Deliberately not sleeping IS NOT THE SAME as being sleep deprived…

WARNING. This is A RANTY POST.

It is partly tongue in cheek, because I try to be vaguely witty and sarcastic in my grumpiness but it is also a reminder to people that there are people out there who are TIRED, very tired, and not by choice. If you choose to stay up all night clubbing and don’t go to bed, then that is NOT being sleep deprived. You chose that.

Sleep deprivation, when you are not able to get enough sleep, due to something or someone keeping you awake, is NOT the same as choosing to go out clubbing til 3am and then dragging yourself to work on a curry and chips. Sleep deprivation and chronic tiredness is not the same as you choosing to stay up all night playing games online and then feeling like you can’t cope the next day.

Being chronically tired and struggling due to lack of sleep is exhausting physically and mentally.

If you are a mother of a newborn who isn’t getting sleep, if you have a child with special needs, who doesn’t sleep, if you are caring for a relative or family member who needs your attention at night, you are probably very tired. If you have a mental health or physical condition that means you struggle to sleep, then you are probably very tired. If you work a job where you have to work nights or very late shifts, you are probably very tired.

These things we do not choose. They are part of our life, and they make us tired. We do not get enough sleep and it’s not because we don’t want to.

I struggle with a combination of chronic insomnia and have a little boy who still has blips with sleep. This makes me tired. This makes me feel like I can’t cope with life, and I rely on a lot of coffee and a sense of humour to get me through life sometimes.

I have friends who have kiddos who don’t sleep or who are dealing with babies and toddlers who still need them at night. I have friends who are up caring for family members at night. I have friends with mental health and chronic health issues who don’t get much sleep. We are TIRED and I don’t know about them, but nothing annoys me more when someone whines about being tired when they have been up all night drinking or binge watching a tv programme and expect sympathy…

It IS NOT THE FREAKING SAME. PLEASE STOP WHINING.

That is all.

Normal service will resume after I have had another coffee…

Thank you for reading my Friday rant.