I can't remember the last time I had a sleep in, or the last time I actually got to sleep through the night. I don't have any children, just a cat who's rediscovered the joys of hunting and a husband who has taken up rabbit shooting. Early morning swims are better because the pool is so chocka after work, and early morning runs are better because the temperature gets too high later in the day. My husband works weekends, so while he sleeps in on the days he doesn't work, I'm expected to get up with him on the weekends because, you know, it's hard to work on the weekends while everyone else is at home.

I would love a sleep in for Christmas, but I don't think I'm going to get one.

I am now embracing the lack of sleep. Getting up at 4am for an early morning ride is now a pleasure. I have lived on less than 6 hours sleep a night for over 6 years now, it is the new 8 hours. Weekends included. Kids tend to do this to you.

This Christmas, work is at peace. I am sooooo looking forward to hitting the road on the bike, big time. Four weeks of cycling pleasure. Hopefully the driving nutters are tucked up in bed after a big day's gorging of food.

I try and guard my rest-day Sundays from the encroachments of my every-other day workouts of some description. I'm not an early morning trainer but a sleep-in once a week is a beautiful thing. And I'm considering doing something crazy over this holiday period - not running at all over the week I'm not at work! We'll see how well that works out though;p

Not likely, the weekend is the one time of the week when I run in the morning. So both Sat & Sun I'm up early and out the door for a run. Generally shortish on Sat and really long on Sunday. I would have trouble getting up at 05:30ish on a weekday morning and training before work since any sleep deprivation more than once a week and I come down with something and that day is Sunday.

It's nearly 10pm here and off to bed as soon as I finish this half of the last cheese and crackers, this one is the nice sharp, salty genuine stilton. For me these days few things say xmas as much as a really good stilton.

Oh and you don't get to sleep in on xmas day if there is anyone under about 13 in the house (and in the case of our youngest, 17). Mind you xmas without little ones is never quite as magical.

I really don't remember the last time I slept in either. The mind and body is willing but the three small children are not. One of them is always guaranteed to wake up during the night or first thing in the morning. Unfortunately, getting up at 5 or 6am doesn't mean I get to enjoy a quiet, cool, early morning run. Instead it's pandemonium changing nappies, getting wriggling toddlers dressed and fed, doing washing, cleaning, cooking, entertaining and god knows what else until the nanny arrives mid afternoon and I can finally head out the door to the gym or for a run before returning for the late afternoon shambles that is dinner/bath/bedtime. Finally sometime after 7pm I get to collapse on the couch and remind myself how wonderful it is to have children (or at least how bloody grateful I am that they are asleep and if I am really lucky I don't have to be whined at for another 10 hours).

Ann, if you ever have children at least you have trained yourself to thrive on little sleep and early mornings. My pre-children days were certainly not spent getting up at 5.30am for a 90km bike ride! I still find it very hard to survive on sub-6 hours sleep per night. It takes a toll after a while I reckon. One of the reasons why I started running was to have more energy and get rid of the mind-numbing fatigue that I have felt for the last 3 years. And it has worked to an extent, but I would still love a solid, unbroken 8 hours sleep per night and the knowledge that I can wake in the morning on my own terms.

I'm looking forward to my early morning swim on christmas morning followed quickly by a nice run on the beach and maybe a lazy 60k ride with my old man, Christmas day is the best for training!

Last time I buy you a wigwam for a goose’s bridal!!! If you come stay I can supply the sleep in. -x-

Glad to see that Christmas is so important to all of you. When it comes down to it Christmas is reduced to a punch up with the rellies, a smelly cheese, a bike ride, stuffing your face and a sleep in (unless you have kids). Why don't you just go to work as normal instead of being so bloody miserable and presumably making everyboody else miserable?

Yes, I know that Christmas originates as a pagan festival before anyone feels the urge to point it out, but to many people there is a deep and important meaning to Christmas, and if saying that makes me sanctimonius, well tough. We live in a free world and everyone is at liberty to believe what they want and to do what they want (the latter being the problem)but do try and remeber that there is more to Christmas than all of you appear to think.

You could also go in with the attitude that no matter what happens you will not argue or fight with your family.

Finally, what the hell is a wigwam for a goose's bridal?

My husband and I reached an agreement that works well with 3 small children. We take turns each week on Saturday, one of us gets ups when the children do, the other gets a couple of hours uninterrupted in bed, including toast and coffee supplied. Works brilliantly, and we always know who's turn it is.

Having said that - Christmas Morning won't qualify for a sleep in for anyone.

@ Ben,

Seconded, I was wondering just what that wigwam thing was all about myself.

I'm fortunate, perhaps extremely so, in having a fairly common-sense sort of family who all seem to realize it's a Bad Idea to bring up thorny subjects when everyone's relaxing, unwinding & enjoying each other's company over a good meal. And we all get on pretty well anyway, religion being the only issue over which there is any real difference of opinion. The atheists & the Christians appear to have reached a tacit mutual truce on the subject, it has held for many years now and long may it continue.