Does not-enough-sleep negatively-impact your mental health during the week?

[Redway]

That time between Friday evening and late Sunday afternoon (unless you work weekends/have other commitments that hold you up) is there for you to do whatever you want when it comes to sleep hygiene (whether that’s going from one high rave to the next with Red Bull and a Saturday pick-me-up Nandos as a sleep equivalent or lying in your dream-den for 20 or 40 hours) and it’s probably okay once or twice a week (kind of - no-one really cares either way) but how do you find your mental health to be impacted (for good and/or bad) when you don’t get a good 7 or 8 hours during the working/study week? Can you still plough on for 8/12 hours with nothing more than a morning Joe and feel alright or do you feel drained and anxious?

[Zizu]

That time between Friday evening and late Sunday afternoon (unless you work weekends/have other commitments that hold you up) is there for you to do whatever you want when it comes to sleep hygiene (whether that’s going from one high rave to the next with Red Bull and a pick-me-up Nandos or lying in your dream den for 20 hours) and it’s probably okay once or twice a week (kind of - no-one really cares either way) but how do you find your mental health to be impacted (for good and/or bad) when you don’t get a good 7 or 8 hours during the working/study week? Can you still plough on for 8/12 hours with nothing more than a morning Joe and feel alright or do you feel drained and anxious?


I have between 4 and 5 interrupted hours each weekday night ... I’ve always been like this and it’s no problem

I do sleep better Friday / Sat and even have a lie-in and afternoon snoozes at the weekend .

There is a theory that too much ( 8 hours)
is not good for you ..


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[Cherie]

9 times out of 10 I get 8 hours, I hate not being able to get to sleep so I make sure I am tired, if I nap during the day I always feel worse after and it always impacts how much I sleep at night so I don't do that generally unless I am ill

Exercise, good diet, sleep are all key to good mental health

[MTVN]

I have between 4 and 5 interrupted hours each weekday night ... I’ve always been like this and it’s no problem

I do sleep better Friday / Sat and even have a lie-in and afternoon snoozes at the weekend .

There is a theory that too much ( 8 hours)
is not good for you ..


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Have never heard that 8 hours can be bad for you :suspect:

I always try and get that, I can manage on just a few hours but I don't feel great for it especially once it gets to late afternoon. I'm not feeling too with it today because the heat made for a pretty interrupted sleep last night compared to my usual blissful slumber

[Redway]

I have between 4 and 5 interrupted hours each weekday night ... I’ve always been like this and it’s no problem

I do sleep better Friday / Sat and even have a lie-in and afternoon snoozes at the weekend .

There is a theory that too much ( 8 hours)
is not good for you ..


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How is 8 hours (the gold standard) bad for you?

[Redway]

What kinda Steve Harvey-inspired nonsense is that one?

[joeysteele]

I've always since being at school slept for 6 hours every night, give or take a few minutes either way.

It's never affected my schooling, work or social life at all.

If however due to maybe emergency issues where I haven't been able to sleep at usual time.
That can affect me for a day or two afterwards.

[Crimson Dynamo]

"negatively-impact your mental health"

do mean feel tired?

[Niamh.]

Generally speaking I'll get 8/8 and a half hours sleep on weeknights but If I don't for some reason I can't function properly at all. I need a proper sleep, 4-5 hours would not cut it for me

[Niamh.]

9 times out of 10 I get 8 hours, I hate not being able to get to sleep so I make sure I am tired, if I nap during the day I always feel worse after and it always impacts how much I sleep at night so I don't do that generally unless I am ill

Exercise, good diet, sleep are all key to good mental health

I love a sneaky nap :fan: I could sleep for an hour during the day and still have no problems sleeping all night too. I love sleep :lovedup:

[Redway]

"negatively-impact your mental health"

do mean feel tired?

Sleep deprivation affects a lot more than just energy levels.

So no. I don’t just mean “tired.”

[Redway]

Generally speaking I'll get 8/8 and a half hours sleep on weeknights but If I don't for some reason I can't function properly at all. I need a proper sleep, 4-5 hours would not cut it for me

I hear that. I think ample sleep is one of those things (not too unlike vitamin D, for example) that we all need very decent amounts of but don’t always get as much as we need of, knowingly or not.

Personally I’ve always been a night owl (still am to this day) and in some ways I wouldn’t have it any other way (I think it makes me more creative for one thing) but if I’ve got to be up particularly early in the morning I still don’t drift off until 2/3 a.m. on average (and that’s quite early for me). I can make the most of that pattern on Friday and Saturday nights obviously because then I can enjoy what those ambient hours have to offer without getting irritated by noise (I don’t mind it that much but I think better when the environment around me’s serene and quiet) and not have to bear the consequences the next morning as such (unless I’ve actually got to be somewhere early on a Saturday morning but even then the vibe’s more chilled so I don’t feel as drained at any point during the weekend).

In practice I do kind of get by with 3/4 hours of sleep when I have to (it’s not that uncommon for me) but it doesn’t feel that good. With it without coffee I can power through but I’m always thinking about when next I can hop into bed and I just feel less equipped to deal with daily stressors (especially first thing on a Monday morning) on days like that compared to when I get at least 6-and-a-half hours.

How much did you say you slept in on Friday/Saturday nights again, Niamh? I actually can’t remember but I do kind of know you’re about as fond of staying up and sleeping in some as I am in some way.

[Redway]

And we have a dissertation for a post on a Tuesday morning. Ouch.

Kudos to you if you get through all that, Niamh.

[Zizu]

How is 8 hours (the gold standard) bad for you?


This was the first search result but there’s hundreds more online ..

Who’s to say that 8 is the magic number .. we are told to eat 5 a day fruit / veg yet many other countries recommend 7 or more

https://amp.dw.com/en/think-8-hours-of-sleep-is-best-think-again/a-61661946


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[Redway]

I love a sneaky nap :fan: I could sleep for an hour during the day and still have no problems sleeping all night too. I love sleep :lovedup:

Mhm. The good thing with the way my sleep’s set up these days is that I don’t get any of that weird phenomena (nightmares/funny dreams - that I can remember the next day anyway, sleep paralysis) that used to hit me back in the day so when I’m sleeping I know I can just zen out and genuinely not have a conscious care in the world (at least that I’ll actually remember) for as long as I need to. I love how sleep just gives you that opportunity to unwind in the fullest sense of the term and not be bothered by anything or anyone for a solid couple of hours.

[Redway]

I've always since being at school slept for 6 hours every night, give or take a few minutes either way.

It's never affected my schooling, work or social life at all.

If however due to maybe emergency issues where I haven't been able to sleep at usual time.
That can affect me for a day or two afterwards.

Is 6 hours the way you like it on weekends as well?

[Niamh.]

I hear that. I think ample sleep is one of those things (not too unlike vitamin D, for example) that we all need very decent amounts of but don’t always get as much as we need of, knowingly or not.

Personally I’ve always been a night owl (still am to this day) and in some ways I wouldn’t have it any other way (I think it makes me more creative for one thing) but if I’ve got to be up particularly early in the morning I still don’t drift off until 2/3 a.m. on average (and that’s quite early for me). I can make the most of that pattern on Friday and Saturday nights obviously because then I can enjoy what those ambient hours have to offer without getting irritated by noise (I don’t mind it that much but I think better when the environment around me’s serene and quiet) and not have to bear the consequences the next morning as such (unless I’ve actually got to be somewhere early on a Saturday morning but even then the vibe’s more chilled so I don’t feel as drained at any point during the weekend).

In practice I do kind of get by with 3/4 hours of sleep when I have to (it’s not that uncommon for me) but it doesn’t feel that good. With it without coffee I can power through but I’m always thinking about when next I can hop into bed and I just feel less equipped to deal with daily stressors (especially first thing on a Monday morning) on days like that compared to when I get at least 6-and-a-half hours.

How much did you say you slept in on Friday/Saturday nights again, Niamh? I actually can’t remember but I do kind of know you’re about as fond of staying up and sleeping in some as I am in some way.

At the weekend I'll stay up till maybe 1:30am/2ish and I probably won't get up till 10:30/11ish. I'll often have a nap during the day at some point too especially if I've had a few drinks the night before

[Redway]

‘In other words, getting four hours of sleep ahead of a big meeting cannot be "made up" by sleeping 10 hours the next night.’

Maybe not but it sure as hell feels good. There doesn’t always have to be some sort of empirically-backed motivation for doing things (and no disrespect to that article but as far as empirical research goes it wasn’t that representative in any more than a preliminary sense as far as I can see). Sometimes things just are what they are for different people. Whether they end up being the healthiest for the average person (according to whatever measures they use to ascertain who that might even be) is up for debate, I suppose, but if you have a catalogue of missing sleep hours that have accumulated throughout the week because of deadlines, day-to-day weekday worries or work, being able to sleep for 9 or 10 hours (not that I per se could sleep for that long without breaking it up some) imaginably does feel pretty good. And it’s probably no unhealthier than treating yourself to takeaways and a bit of drink (or whatever your vices are) for a day and a half at the end of the week. I feel like it’ll just depend on how much sleep the individual person needs and wants at the end.

[Redway]

At the weekend I'll stay up till maybe 1:30am/2ish and I probably won't get up till 10:30/11ish. I'll often have a nap during the day at some point too especially if I've had a few drinks the night before

Yeah, Saturday naps are awesome. And the thing with Saturdays is even if I happen to wake up on the earlier side of the AM I’m still not going to leave my bed if I don’t have to until near enough noon (unless I need to pop to the shops or something). I’m partial to starting early on Saturdays if it’s a long day out I want but without some sort of tangible reason like that I’d never just jump out of bed first thing on a Saturday morning. There’s enough of that going on during the week.

[bots]

if you work regular hours then i think its important that the rest of your day follows a regular routine. The exact amount of sleep necessary is an individual thing. If people feel tired, they will sleep more

For people who dont work regular hours then they can just set their day out as they see fit, it will balance out in the end

[Crimson Dynamo]

Sleep deprivation affects a lot more than just energy levels.

So no. I don’t just mean “tired.”

then you need to state what you mean by affecting your mental health as its way too vague a term

you may as well say if you dont get enough sleep do you feel tired?

yes

[Redway]

then you need to state what you mean by affecting your mental health as its way too vague a term

you may as well say if you dont get enough sleep do you feel tired?

yes

That’s not the only thing I’m trying to say though. You can interpret it that way if that’s the way you want it but some people might have pre-existing conditions that sleep deprivation makes worse. And in any case you may or may not feel especially tired after a rough night (or shift equivalent/whatever it is) but still have difficulties with concentration and mood either way. All that stuff falls under the banner of mental health when it’s connected with sleep deprivation.

[Alf]

Sleep is for wimps

[Redway]

Sleep is for wimps

Cool.

[Crimson Dynamo]

That’s not the only thing I’m trying to say though. You can interpret it that way if that’s the way you want it but some people might have pre-existing conditions that sleep deprivation makes worse. And in any case you may or may not feel especially tired after a rough night (or shift equivalent/whatever it is) but still have difficulties with concentration and mood either way. All that stuff falls under the banner of mental health when it’s connected with sleep deprivation.

If have "mental health" issues then its probably not a good idea to:

"whether that’s going from one high rave to the next with Red Bull and a Saturday pick-me-up Nandos as a sleep equivalent or lying in your dream-den for 20 or 40 hours"

what ever that actually means

one imagines

[Niamh.]

Sleep is for wimps

Sleep is the breakfast of champions

[Crimson Dynamo]

Sleep is the breakfast of champions

id rather toast and marmite

[Niamh.]

id rather toast and marmite

https://c.tenor.com/Hie8zG87MtsAAAAC/gross-vomit.gif

[Zizu]

Sleep is the breakfast of champions


Breakfast or no breakfast !!

That’s a whole new discussion !!


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[Niamh.]

Breakfast or no breakfast !!

That’s a whole new discussion !!


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Ohhhhh I'm a late breakfast eater, I don't like to eat early in the morning, mid week I don't eat something until around 10am after I get to work. I have a giant travel mug of tea on the drive into work to ease me into the day :laugh:

[AnnieK]

I wake at 5.45am every morning without fail - years of my body being used to my alarm then coupled with a kid who barely slept past that time for the first 5 years of life have conditioned me. I go to bed normally around 11 during the week and so feel fine - I can't lie in at weekends as once I open my eyes i have to get up so weekends are far more sleep deprived for me.

[rusticgal]

I love my sleep...always get a good 8 hour sleep. Hate it when I dont...I feel denied and can be ratty..:laugh:

[Zizu]

I wonder if the sleep stats are for males/ females are different ?


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[Cherie]

I love a sneaky nap :fan: I could sleep for an hour during the day and still have no problems sleeping all night too. I love sleep :lovedup:

ah right if that works for you, I can never understand people who say they cant get a good nights sleep but are in bed all afternoon, like maybe try staying upright and see how you go :laugh:

[Swan]

Im alright with little sleep. It really depends though. Im fine on a few hours if i can have a lazy day the next day. For work it also depends on the next day, some days are a lot physically demanding than others. I like to have plenty of sleep the night before i do my workouts. Also when i speedrun i like to be fresh.

I guess i get between 4-8 hours a night. I've always struggled with sleep though, especially getting off to sleep. And i've always been a night owl.

[Cherie]

I love my sleep...always get a good 8 hour sleep. Hate it when I dont...I feel denied and can be ratty..:laugh:



https://i.imgur.com/v5bHOdv.jpg

[Redway]

If have "mental health" issues then its probably not a good idea to:

"whether that’s going from one high rave to the next with Red Bull and a Saturday pick-me-up Nandos as a sleep equivalent or lying in your dream-den for 20 or 40 hours"

what ever that actually means

one imagines

Okay, Mr Trumpet. Okay.

[Dogeatdog]

It kinda varies for me. I try and aim to get 8 hours sleep during the weekdays but it isn’t always the case, sometimes it’s 6 or even less if I wake up in the night because I struggle to get back to sleep again.

It doesn’t make me feel miserable or anything but I do tend to feel tried during the day when this happens and I don’t really like to nap in the daytime (that’s something that does irritate me).

I’d say sleep deprivation is only going to affect my mental health if I’m going through personal problems or something similar whilst still having to go to work.

[Redway]

Ohhhhh I'm a late breakfast eater, I don't like to eat early in the morning, mid week I don't eat something until around 10am after I get to work. I have a giant travel mug of tea on the drive into work to ease me into the day :laugh:

Do you think you’re one of those people who can get by without breakfast/brunch altogether or would you have to eat something by 10 at the latest on a weekday at least?

Personally I tend to just not have anything other than water until lunch (I tend to just eat two meals a day) but the difference between then and when I actually take the time to eat breakfast (not even just drink coffee/a cuppa) is stark. Breakfast just isn’t something I prioritise most of the time for some reason.

[Beso]

I've been ok since I started on the boiled cabbage juices

[Redway]

How’s everyone sleeping in this current weather out of interest? Do you break out in sweats or do you just plug the fan on all night (if you can afford to) and nod off as you normally would?

[Niamh.]

Do you think you’re one of those people who can get by without breakfast/brunch altogether or would you have to eat something by 10 at the latest on a weekday at least?



Personally I tend to just not have anything other than water until lunch (I tend to just eat two meals a day) but the difference between then and when I actually take the time to eat breakfast (not even just drink coffee/a cuppa) is stark. Breakfast just isn’t something I prioritise most of the time for some reason.I'd get it away with it till lunch without too much bother

[Redway]

Yeah, same here. Doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea to have a decent breakfast but I can kind of take or leave it. When I’m doing my shopping I have to make a conscious effort to even remember to buy anything like custard or cereal. I think it’s because I just happen to have such a ‘savoury tooth’ but it’s probably better and healthier I try and get into the habit of setting myself up for the day with breakfast food as well.

[Dogeatdog]

How’s everyone sleeping in this current weather out of interest? Do you break out in sweats or do you just plug the fan on all night (if you can afford to) and nod off as you normally would?

Can never get comfortable at the moment. I have the window open and I take an ice cold bottle of water to bed. I don’t use fans at all (especially throughout the night) because it would send my OCD up the wall and I wouldn’t actually get any sleep :laugh:

[Redway]

Can never get comfortable at the moment. I have the window open and I take an ice cold bottle of water to bed. I don’t use fans at all (especially throughout the night) because it would send my OCD up the wall and I wouldn’t actually get any sleep :laugh:

If I just want to star-gaze for a couple of hours I’ll leave the window open (and if I’ve just mopped and want the ammonia-bleach funk to clear out of my personal air quicker) but I just couldn’t leave one open overnight. Too much annoying loud noise from neighbours who carry on at all hours and flies come in otherwise. I don’t mind creepy-crawlies as such because spiders are easy to pin down and crush (and unlike most people I’m very far from anything like phobic of them) but I just can’t deal with flies swarming up and down and landing up your nose in the middle of the night.

[Redway]

How would fans impact your OCD if you don’t mind me asking?

[Zizu]

I just have a fan going in whichever room and open all the windows.

If the heat is unbearable a fine water spray into the direction of the fan is the answer


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[Dogeatdog]

If I just want to star-gaze for a couple of hours I’ll leave the window open (and if I’ve just mopped and want the ammonia-bleach funk to clear out of my personal air quicker) but I just couldn’t leave one open overnight. Too much annoying loud noise from neighbours who carry on at all hours and flies come in otherwise. I don’t mind creepy-crawlies as such because spiders are easy to pin down and crush (and unlike most people I’m very far from anything like phobic of them) but I just can’t deal with flies swarming up and down and landing up your nose in the middle of the night.

Yh my neighbours can be a pain sometimes but that’s mainly on the weekends. If I’ve had a few beers at the pub and come home I can sleep quite easily through the noise. Mosquitoes are annoying because I tend to faintly hear them if there’s one in the room. I try and avoid this by keeping all the lights off when it starts to get dark.

How would fans impact your OCD if you don’t mind me asking?

I don’t know why but it drives me crazy if I leave things switched on. I couldn’t sleep with a TV on or go to sleep knowing that a plug has been left switched on. It’s the same with fans my brain would just not let me rest until I know everything is switched off.

[Redway]

Ah, I see. I’ve had my fair share of OCD-lite quirks over the years but not in the same way.

[Redway]

I also feel you on the beer stuff. Not that I drink like a fish (not anymore) but a beer or two is enough to just block all the noise aggro. out (window open or not) so it’s easier to just drift off. I live with some noisy people anyway (not that I hate them by any means but you know how I am when it comes to people just being loud for no reason) so I’m used to just grinning and bearing it when it comes to stuff like that anyway. But if I really need to sleep a Fosters doesn’t go amiss at any time, really.

[Crimson Dynamo]

I also feel you on the beer stuff. Not that I drink like a fish (not anymore) but a beer or two is enough to just block all the noise aggro. out (window open or not) so it’s easier to just drift off. I live with some noisy people anyway so I’m used to just grinning and bearing it when it comes to stuff like that anyway. But if I really need to sleep a Fosters doesn’t go amiss at any time, really.

In the morning?

[Redway]

In the morning?

Okay.