12 glorious hours of sleep!

Grandma2213

As a child and teenager I was made to go to bed ridiculously early and was usually awake for hours. Then as an adult I still had to get up for work even though I was not tired till well after midnight! I've always felt wide awake in the wee small hours and ill in the morning, managing on about 4 hours a night. Now I've retired I can go to bed any time around 3am or after, depending on how I feel and sleep well until 11 am or even later. I admit to getting up for the loo after 3 or 4 hours but the sleep after that is bliss. I may be weird but for the first time in my life I'm getting a good 7/8 hours a night. Why are we so obsessed with mornings?

I’m a lark and need to sleep early. DH on the other hand is similar to you and can sleep after 3.00am. Each to their own

Same as me vampire queen, and do you know I actually enjoy having a good sleep

oldwoman

I can sleep for England. If it was an Olympic sport, I'd be a gold medal winner. I can sleep for 12+ hours with no problem. Day or night, it makes no difference. I know some of you will be jealous but it's as much of a curse as insomnia. Just like an insomniac I'm always tired. But at least with insomnia you can read, watch TV.....do something. If I let it take charge, I would sleep my life away. I've had loads of tests but there is nothing wrong with me. I'm just a born sleeper. The best I can do is keep to a strict sleep routine. DH has insomnia so he's always up early. He wakes me up early and we go to bed early.

My husband has been sleeping for 9 years now, I think he's dead

If sleeping was a sport I would get a gold medal, most nights I am in bed around 10 and tend to sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow and sleep until 8 or beyond. I have been told I could sleep balanced on a garden fence, it would seem that as a kid I would just take myself off to bed and my daughter was the same.

I fall instantly asleep but wake up only a couple of hours later and my mind is so busy, usually going over and over bad, frightening experiences. I must take my IPad up to bed and listen to quiet music when I can’t sleep.

I’m also awake/ asleep in blocks. I’ve learned to ignore advice not to use technology in the night… I read on the iPad, listen to dharma talks or poetry on you tube or meditate with mindful movement on you tube. I’m often asleep before they finish.
If I'm having a really bad night with lots of anxious thoughts I listen to the radio and settle for a light doze.

Wonderful Sago.
I remember having to set the alarm to waken me! How I long for those nights.

As a child and teenager I was made to go to bed ridiculously early and was usually awake for hours. Then as an adult I still had to get up for work even though I was not tired till well after midnight! I've always felt wide awake in the wee small hours and ill in the morning, managing on about 4 hours a night. Now I've retired I can go to bed any time around 3am or after, depending on how I feel and sleep well until 11 am or even later. I admit to getting up for the loo after 3 or 4 hours but the sleep after that is bliss. I may be weird but for the first time in my life I'm getting a good 7/8 hours a night. Why are we so obsessed with mornings?

GrannyGravy, your story sounds just like mine! My children weren't spaced as far apart, but is seems just as the youngest finally started sleeping through the night, our old dog needed to go outside once or twice a night!

I just accept the fact that I sleep for about 2 hours at a stretch, wake, then go back to sleep.

I listen to podcasts when I wake, and set the timer for 15 minutes. Most of the time I don't make it to the end of that time.

Sago, that's great that you had such a good sleep. Sometimes I will do a bath soon after dinner (especially in the winter), then crawl into bed with a book.

I find listening to a talking book in the night stops your mind whirling round and helps to get back to sleep .

I've never slept for very long, even as a child. Four or five hours and I'm wide awake but, sometimes, I can snooze for half an hour after lunch. The last time I had a long sleep (ten years ago) I was astonished to wake at 7am - instead of 3 or 4am. Later that day I had a sore throat and temperature, another surprise, as I'm rarely ill, but an explanation for the seven hours!

If I slept beyond 5am I’d assume I’d died!

Sounds wonderful Sago - I too am jealous.

I'm very jealous! I can remember such sleeps in the dim and distant past before the dreaded menopause, whilst the worst of that's over, the sleepless nights remain.

My husband moans about getting up several times to go to the loo during the night but he at least goes back to sleep again, I don't, when I get up then I'm awake until I actually get up. I've never slept the sort of sleep I had once, nowadays I'm invariably awake in the early hours of the morning. Sometimes I perceive it's nearly time to get up, look at the clock and it's about 3.45

Yes I would definitely love those 7.30 wake up from a solid 8 hours in a deep sleep again, sounds wonderful

I haven’t slept well in over 40 years.

First it’s the baby, toddler faze and as there is 20 years between our eldest and youngest this went on forever.

Then it’s teens going out and not sleeping soundly until they are in.

Then the worse stage when they start driving, no sleep until they are home or have messaged you from where they are staying.

The the menopause comes along so it’s night sweats etc.

Now I just accept that I will wake up every hour and maybe/maybe not go back to sleep.

Of course DH has slept through the entire time apart from two nights one with each of our youngest when they were colicky 🤬

I have never been a great sleeper but as I’ve got older I’ve got worse. Ive tried going earlier or later, reading, relaxing music, herbal teas etc but quite often I’m still awake at 2 or 3am. When I do sleep I have awful dreams. Wish there was a miracle cure. I’m usually in the best sleep just as it’s time to get up!

I generally sleep 8 to 9 hours each night . I would struggle without it and feel refreshed each morning.

I really can’t believe it, I feel like a different woman😃

Omg how many people of a certain age can’t sleep! Me included. If I get a night with a straight five hours I’m fine but go to work tired and drowsy most days not good!

I am very jealous. I can sleep for eight hours but in increments. Usually two hours then wake and repeat. A solid eight hours sounds blissful.