P. - Interview 16

Age at interview: 95

Brief Outline: P. has been retired for 35 years but still continues to undertake research and has published more than 30 papers since his retirement. He likes to try and be active as much as he can during the day and doesn't like to doze off in the evening because he feels that is a waste of time. He does sometimes have difficulty getting off to sleep, but finds that reading a book often helps with this.

Background: Widowed, retired University Professor

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P. finds that if he has something to worry about, it prevents him from going to sleep. He tries to clear his mind of his worries, and finds that reading helps him to do this, often falling asleep after a few pages. He tries to keep active during the day and carry on with his research in the evening, but sometimes finds himself dozing in the chair. P. even finds he occasionally dozes in the chair until about 1 or 2 in the morning, which he doesn’t like because he feels this is a waste of time.

 

P. usually goes to bed about 12 midnight, and set his alarm for about 7, although he may doze again after this for another half an hour or so. However, whilst P. doesn’t need to be up at 7 am, he thinks his upbringing explains why he feels he should get up at this time and start to be ‘useful’.

 

P. feels he is fortunate that he sleeps well and has reasonably good health, in spite of his age. He doesn’t worry if he doesn’t sleep well as he knows he can doze during the day to make up for this.

After a bad night, P. is aware that he feels a bit jet-lagged the next day, and may unknowingly drop off to sleep in the afternoon.

Yes and when you have been through spells when you have not slept well do you change what you do during the day. Do you think oh I didn’t have a good night’s sleep I am going to do this that or the other?

 

No I don’t think so.

 

You don’t?

 

If I am working in the evening I don’t want to stop. I go on quite late and then I find my mind is still working and so I may have a job getting off then.

 

Okay so if you work late into the night it can stop you getting to sleep?

 

Yes.

 

Okay and you never find that losing sleep affects how active you are during the day. Does that make sense, for example if you have a bad night?

 

Oh well yes, you don’t feel so good in the day. It is like if you are like jet lag it feels like that.

 

Yes, trying to keep going?

 

Yes.

 

So would you change what you do during the day, would you ever say I am going to have a nap now?

 

Sometimes you try and doze off sometimes in the afternoon.

 

Oh you do just to help cope with that?

 

Yes, hm. 

P. always sets his radio alarm for 7 am because he thinks it is wrong to stay in bed too long, but he may doze on and off for a while listening to the radio.

But then you mentioned that, so your alarm goes off at 7?

 

Yes, sometimes I get used to hearing the alarm and I go back to sleep again. I find that sometimes.

 

You do go back to sleep again?

 

Well occasionally yes. I sort of doze. So I don’t really get up properly till about half past seven.

 

Okay is there a reason you set your alarm. Is there a reason like you feel like you need to set your alarm?

 

Well what happens I turn the radio, it is the radio that comes on, you see so I listen to that if I can hear it but probably I won’t have my hearing aid on so I might not be able to hear what he says. I might only hear a few words.

 

But why is it you feel, what I am interested in is why you feel you need to be up at 7 or awake at 7?

 

I don’t know. I feel a sort of conscience I suppose. It’s, I am probably more a puritan background I suppose. It is sinful to spend all the time in bed!

P. had a spell when the pain from arthritis in his hips made it very difficult for him to get to sleep.

But then eventually I read a book. I don’t really worry about not going to sleep. I just get a book out and read it, and that gets you through, quite a lot of them I eventually go off. But last year I had a lot of trouble with arthritis. And I couldn’t get to sleep because of the pain, so I used to get up and make myself a cup of tea and come down and look at the television. See all the midnight programmes on the television. And then I would have to doze off in the day time. I was rather short of sleep. But now, at the moment…

 

So you had this spell when you were in pain?

 

Hm.

 

You were in pain and that was stopping you getting to sleep?

 

Yes. Hm.Hm.

 

And did it wake you up in the night as well?

 

No. No. Once I got to sleep it seemed to be all right. But it was over the hip.

 

Well that is a bit better this year and I am not actually, when I am in bed it doesn’t get… just walking about it is a bit painful. But actually lying in bed doesn’t seem to make much difference.