My problem’s never been insomnia though, just a disinclination to stick to the normal circadian rhythms. And it’s not even that I’m not tired, just that I’d rather be doing other things – sleeping seems like such a waste of time when there’s books (or now, blogs) to be read, photos to be edited, etc etc etc

Stanley Coren’s ‘Sleep Thieves’ is a brilliant book about sleep. I think the 8 hour thing is not hard and fast, but I think also Maggie Thatcher may have been getting a little more than she claimed.

Anyways, I must stop this, and get to bed…

Another fool proof way to get a good nights sleep is to go for a long bike ride during the day in the outdoors (a stationary exercise bike won’t help) or commute to work by bike – especially if it’s over 10 miles away and through the countryside. There’s something about the steady, rhythmic pattern of cycling that just sets the mind up for a good nights sleep. No need to pedal like a nutter either.

Hope this helps someone out there!

And I’m breezing through my busy week at work, not stressing and keeping a positive attitude, inspired by your earlier blog. and now this sleep blog has arrived at just the right time, as the long hours of work and the buzzing mind are shortening my sleep, and you’re teaching me that lack of sleep isn’t a problem either! Brilliant. If you carry on like this I’ll have no problems left by the end of the week.

Keep up the good work, it’s doing me the world of good. Thank you.

The idea of bed-sharing worked a treat for us with both our sons and meant that breast-feeding in the middle of the night was just a momentarily bit of wakefulness and then back to sleep for both me & baby (with Dad not even noticing). I didn’t even need to sit up! Admittedly we had a slightly crowded phase with 2 yr old toddler getting out of own cot (the way kids do at that age) and into bed with us when 2nd tiny son was already in the bed – but it all worked out fine with unproblematic transfer of both tots into own beds in due course.

Please note that this bed-with-baby thing was something we researched carefully and went into with considerable understanding and knowledge (eg we had a waterbed which we loved but got rid of it because it would have been less safe re overlaying) Overlaying is always what people worry about but normal instincts (as long as unimpaired by alcohol, drugs or overly soft/water bed) are trustworthy. A relative went for a variation on the arrangement by using side-down cot right up against bed, like a ‘bed-extension’ for the baby.

Now, can someone tell me how to actually get work done?

I’m struggling with that one. I have no problems to sleep, I have no problems to pull all nighters, BUT I do have a problem with actually working. I procrastinate so hard that ANY kind of work for me is immediately equal to just doing nothing for the whole duration of the project and then staying up for a couple of nights while actually working against the clock.

Invariably, I will repeat: “this is the last time”, “Next time I’m starting a week earlier” or “If I could only have one more day….”

It’s frustrating for me. And now even more so because I have a huge deadline coming 3 months from now. And my workdays basically consist on finding new music and checking facebook.

Mark, someone. HELP ME

It turns out that the average adult also wakes up many times during the night, something which always used to bother me…