How much sleep do you need?

[merryone]

Unfortunately I'm one of those people who actually do need at least 7 hours sleep to function properly the next day....ideally 8. On an early shift, I have to get up at 6.15 and try to get into bed about 11 ish and aim to be asleep before midnight, as long as I manage that I'm usually ok. Work mate threw a get together at her house last night, knowing that it was a school night for a lot of us, including herself, she said she'd start it at half 6, cos a lot of us had early starts. Anyway I went along with another of our work mates and she's doing night shifts at the moment, so she said it'll be fine, I'll got straight into work from the party...I start at midnight. We got to the the hostess about 4.30 as we promised we'd help her cook and set up the party food. We decided to check on what buses would get her to work on time..There was one at 10 mins to 11, which she decided would get her there a bit early so she'd get the next one at 11.20 that would get her to work just before midnight. I said I'd get the 10 to 11 as it's about a 20 min journey to the nearest stop to my home, then another 10 mins on foot, so I'd get home just before 11.30 would be able to get ready for bed in time for my early start...Can you believe, the hostess objected to that...why don't you get the one with Lizzie? So I wouldn't get in till almost midnight etc etc, need to be up at 6.15...."So what, she said I've gotta get up at 5am". Anyway to cut a long story short I did get the slightly earlier bus and was called a party pooper etc etc, but glad I did as although I felt tired today it was bearable! Saw the hostess at work today and she said she went to bed just after 1.30 and got up at five and she feels totally fine...Lizzie on nights was back in the shop doing some shopping this morning about 11.30..she finished work at 6am this morning, went back home had a couple of hours sleep and came back out again and yep, she feels fine!!!The hostess is 5 years older than me and Lizzie is 2 years older than me..we're all in our fifties...yet I'm the old granny who needs a good night's bloody sleep else I can't function..is it just me, or am I just a party pooper? I had a lovely evening, I really enjoyed myself, however, I was a bit miffed to be called out on going home half an hour earlier than they wanted me too...."it's only half an hour" and I'm thinking yeah but it makes one hell of a difference to the night's sleep I'm gonna get and the way I feel the next day! Could understand a bit of resistance if I decided to bugger off halfway though the evening, but why try and "bully" someone into staying later..we're not teenagers any more...it really does my head in!

 

[maymorganlondon]

I don't get as much sleep as I need, and would love 7 or 8 hours. Neither my brain nor my bladder will play ball, but I cannot really function as a human before 10am, and a minimum 5 hours sleep.

I wouldn't let your colleagues' attitude get to you. They don't live in your skin!! People seem to me far to quick to apply their own expectations, experience and stereotypes to other people. You know what your body needs, and good for you sticking to your guns.

 

[merryone]

It's such an immature attitude imo....This is the sort of behaviour you experience as a teenager not a fifty something adult...Yep I'm really glad I stuck to my guns...I know me, and I know if I'd got home close to midnight or just after, I'd have had to jump straight into bed and I know I'd have had trouble getting off to sleep. Like you say everybody's different, some people need a full night's sleep, whilst other seems to be able to burn the candle at both ends and survive on just a couple of hours sleep. Dunno what's worse as a party host..proper party poopers who just up and leave half way through the night or those who don't seem to wanna stop and you can't get rid of them! I don't think I'm a party pooper at all...I mean I was there for nearly 6 hours!!! It would have been a different story had it been my day off today...yep I'd probably still have wanted to get home at a reasonable hour, that's just me, but I'd have been prepared to stay til last knockings as I know I'd have had the whole day to sleep it off. I don't have that many get togethers here as the place isn't that big but when I do, I appreciate there are gonna be some people who only wanna stay for an hour or two, and others you're gonna have to start yawning loudly and tidying up stuff hoping they'll get the hint!

 

[mediastar]

I have such poor sleeping habits, apparently, being dyspraxic that is quite common among dyspraxics. I should like to get more sleep than I do, it leaves me sluggish every morning and alongside the occasional migraine that can trigger dyspraxic traits, like wandering around from room to room without knowing what I've gone there for. Not being able to get my tights on in one go. etc etc. I also find if I fall asleep for a short time even before midnight, my brain somehow tells me I've had a good night's sleep and I then frequently don't get to sleep until a couple of hours before I need to wake up and then I frequently oversleep.... I wouldn't let your colleague's attitudes get to you, you need what you need and I envy you your discipline for sticking to your own guns!

 

[merryone]

Oh you poor thing, that must be horrible for you...everybody feels and functions so much better if they've had a full and decent night's sleep! It's ok i'm not letting it get to me 'cause not only did I stick to my guns for a change..I was able to get it off my chest here lol! But I can tell you that on many occassions I've been talked into staying longer than I've wanted to...even on a non school night...I love an evening out, I really do, but I'm not interested in seeing the small hours of the morning anymore....I'm 54 not 17!

 

[donna255]

Has to be 6-7 for me or I will be a grumpy cow for the day. Oh, if I get woken from my sleep, I go into serial killer mode.

 

[iloveshopping]

My sleep has been fluctuating from the usual 7 hours to 11 hours. Have started taking a multivitamin tablet because I have no idea why my sleep has become some varied. Have stopped work so I can sleep in until I wake up.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I’m a really bad sleeper.

Stressful work environment meant worries and problems go round and round in my head. Go to bed around 12.30 and often read until 3 or 4 and then awake at 5am by Mr L going to loo, then up at 6.30.

Semi retired 2 months ago - happy days a lot less stress - but guess what - have taken a pain in my hip and can’t get comfortable at all toss and turn all night, so now cant even get comfortable enough to read the night away. New mattress didn’t improve it at all.

 

[pyjama princess]

Has to be 6-7 for me or I will be a grumpy cow for the day. Oh, if I get woken from my sleep, I go into serial killer mode.

My twin! God help us both if we were ever to spend the day together after not having enough sleep or were woken up LOL!

 

[mediastar]

Hi loveallthingsitalian, I use an exercise ball to improve hip pain, my cousin, who also has hip pain, showed me how to use it. It's about 4 to 6 in in diameter, knobbly and you lean into it. My chiropractor told me that hip pain is often caused by the deteroriartion in the tendon on the outside of the hip that runs down to the knee. Deep massage is helpful, hurts while you are doing so, but the relief is commensurate with the level of pain. My cousin and I call ours the torture ball!

 

[iloveshopping]

I’m a really bad sleeper.

Stressful work environment meant worries and problems go round and round in my head. Go to bed around 12.30 and often read until 3 or 4 and then awake at 5am by Mr L going to loo, then up at 6.30.

Semi retired 2 months ago - happy days a lot less stress - but guess what - have taken a pain in my hip and can’t get comfortable at all toss and turn all night, so now cant even get comfortable enough to read the night away. New mattress didn’t improve it at all.

I am no doctor but I had something similar similar. It was stenosis of the spine. This is simply the spine collapsing on itself. 50% of middle aged people get it. Perhaps try some back stretching exercises. I found that sorted me out. Prior to that I ended up with a week off work because the pain moved into my knee and I could not walk and had to lie on the floor for a week.

 

[shopperholic]

When I was working, I was in bed at 9pm because I was having to get up at 5.30am to get to work for 7am, I'm a morning person so I didn't mind, now I've retired at the ripe young age of 52, the ailments are coming thick and fast, but still get to bed now at about 10-10.30pm and get up when the husband does for work about 6.30-7am, so my hours of sleep are roughly eight, and boy do I need those eight. The husband can survive on less sleep, moans about it but can still survive :mysmilie_17:

 

[merryone]

When I was working, I was in bed at 9pm because I was having to get up at 5.30am to get to work for 7am, I'm a morning person so I didn't mind, now I've retired at the ripe young age of 52, the ailments are coming thick and fast, but still get to bed now at about 10-10.30pm and get up when the husband does for work about 6.30-7am, so my hours of sleep are roughly eight, and boy do I need those eight. The husband can survive on less sleep, moans about it but can still survive :mysmilie_17:

I couldn't get up at 5.30 in the morning if I tried...Yep I probably could if I went to bed at 9 and actually went to sleep straight away, but I'm just not ready for bed at that time of night, in fact I'm rarely ready to go to bed before 11pm. If I'm absolutely exhausted I sometimes turn in round about 10 but it's almost guaranteed that I'll wake up about 1am and find it impossible to get back off to sleep and end up having a worse night sleep than if I went to bed late..Not only do I need a full night's sleep I need it to be uninterrupted. My early starts are 6.30am, so my alarm's set for 6.15..I work 5 mins away, so I get everything ready the night before...get up have a quick wash, get dressed, neck a protein shake, clean teeth, brush hair and get on my bike and spin down the hill. Apply make up and have first coffee when I get there! Most people I speak too will get up at least an hour before they have to set off, cos they like to wake up slowly....but I'd rather have the extra time asleep, yep it's a bit of a rush, but as long as I don't panic and just work methodically..no problem!

 

[maymorganlondon]

I dream of uninterrupted sleep! At present I'm permanently tired and can drop off on a clothesline (or on the sofa, in the bath... you get the picture). I keep having early starts when I cannot properly function much before 10am.

There is so much to do at work, and pre-Christmas prep, so I daren't even take a lie-in. You can't catch up sleep you've missed, unfortunately. So I just soldier on in a sleep-deprived state. I am rather looking forward to not having to do much of anything on Christmas Eve - I will finally get a lie-in this week!