How Much Sleep Do Bloggers Really Get?
Bloggers are like a race unto their own and anyone who thinks being a ‘blogger’ is easy really doesn’t know what being one actually entails. As a blogger the main thing you are is a ‘content creator’ but this involves so much more than just writing it’s about coming up with ideas and concepts, pitching to relevant brands and PR’s (when applicable), designing photo concepts, taking photos, editing posts, scheduling, social media promotion and so much more. And it isn’t just the content creation it’s the back of house stuff like SEO, updating your website, making social media schedules, sending e-mails…. the list could go on.
To top that off a lot of bloggers do this in their spare time alongside full-time or part-time jobs, freelance work, or being a parent and for that alone, I have so much respect for my fellow bloggers. As a generation, we’re hard-wired to not be satisfied with just one job, as for most a single traditional style job just doesn’t bring in the finances to have a happy and comfortable life anymore and were forced to diversify and make more from our lives. Because of this some things in life, unfortunately, get sacrificed, sleep is a major one of them.
Getting enough sleep is something we’re always told that we need from health professionals and the world, and we all know the importance of a good mattress. It’s a place you spend so much time in so you want to invest in the best quality you can, but sadly too many of us are swapping the slumbers of sleep to continue working and paving our futures.
I spoke to some fellow bloggers to find out how much sleep they really get and why this is.
A lot of parents find it tough to bring the gap between working and having young children. Rebecca Smith said “I get about 5-6 hours a night – I try to get work done in the day but often find myself working late into the night to try to get things done once the kids are in bed. With a 10-month-old though, I often stay up until the early hours getting work done after FINALLY getting her down, only for her to wake up as soon as I get to bed – working from home full time doesn’t lend itself to a good night’s sleep”
Helen Treharne agrees and said “I’m permanently exhausted. I average around 5-6 hours of sleep a night. Even if I get more I’m at the stage now it doesn’t seem to make any difference. I work too so I usually fit blogging in around breaks or in the evening once Small Boy has gone to bed. I try to have a routine but very often I’m on a roll and just need to go with it!”
It isn’t just kids which can make bloggers work until all hours; studying and working are also factors. Shelley Anne Morecroft said “I’m a final year student and do blogging on the side pretty much full-time at the moment. If I don’t stay up late to work on assignments I will still be taking pics at 11 (got myself some softboxes to turn night into day) or finishing up a draft. I love my sleep, but work has to be done. Unfortunately, people don’t realize how much work it actually is and thinks all we do is to take some pics and post them online with a bit of text!”
Luisa-Christie Walton-Stoev said “I absolutely love my sleep & I’m lucky if I get 6 hours of rested sleep in a night. Ideally, I need 8 to not be a grumpy gremlin in the mornings. However, I would say I’m pretty much tired all of the time & always have a million things going around my head: work and blog related. If I have a free weekday evening I often stay between 1-3 hours in the office I work in just so I can use my desktop to blog/reply to blog emails & not get distracted by my housemates, cats, or Netflix.”
I used to think that if I didn’t have a full-time job and I was just blogging that I’d be able to spend my time more wisely so of course I’d have more time to sleep but this isn’t necessarily the case. Kacie Morgan agrees and said “I quit my full-time job in July to focus on blogging and writing as a freelance income. Since then, I seriously have developed bags under my eyes that were never there before. I love being freelance and blogging and it’s definitely less stressful and more enjoyable than my other job was, but because it’s my baby, I invest all of my time and effort into it and I find it difficult to switch off. I start work around 9 am depending on how late I worked the night before, and some evenings I don’t stop working until 10 pm. By the time I switch off, have a shower and watch some TV, it’s often gone 1 am when I get into bed to go to sleep.”
Sarah Bailey said “I don’t think people realize how much work goes into blogging, there are many nights where I’m still working gone 1 / 2 even 3 am just to try and get that deadline finished while sorting out social shares and trying to do everything else. It isn’t just putting up a post there is so much more to it.”
I think we all know we should be getting more sleep but many of us don’t embrace that. Fortunately, some bloggers push to get the right balance and Monica Wong said “Sleep is my favourite activity in the world. Weekdays I get 8 hours and on weekends I get 10 hours. I do occasionally stay up late to finish work but I hate doing that. I think sleep is SO important because it affects everything in your life from stress, concentration, and physical health.”
Although some of us are trying to make positive changes such as Victoria Sully whose said “The past two weeks I have been making an effort to go to bed by 11 pm. Before this I would always stay up until around 1 am doing work, then the kids get up at 6 am. It’s just not enough sleep and I found I’m less productive in the day like this, so I’m now trying to get a proper night’s sleep.” Hayley Beth said “I tend to finish my day job at half 9 every night and then work on my blog until 1-2 in the morning. I’ve stopped doing that recently and although my blog has been getting less attention I feel healthier.”
How much sleep do you get? And do you find yourself thinking you should be working?
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27 responses to “How Much Sleep Do Bloggers Really Get?”
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All About Me
Rhian Westbury
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Totally agree with what you say and I wish I had so much more time to just carry on blogging, liking instagram posts etc as there is not enough time
I try to get at least 8 hours but even when I do get to bed at a decent time I find myself laying in bed wide awake thinking about all the stuff I still have to get done or a blog post ideas always seem to pop into my head as I’m drifting off!
Thank you for including me! I’m going to try and take advice of others and switch off at a specific time!
This is fascinating – seems so many of us can’t switch off. I work full time plus run my blog pretty much full time plus am a mum too – I probably don’t get anywhere near enough sleep as I should and I find it very difficult to switch off
I love this post. I honestly get maybe 3 hours of sleep per night? Working full time, two kids, plus 2 other side gigs…it takes it time and its toll for sure, but it’s worth it to me.
Blogging takes up so much time and I’ve certainly spent many of long nights trying to write content after my baby is in bed rather than having an early night. Sleep is so important and I’ve recently learnt how important it is to slow down and relax.
I so agree the amount of people who think it is all free stuff and don’t realise actually it’s long hours and hard work so far from free. I prob get around 5-6 hours but find myself constantly working but I love it
Nowhere near enough. I was really interested to read this because I often wonder how bloggers who have a job as well cope with it all. People have no idea how hard bloggers work.
Completely agree with how much work goes into blogging. I have a full time day job, and then in the evenings I spend time with my daughter until she goes to bed. Then, I’m usually up until 1am to 2am working on my blog.
Couldnt agree with you more thee. Its especially challenging for part time bloggers like me. Its purely a hobby but we do get carried away sometimes and stay up late every now and then!
Really interesting post, it’s made me feel much better about my lack of sleep, that i’m not alone! I have three jobs, blogging being one of them, and being a parent on top – which is THE most important job. But it’s constant guilt, anxiety and exhaustion, and worry that I’m not giving any of these things enough attention. Maybe more sleep would help with that!
Thank God someone decided to write about us bloggers and how hard we work! Trust me, I am perpetually sleepless, and being a Fashion Blogger I am under pressure to look good all the time as well. Totally relate to this post and love it too.
Thanks for sharing.
Do drop by my blog as well 🙂
Totally agree! With so much to do, sleep ends up being second on the list of priorities! It’s easy to slip away on the late nights and late mornings but we should make an effort, I’m trying to go to bed at around midnight but still failing sometimes!!
Most people think that blogging is all about getting free stuff for nothing, and don’t realize how much time we spend just to write that one post they read in couple of minutes.
After I quit my corporate job and went full time blogging and VA work, I thought things would be easier. But oh no. Blogging is difficult work. It is not the physical stress but the mental stress that drains me of my energy. I do my best to come up with articles that would be beneficial to my readers and that takes hours of research! Honestly, I spend a day to a day and a half to come up with an article that has been proof-read many times over and most importantly, relevant to my readers’ needs. Oh, you mentioned “Sleep?” What is that? An alien word??
Amen I am up most nights until gone 3 AM, on average I get 4 hours sleep a night, then again I do have insomnia! Its so true though, we do far more than what people may think we do! Its amazing how many skills we have under our belt haha!
I so much agree with this post, we bloggers do much more than what people think of us. After taking full time blogging mid 2017, I really have lost my sleep and I get just 5 hours sleep and then I have a pile of blogging work and house work ready along with my 3 yo.
I down tools for the evening as if I work at night I cannot sleep. I do most of my blogging in the morning
I am just a virtual assistant but i do sleep for just 5 hours a day. It has really many thing for work and is have still 2 kids.
I have worked out that I need a good eight hours sleep a night but rarely get it! Kaz
I definitely don’t get anywhere near enough sleep as a blogger – there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day! x
I would love to get more than 6 hours sleep, even at a weekend, but my mind is always on over drive x
This is so true, people think blogging is all fun and relaxing. While it’s fun and adventure I barely get sleep, because there’s so many things to do! I’m glad you shared this post so people can understand blogger is not a easy money job.
It’s so true when you try and fit so much in a day then sleep will suffer. I think one should put all social media away in the night and try to get a good nights sleep. I blame these mobiles. Yes, bloggers work so hard!
I definitely don’t get enough sleep and sometimes if I wake in the middle of the night I even interrupt a dream about blogging (crazy!).
After i started blogging i dont get enough sleep, there is so much work, blog then social media, too exhausting!
I have never been much of a sleeper and 6 hours is usually just fine for me, some nights it is less.