How much sleep do you get

I turn light out around 12 after a short read but DH watches TV then comes up around that time and reads for at least half an hour. Went into Tiger and bought him a mini reading light which means he can turn off the bedside lamp. I always wake at least once during the night and if my mind becomes active then that is it, will lie awake for hours. If I'm feeling stressed I take Kalms and think that helps to relax me for sleep.

I go to bed about 8pm and am asleep by 8.30. However, I am always up around 2am/3am. You might say that I should go to bed later and wake up later but this doesn't happen, I still wake up between 2 & 3am and then feel even more tired. I have half an hour to an hour at lunch time which helps (sometimes! - because the postman calls any time between noon and 2.30) but can't get the long lovely sleep that I used to years ago. I miss sleeping well.

Seems to be a common problem with age, hormones etc I sleep well mostly but on the odd occasion I don’t, I will read and that helps to nod off. If not, I have downloaded all my favourite “ chill” sounds on my Spotify app and that always sends me off bringing back lovely past memories.

What an interesting thread. We all have so many things in common. My man can sleep eleven hours and still nod off during the day at anytime. He's not poorly and the only medication he takes is Omeprazole for indigestion. Snores, snorts and bounces when he turns over in bed. We've solved the bouncing with a new pocket sprung mattress, I can't feel him turning over now and he can't feel me turning the pages of my book. With regard to getting up for the loo - we had eight here for dinner the other week. All of us aged between 66 and 73 and the conversation turned to this. We found we all got up at least once during the night. The raisin theory was discussed and in the interests of science we all had a handful of raisins at the end of our meal. The next morning texts were sent and not one of us had got up during the night. Very interesting! Sales of raisins to the over 60's must be rocketing.

9 months ago i changed my diet to low carbs...dropped over 3 stone in weight and now sleep all night , every night, at least 7 hours....

Love sleep, sleep from about 11, or may choose to read for an hour, up about 8. Very rare to get up in the night. What is worse, I often have a sleep after lunch up on the bed.
Think it is just the luck of the draw, the sleepiness you feel. On the one occasion I tried a herbal sleeping tablet, all the next day I was slowed down, yes even good sleepers have vile worry nights. Milk is good for its natural sedative action. As so many have the need for micturation in the night have at least half a pint during the day. Last drink of the day by six pm. Using alcohol is a mistake, although you will get off to sleep, around 4 am when your liver has cleansed itself you will snap alert. From what I read many correspondents are hyper vigilant, try not to fuss the small stuff.?

My late DH was a snorer. For the last fifteen years of our marriage we had separate bedrooms as I decided enough was enough and my lack of sleep meant everyone not just myself suffered . It was only when DH health issues escalated did any intimacy between us cease.

I have always been a lark, while DH and DS are both owls. As a country child, I tend to live by natural light hours and when I gave up work to care for DH took up a paper round to keep me fit. Gave it up early last year and now tend to go to bed about 10-10.30 because I know I won't sleep anyway. Have hot milk, go up and read till either DH comes up or I drop my book. That tends to be about 3.30 and I then get around 3-3 1/2 hours. Now tend to wake between 7 and 7.30 and feel permanently tired.

I'm the snorer in our house! I usually stay up as late as possible to allow my OH to drop off before I join him. I always wake for the loo at 7am (the time I got up when working- my bladder never adjusted to retirement!) but could easily sleep for another 2 hours if allowed. Unfortunately I usually get woken by my OH turning on Breakfast TV around 8am.

If you can function well on 5 hours then there shouldn't be a problem, do what pleases you. I tend to need 6/7 hours but read every night before nodding off. The only thing to be aware of is that our body clocks become quickly attuned to our habits and adapt. I personally would not like the habit of waking mid night to read, but if it works for you.....why not?

We go to bed between 9.30-11.30. DH is asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. Sometimes read a while, then drop off and stay asleep till around 6am but mostly I’m awake around 2am. I used to get up and mark or plan, but now I just fish for my kindle and read till I drop off again.

I have the reputation of being the one who sleeps most in our house. This is not strictly true, because DH gets up early, but sleeps in one stretch from he goes to bed until he gets up.

I sleep for a couple of hours, wake for a while then go back to sleep and can sleep later in the morning than DH.

I have adjusted my sleep pattern so it fits in with DHs - really I would prefer to go to bed at 3 a.m. and get up at 10 a.m. but around midnight to 7 a.m. fits better in our joint day.

To those of you who feel tired during the day because you don't sleep well: are you sure you are getting enough exercise during the day? I find if I don't that I can't sleep at night.

Justalaugh. Sleep in another room

Why is it that the men sleep so much better than us ladies.

I am lucky if I get five hours a night. Usually wake between 5 and 6am. Very lucky if I’m able to drift back of again.

Luckily I don’t have to get up in the night for anything.
My drifting of time I usually between 12.30 -1am.
I think it’s because us ladies have so much more to do generally and of course bedtime is when I mull over thoughts and to do lists.
If I can’t sleep or wake early, I listen to LBc radio. All night talk programme.

It seems to be common with many of us.

Every older couple I know where they sleep apart either often or all the time is based on her insomnia and his snoring. Why do older women sleep so badly/lightly/poorly? Just asking for a friend!

I think all the items warning of the harm lack of sleep does to body and mind hasn't helped the non-sleepers (one more thing to lie there worrying about).

I had my bladder removed a year ago following a diagnosis of bladder cancer so no more hourly loo trips throughout the night, silver linings, silver linings!!! I go to bed around 11.45 and am usually asleep by about 12.30 and wake up around 8 - 8.30 but have been known to sleep till 10!

I read about raisins helping you to sleep in a previous post
about night time visits to the loo. I didn't think it could possibly work but I tried it & it does work for me. I can now sleep at least 6 hours before having to visit the loo during the night. I can't remember who posted this advice but I thank you very much

There seems to be lots of people out there whose sleep is disturbed by the snoring of their partners/DHs. Why not simply sleep in separate rooms?? Ok, if you have just the one bedroom, I can understand the issue. But more than one boudoir....what's the issue?

I haven't slept well for years. Mainly pain and stress/anxiety.
I use Valerian maybe once a week to get a good night (4 or 5 hours)
I do occasionally fall asleep on the sofa mid afternoon. I prefer not to do this as I always wake up in pain. I have just been prescribed pain patches. I'm hoping they'll help with night pain, I'll come back and let you know when I've collected them from the pharmacy.

Separate rooms are a blessing , he doesn’t wake me up with his snoring ( he’s in denial about that) and I don’t wake him up when I read until very late.

I survive on my little sleep as I spend hours on my laptop or reading or watching tv and, if I go out, I often return after midnight. My motto is,,,,,,'I can get all the sleep I need when I'm in my coffin!'

I have suffered with increasingly severe insomnia for about three years on and off ... a friend sent me an article by Belle Mooney who also suffered with insomnia until it was suggested a course of Hypnotherapy May help and she tried it and it worked.... I’ve found an absolutely wonderful hypnotherapist local to me and I have had to learn how to relax and to practice doing so . I was a hyper vigilant child and have always lived on the edge of my nerves so this has helped me immensely and I am sleeping deeply now every night. I have to discipline myself to follow a programme of relaxation at bed time and not self sabotage it. This really is working for me. Give it a try. What have you got to lose?

My bedtimes change seasonally. In winter I'm a 9 to 9 girl and summer is 1030 to 5 and straight out into the garden if weather alluring. The acquisition of an iPad made me see sense with the former. I don't sleep any differently. My body seems to have decided that a 5 hour solid bash is all I need and the remainder is fitful. Too scared to take medication and, happily, don't seem to need to. I do so appreciate the freedom retirement offers in this arena. God bless it!

So many women don't sleep! I'm always so shattered when I get into bed that I can barely read a couple of pages of my book before nodding off. DH lies awake for ages before he drops off and struggles to wake up in the morning after having at least 7 hours. I always need the loo in the night and can't go back to sleep as DH is either snoring or I'm just wide awake.
I'm now back on steroids which makes sleep even worse, I can now survive on 3 - 4 hours, whereas I was getting 5 - 6 before and didn't think that was enough.
We have a super king bed which helps as DH is very restless and when we go away we rent a two bed place so that I get decent sleep on holiday, unless in a hotel and then I go for the biggest bed I can find.
I long for more sleep!!