Family-focused workers
Another group of participants prioritized their lives with family and/or work commitments and had different descriptions of their stressful lives and sleep needs. They often did not have enough time to sleep with too much to do, rigorous work schedules, and/or small children who would interrupt their sleep. Family-focused workers described their everyday experiences in short and to the point statements that emphasized the priority being on work and family versus good sleep. They also had less discussion and recognition of the physical effects of sleep deprivation (clumsy, forgetful, and lethargic). Life stresses plagued their minds as they tried to catch up and turn off their worries at night. Participants described pain and muscle tension, the beginning of “stomach burn” [Castro-esophageal reflex], and symptoms of depression related to stress. They would awaken at night, worrying about unresolved work issues and family issues resulting in less sleep, greater fatigue, and more caffeine use.Weekends served as a time to catch up on sleep for some, but they rarely had time for naps. The sleep environment was noisy (children or bed partner snoring) interrupting their sleep. Sleep was needed but not a priority. For instance, one participant described how nighttime is the only time to accomplish chores:
Generally I would say my sleep is not usually a priority for me, mostly because of having two small children and the business that I'm running. So sleep tends to get put on the side burner trying to get stuff done at night when the kids are sleeping.