week job.

What an absolute pig!!

PorpoiseWithPurpose · 28/11/2022 10:52

My son is six and gets all his stuff ready for school the night before. He lays it all out downstairs, so that he doesn’t wake his baby sister, who he shares a room with.
He remembers everything.

cushioncovers · 28/11/2022 10:53

If your marriage is great normally then surely a simple conversation about him being more organised the night before would be the obvious answer but the fact that you've posted on here because he won't listen to your complaint suggests that he's a bit of a dick in other aspects of your marriage as well.

midsomermurderess · 28/11/2022 10:54

‘he is doing this deliberately. He is punishing you’. Good grief. The drama and the projection behind this.
Tell him in no uncertain terms to put what he needs where he can get it without disturbing you. Keep telling him until he gets it.

silverbubbles · 28/11/2022 10:55

He is being extremely selfish and he is also lazy in terms of his workload.

I have a husband who would not mend his ways and I now sleep in the other room ( I appreciate this is not an option for everyone).

stuntbubbles · 28/11/2022 10:56

midsomermurderess · 28/11/2022 10:54

‘he is doing this deliberately. He is punishing you’. Good grief. The drama and the projection behind this.
Tell him in no uncertain terms to put what he needs where he can get it without disturbing you. Keep telling him until he gets it.

She’s tried that: My husband thinks I am placing unreasonable demands on him to remember to get everything he needs for work the night before.

He won’t get it if he doesn’t want to get it. He thinks “can you get some trousers and pants ready” is an unreasonable demand.

Peedoffo · 28/11/2022 10:56

Do you have a spare bedroom ? I'm a nurse and we sleep in separate rooms most of the time.

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