Is this a mylot trait?
By Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (56465)
January 30, 2026 10:01pm CST
I have been thinking a lot lately about sleeping habits and sleep schedules. Many of us here on mylot certainly have our issues with not enough sleep, can't stay asleep, don't have time to sleep, or sleep in bits and pieces, or are opposite of what our society terms as normal. And I know many of us, myself included, suffer from insomnia.
For years, my work schedule was insane, my hours crazy. I made it work and did my work around my kids schedules so that I didn't have to miss their activities, ball games, practices, sports, etc. And I have always been a night owl and really not an early morning person.
I thought that maybe in the crazy times we are living in, it was possible that more people than just mylotters have trouble sleeping. I did some research on this, and yes, it's true--at least 40% of adults have sleeping issues. One out of every three adults do not get enough sleep, ever. And many who do not have a consistent sleep pattern or get enough rest have heart problems later on in life. Not the best news for some of us, but it makes sense.
For a long time I had my sleep pattern down to a science and I was happy with it. Then son got sick and I had to step up. You know how it is, stress, extra stuff to do, etc. and the good sleep pattern flew right out the window. I am trying hard to ease back in to it unless I feel I need to be on high alert...it's taking longer than I thought, but I am not going to give up trying to get a good sleep thing going again. Someone else can take over this insomnia thing if they want to.
How about you? Do you have trouble sleeping? Do you have a regular bed time, and getting up time? I've never been strict about it but I did have a better thing going until the last 18 months or so. I am going to try harder to accomplish this if I possibly can.
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21 people like this
20 responses
@Deepizzaguy (119586)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
31 Jan
My sleep patterns last around four to five hours since I have to go the bathroom, and go back to bed for another period of four or five hours to go the bathroom again and usually wake up to do housework or have a meeting with a nurse who is assisting me with therapy for cellulitis,
6 people like this
@sallypup (68500)
• Centralia, Washington
31 Jan
@Deepizzaguy Cellulitis is the pits. My legs and feet will probably always be swollen. I go to the pool for exercise.
6 people like this
@TheHorse (235994)
• Walnut Creek, California
31 Jan
@MarieCoyle Yeppers.She is pretty dependable.
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
•
31 Jan
@TheHorse
I think she picked herself a great person to love and care for her.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
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31 Jan
I love to sleep...when I can. I know you usually get up early. You do have that Kitty alarm clock. 
2 people like this
@crossbones27 (52428)
• Mojave, California
31 Jan
Even if I get it right for me about 4 to 5 hours sleep regular. I think by the 7th day I am so exhausted I get about 7. hours Modern world is not healthy no matter how hard they try. You try to do the right thing, they call you soft. You can't sleep, not my problem.
4 people like this
@crossbones27 (52428)
• Mojave, California
31 Jan
@MarieCoyle I hear you its all a bunch of double standards.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
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31 Jan
If I can get 5-6 hours, I'm thrilled. But less than 5, I am just....tired.
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
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31 Jan
No matter how long I get to sleep, I always wake up once or twice.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
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1 Feb
@LadyDuck
No, it hasn't happened for me since I was very young, and we won't discuss how long ago that was, haha!
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
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31 Jan
I do as well. It's hard to be a Suzy Sunshine person at 5 AM!
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (168224)
• United States
1 Feb
I think it is very common for people everywhere in the US to have sleep problems. Those are the people I can speak for. I did when I was younger, but now I mostly am in good sleep shape. I have never been a night owl and staying up too late stresses me. Right now I do feel that working and life in general interfere with me getting good sleep. I wake early naturally. If I stay up to late I do have trouble shutting my mind down so I try for a fairly early bed time.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
•
1 Feb
When I was still working I had to be better about getting more sleep and getting up early. I know what you mean about shutting your mind down so you can rest.
@snowy22315 (205172)
• United States
31 Jan
Well yes and no, I generally sleep well but I need some sort of assistance to sleep, melatonin, aspirin. herbal supplements etc. It isn't the best, but better than lacking sleep in my opinion. That is one of the things I hate the most in life, not being well rested.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (205172)
• United States
31 Jan
@MarieCoyle Unless I have to be somewhere early, I usually get up at the same time everyday, give or take half an hour.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
•
31 Jan
I hope you can maybe get a few extra zzz's in this weekend since you are still sort of snowed./iced in. That would be a good thing!
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (44519)
• United States
31 Jan
Bless your heart, it's not surprising that you have sleep issues. I sleep okay with a relatively strong sleep aid, but I plan to cut back and hope I still sleep.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (44519)
• United States
31 Jan
@MarieCoyle I can understand you need to be able to hear him if he needs you. Try to rest when you can.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
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31 Jan
I have never taken a sleeping aid. I am not anti-medication, I have always worried I wouldn't be able to wake up if the kids needed me. Well, that's what I said when they were still all home with me. I suppose I could try one but I don't want to right now. Same thing, son has woken me before...so I will just keep trying without a sleep aid.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
•
1 Feb
@1creekgirl
Thank you so much, Vicki. I am trying hard to rest when I can.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (68500)
• Centralia, Washington
31 Jan
I can't remember the last time I got up in the morning feeling fresh and rested. I get up no later than 7:30 and go down and start working with the cats. I go to bed by 10 but hubby often doesn't go to bed until toward midnight and yup, his coming to bed wakes me.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (68500)
• Centralia, Washington
31 Jan
@MarieCoyle That would help and also would start an argument.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
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1 Feb
@sallypup
Been there, done that...I completely understand! 
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
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31 Jan
I am sorry you can't remember feeling rested. That's just not a good feeling. Would it help if you could talk him in to striving to hit the sack at the same time? I know in most cases, that's impossible.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (21821)
• United States
3 Feb
I don't have trouble sleeping. I did have a regular bed time, but when I went to NJ in November, I stayed up later than usual. Now that I am back home, I sorta got back into my routine.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
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4 Feb
I was so proud of myself when I worked back into a routine and I kept it up for quite some time. I have discovered that most often if a person is a caregiver, the routines can go out the window.
1 person likes this
@Traceyjayne (9343)
• United Kingdom
1 Feb
I do have trouble sleeping. Sometimes I nap in the day …..but too long a nap then means I sat sleep that night either …..
I don’t really have a routine at the moment and I don’t think that helps.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
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2 Feb
Sometimes the only recourse I have is to take a nap when the time allows. Not ideal, but oh, it helps.
@LindaOHio (217402)
• United States
31 Jan
You know my problems. I think the most sleep that I ever got in a day the past few years has been 4.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (217402)
• United States
1 Feb
@MarieCoyle It doesn't matter how tired I am, I've never slept longer than 2 hours at a time.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
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1 Feb
@LindaOHio
Maybe you are just bionic? I don't know how you keep going, Linda. 
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
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31 Jan
You must be a super human! I can do 4 hours for a few days, then I need a big nap!
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (116252)
• United States
31 Jan
I used to go to sleep around 2am, and I’d get up at 6am. I never napped. Then, I went on a kick of nodding off around 8pm, and waking up at 3:30am. Which got me more sleep, but I don’t want to be up at 3:30am. Now, it really depends on how my pain level is. I probably average five hours of sleep a night. I’m just grateful for that.
My hope is great that you will be able to get more sleep, and soon!
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
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1 Feb
I managed an hour long nap today, it helped so much. Plus, I turned the electric throw blanket on HIGH and oh, it felt so good. I would prefer to just crank up the heat in the house, but hey...that's not going to happen, haha!
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (131814)
• Marion, Ohio
31 Jan
I was having a lot of trouble a couple of years ago. But I was worried about hubby then. Know it's a lot better.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
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31 Jan
I am glad it's better for you. Chasing those critters and all you do, you need your sleep!
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (95743)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
1 Feb
Lately I have managed to fall asleep well and sleep through to when I make a bathroom run and then till morning,
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (56465)
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1 Feb
You are fortunate to be able to get to sleep easily!
1 person likes this
@ocard010101 (95)
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31 Jan
I also have sleeping problems. For a while I thought the problem was gone as I have been sleeping nicely the past few months. But this last couple of days, it is back.
1 person likes this
