How much do you sleep?

JDE

Placidcasual79 said:

I can't seem to sleep before 2am and I am usually up between 7 and 7.30 - but when I am stressed (which is often) I can get even less. 

I worry about it as I know a lack of sleep is bad for you in many ways. I actually dread going to bed as I hate tossing and turning. I wake up frequently during the night and often struggle to get back to sleep. 

What do you do in the two hours prior to you going to bed?

Placidcasual79

JDE said:

Placidcasual79 said:

I can't seem to sleep before 2am and I am usually up between 7 and 7.30 - but when I am stressed (which is often) I can get even less. 

I worry about it as I know a lack of sleep is bad for you in many ways. I actually dread going to bed as I hate tossing and turning. I wake up frequently during the night and often struggle to get back to sleep. 

What do you do in the two hours prior to you going to bed?

Read, play guitar, listen to music, make music, meditate, clean, work, watch tv..... I try to wait till I feel very tired before going up to bed. 

Having a few beers helps in terms of actually getting to sleep - but obviously I try and avoid doing that regularly - and I am sure the sleep you get when you've had a few drinks isn't as restful. 

JDE

The issue with that is that you haven't actually got a routine. The body and the brain like routines. As weird as it sounds, try getting to bed at the same time every night, say 11pm-midnight (which is really too late, but start there). Read for half an hour (a book not off your phone), then try to go to sleep. If you repeat this for a week or two you will find it much easier to fall asleep. 

Avoid stimulus - phones/iPads, playing guitar, working, cleaning. They are all distractions and will keep you awake for longer. I'm in no position to give advice (see my post for how little I sleep), but we have studied sleeping for the past three years, you need to treat sleep as an activity that you really need to do, not as a byproduct of being tired. 

Placidcasual79

JDE said:

you need to treat sleep as an activity that you really need to do, not as a byproduct of being tired. 

Thats an interesting perspective - kind of the opposite of what I do now. I though I was doing the right thing by staying out of bed till I was ready to sleep. I am certain I'd be awake for hours if I got into bed at 11/12 but I agree that I probably would benefit from a bit more of a routine. 

What have you been studying? 

Thank you for the input btw. 

littlegreenman

I can get by on 6, but I really need a good 8 hours to function at my best. Usually manage 7 which is do-able.

With the inevitable piss break at 3-4 a.m. of course #gettin'older

AliGorie

10 hrs - sometimes I go over that
I retired 10 yrs ago - when working 5 -6 hrs, up at 5.30 and on my m/c, I once rode past Glasgow airport and thought -wooo this is cold - sure woke me up, got to work, took my helmet off and my beard had frozen to the chin guard with the moisture from my breath - radio said it was recorded at -17 that morning, factor in the chill factor @ 60 mph jezzz

Octafish

Anywhere between 3 to 8 hours. I'm terrible at going to bed, I don't usually have a problem getting to sleep, but I just can't discipline myself into going to bed at a certain time. There's always one more thing I want to do and before I know it, it's 2am, then 3am. I think I've only been to bed before midnight a handful of times in the last 15 or so years. I'm a stay at home dad these days so I can get away with it as I don't have to be anywhere early by a certain time or drive first thing in the morning. Having said that I wasn't much different when I was working up to 2 years ago.

One thing I find is I don't feel anymore/less alert or with it during the day if I have 3 hours or 8 hours, just takes me longer to come round when I wake up if I have less.

Placidcasual79

Octafish said:

Anywhere between 3 to 8 hours. I'm terrible at going to bed, I don't usually have a problem getting to sleep, but I just can't discipline myself into going to bed at a certain time. There's always one more thing I want to do and before I know it, it's 2am, then 3am. I think I've only been to bed before midnight a handful of times in the last 15 or so years. I'm a stay at home dad these days so I can get away with it as I don't have to be anywhere early by a certain time or drive first thing in the morning. Having said that I wasn't much different when I was working up to 2 years ago.

One thing I find is I don't feel anymore/less alert or with it during the day if I have 3 hours or 8 hours, just takes me longer to come round when I wake up if I have less.

So the time you go to sleep is what varies as opposed to the time you get up?

Octafish

Placidcasual79 said:

Octafish said:

Anywhere between 3 to 8 hours. I'm terrible at going to bed, I don't usually have a problem getting to sleep, but I just can't discipline myself into going to bed at a certain time. There's always one more thing I want to do and before I know it, it's 2am, then 3am. I think I've only been to bed before midnight a handful of times in the last 15 or so years. I'm a stay at home dad these days so I can get away with it as I don't have to be anywhere early by a certain time or drive first thing in the morning. Having said that I wasn't much different when I was working up to 2 years ago.

One thing I find is I don't feel anymore/less alert or with it during the day if I have 3 hours or 8 hours, just takes me longer to come round when I wake up if I have less.

So the time you go to sleep is what varies as opposed to the time you get up?

Pretty much as I have to be up by 7.30-45am in the week to look after my daughter and always seem to have stuff to do at the weekends so up by 9ish at the latest.

Placidcasual79

Octafish said:

Pretty much as I have to be up by 7.30-45am in the week to look after my daughter and always seem to have stuff to do at the weekends so up by 9ish at the latest.

Yeah - I am up with mine in the week between 7 and half 7 to get them ready for school - might be slightly later at the weekend but not by much. 

You happy with the sleep your getting? Feel ok?

thumpingrug

Its 3.25am.  Im awake and here, again.   Another superb nights kip for me.

Placidcasual79

thumpingrug said:

Its 3.25am.  Im awake and here, again.   Another superb nights kip for me.

The joy of sh*te sleep 

Emp_Fab

According to my Fitbit, I'm getting between 5h30 and 6h50 per night.  I was shocked to learn that as I have always assumed I got more sleep than that.

JDE

Placidcasual79 said:

JDE said:

you need to treat sleep as an activity that you really need to do, not as a byproduct of being tired. 

Thats an interesting perspective - kind of the opposite of what I do now. I though I was doing the right thing by staying out of bed till I was ready to sleep. I am certain I'd be awake for hours if I got into bed at 11/12 but I agree that I probably would benefit from a bit more of a routine. 

What have you been studying? 

Thank you for the input btw. 

We are currently in a long-term study programme of my sons sleeping patterns. Obviously our issue with not sleeping is directly related to him not sleeping - I can sleep fine (6 hours) when I'm not at home. We have read basically every mainstream book on sleep and they're all much of muchness although if you're interested, check out "The Promise of Sleep" by William C Dement. It's a bit American, but we got our copy used off Amazon for about £2, so it's worth a look. 
I realise you won't be tired at midnight, but it's more a case of your body and brain getting used to the fact that at midnight, you're in bed. Once your muscles start relaxing, your brain will, too. Being in bed makes you feel tired, although I found out that you don't actually need to be tired to sleep. Going to bed when your totally exhausted makes you stressed and means you're actually more likely to wake up after a single sleep cycle (3-4 hours), rather than calmly transitioning into and finishing two full cycles before you get up (which is what most people do, and it's why 6-8 hours is seen as the "ideal" amount). It's also the reason why if you don't finish a cycle, like if you have 5 hours sleep, or go back to bed and sleep for one hour, you feel like shit when you wake up.

Sesh

I get about 6 or 7 hours per night. Currently using a mattress on the front room floor as we are decorating the bedroom. Really looking forward to going to bed properly and not dragging a double mattress in and out each day.

Placidcasual79

JDE said:

Placidcasual79 said:

JDE said:

you need to treat sleep as an activity that you really need to do, not as a byproduct of being tired. 

Thats an interesting perspective - kind of the opposite of what I do now. I though I was doing the right thing by staying out of bed till I was ready to sleep. I am certain I'd be awake for hours if I got into bed at 11/12 but I agree that I probably would benefit from a bit more of a routine. 

What have you been studying? 

Thank you for the input btw. 

We are currently in a long-term study programme of my sons sleeping patterns. Obviously our issue with not sleeping is directly related to him not sleeping - I can sleep fine (6 hours) when I'm not at home. We have read basically every mainstream book on sleep and they're all much of muchness although if you're interested, check out "The Promise of Sleep" by William C Dement. It's a bit American, but we got our copy used off Amazon for about £2, so it's worth a look. 
I realise you won't be tired at midnight, but it's more a case of your body and brain getting used to the fact that at midnight, you're in bed. Once your muscles start relaxing, your brain will, too. Being in bed makes you feel tired, although I found out that you don't actually need to be tired to sleep. Going to bed when your totally exhausted makes you stressed and means you're actually more likely to wake up after a single sleep cycle (3-4 hours), rather than calmly transitioning into and finishing two full cycles before you get up (which is what most people do, and it's why 6-8 hours is seen as the "ideal" amount). It's also the reason why if you don't finish a cycle, like if you have 5 hours sleep, or go back to bed and sleep for one hour, you feel like shit when you wake up.

Wow = have a wis on me - that sounds exactly like my situation!!!! thank you. 

I hope all goes well with your son. 

snakemanStoo

6ish hours a night usually.

Occasionally have a bit of a lie in, but that's really rare.

CHRISB50

I normally go to bed around 11:30pm, and I get up at 5:30am. 

I have a 4 year old and a 7 year old however. Both are really shit sleepers. 

Since birth our our youngest has slept through the whole night twice. Most nights she'll be in our bed by midnight at the latest. 

My eldest daughter was a shit sleeper, but is now much better. She'll normally manage the whole night. Although last night was in our bed by 1am. 

If both wake up, I end up in one of their beds. 

So 6 hours max, but more like 5 to 5.5 depending upon how much messing about there is with the kids. 

bluechargeboy

When not gigging I am consistently asleep before 23:00, and up at 06:30, even at weekends. No snooze button antics. Less than 7 hours and I am kind of into "survival mode" the following day.

Sleep has definitely become more important to me as I have got healthier (and older). I played quite a few festivals this year and increasingly my preference is to get home to my own bed rather than camp with all them noisy buggers!

boogieman

Emp_Fab said:

According to my Fitbit, I'm getting between 5h30 and 6h50 per night.  I was shocked to learn that as I have always assumed I got more sleep than that.

Fitbits react to movement, so if you're just turning over it assumes you're awake. I'm not sure if that's true... are you actually properly awake if you're moving in bed?