I hate it when I wake up sluggish, tired, can´t motivate myself to even open my eyes...... the alarm is going off...... I HAVE to get up and function - I´m the main breadwinner - I HAVE TO GET UP..... and I force myself only to be met by a comment like "Well, if you will insist on staying up all night.... try going to bed earlier.... don´t burn the candle at both ends... bla bla bla..."

The idea that I wanted to be awake all night with racing thoughts, restlessness, impossible plans forming in my mind that totally make sense to me.... it just astounds me that people do not get how varied everyone's sleep patterns can be and made you feel guilty. Then they tell you to "bloody well cheer up" a you fall deeply down, down, down....

I´m not just faking it either! I´m a performer, I come home to an empty house (family have been asleep for hours). I can usually sleep by 4ish but their day starts at 6.00am. By the time I get up they are hours into their day and so boisterous and I seem lazy and they have so much advice that I want to tell them to shove up their backsides but haven´t figured out how without sounding like an angry, raving crazy-lady yet.

Sorry if that came out a a bit of a rant. Really struggling to explain to family how their "help" really doesn´t help. I´m obviously inane as their advice is sound. It´s a daily struggle...