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ON SLEEP is the story of our love-hate relationship with slumber. Part-time insomniac Fleur Anderson ponders the big Why can't I sleep? Do politicians and other high-fliers ever admit they too are exhausted? Do they get enough sleep to make sensible decisions? Where is society heading, and why did I have that glass of cab sav?
128 pages, Paperback
Published July 20, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 26, 2022
On Sleep is a short but interesting read, detailing the author’s own struggles with getting a good night’s sleep and her discussions with several current and former Australian politicians and media personalities on the topic of sleep quality and quantity. In particular, she considers the potential impact of chronic sleep-deprivation upon the moral decision-making capabilities of those we elect to govern and those in the "fourth estate" who report their activities.
While many of Fleur Anderson and her interviewees' observations chimed with my own experience, and/or were thought-provoking, I didn't find this title quite as mind-blowing as the two other titles from the On series / Little Books, Big Ideas that I've previously read (On Reckoning by Amy Remeikis and On Fairness by Sally McManus).
That said, I've added several quotations that I felt were particularly pertinent from On Sleep to Goodreads' database. It's a great series, one that I hope to be dipping into again in the near future.
While many of Fleur Anderson and her interviewees' observations chimed with my own experience, and/or were thought-provoking, I didn't find this title quite as mind-blowing as the two other titles from the On series / Little Books, Big Ideas that I've previously read (On Reckoning by Amy Remeikis and On Fairness by Sally McManus).
That said, I've added several quotations that I felt were particularly pertinent from On Sleep to Goodreads' database. It's a great series, one that I hope to be dipping into again in the near future.
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September 23, 2024still haven’t fixed my sleep schedule
June 4, 2021
Reflections and lessons learned:
“Until I'm six feet under
Baby I don't need a bed
Going to live while I'm alive
I'll sleep when I'm dead” Bon Jovi
No Jon! A surreal night of sleep rest and dreams is brilliant! I have a mixed history with sleep - as a pre teen I would stress dress in the middle of the night for the next day but have no memory of why I was in my school shirt in the morning and still felt rested. As a student and twenties worker I could nap for hours at weekends and loved/lived in my bed. Currently I’m a mid forties full time worker that cares about her job, as well as a primarily being a parent to two children and thanks to lockdown I’ve never managed to grab as much sleep!
I’ve never resented not getting sleep at random times, as it usually meant that I was making the most of life - the only time that proper anger crept in for me was when exhausted with babies but that was driven more by concern for not being able to properly care for them the next day (sleep when the baby sleeps words sound lovely but if only that worked...). At that time of extreme parenting too much rest felt like the book quoted “inefficient use of time”. As also identified from this book, as the kids grow, nighttime’s for me (with a partner that can sleep for days throughout anything) are one of the only times of the day that I can get waking mind solo time - time for me firstly to be on sentry duty (mother lion instinct) with reflection time, memory shelving (Inside Out cartoon is biologically correct) analysis and judgement of people known/interacted with for a second, and a smattering of staircase wit (new phrase only just learned!) - all this may only take two minutes which means if I’ll be awake for two hours that’s dedicated time to catch up on a guilty and greedy personal act - reading! Being a natural procrastinator I’ll do the usual things first - blame the lumpy pillows, reach for the sleep mask and lavender spray, but secretly I’m excited to have the excuse to be awake for some me time that no one else can gatecrash...
I’m wittering but this is what this book has made me reflect on to make me happy about the situation. As everybody does, I sometimes have the nights of extreme stress about world situations and possible impact on myself, my family and my friends (and quite often society, the human race and all living creatures!) - for those that don’t experience these I ask how do you sleep at night?!
The principle of 8 hours to work, 8 hours to sleep, 8 hours to play made me stop and do my 8 times table a few times to believe it possible but something that I’ll be referring back to for a better analysis of life balance. Also the use of technology (which I often turn to to settle the mind) and the idea of googling “the future of sleep” - after listening to this I woke up feeling smiley and comforted - surely that’s all we can ask for the subconscious unplanned time - enjoy the book and enjoy the range of sleep in life... 💤
“Until I'm six feet under
Baby I don't need a bed
Going to live while I'm alive
I'll sleep when I'm dead” Bon Jovi
No Jon! A surreal night of sleep rest and dreams is brilliant! I have a mixed history with sleep - as a pre teen I would stress dress in the middle of the night for the next day but have no memory of why I was in my school shirt in the morning and still felt rested. As a student and twenties worker I could nap for hours at weekends and loved/lived in my bed. Currently I’m a mid forties full time worker that cares about her job, as well as a primarily being a parent to two children and thanks to lockdown I’ve never managed to grab as much sleep!
I’ve never resented not getting sleep at random times, as it usually meant that I was making the most of life - the only time that proper anger crept in for me was when exhausted with babies but that was driven more by concern for not being able to properly care for them the next day (sleep when the baby sleeps words sound lovely but if only that worked...). At that time of extreme parenting too much rest felt like the book quoted “inefficient use of time”. As also identified from this book, as the kids grow, nighttime’s for me (with a partner that can sleep for days throughout anything) are one of the only times of the day that I can get waking mind solo time - time for me firstly to be on sentry duty (mother lion instinct) with reflection time, memory shelving (Inside Out cartoon is biologically correct) analysis and judgement of people known/interacted with for a second, and a smattering of staircase wit (new phrase only just learned!) - all this may only take two minutes which means if I’ll be awake for two hours that’s dedicated time to catch up on a guilty and greedy personal act - reading! Being a natural procrastinator I’ll do the usual things first - blame the lumpy pillows, reach for the sleep mask and lavender spray, but secretly I’m excited to have the excuse to be awake for some me time that no one else can gatecrash...
I’m wittering but this is what this book has made me reflect on to make me happy about the situation. As everybody does, I sometimes have the nights of extreme stress about world situations and possible impact on myself, my family and my friends (and quite often society, the human race and all living creatures!) - for those that don’t experience these I ask how do you sleep at night?!
The principle of 8 hours to work, 8 hours to sleep, 8 hours to play made me stop and do my 8 times table a few times to believe it possible but something that I’ll be referring back to for a better analysis of life balance. Also the use of technology (which I often turn to to settle the mind) and the idea of googling “the future of sleep” - after listening to this I woke up feeling smiley and comforted - surely that’s all we can ask for the subconscious unplanned time - enjoy the book and enjoy the range of sleep in life... 💤
August 13, 2018
An examination of the importance of sleep in our lives and why our culture seems to be working towards making it redundant. Anderson shares her own anecdotes of sleeplessness and also interviews some of Australia's most successful politicians about how they approach sleep and the prod and cons of this. Lots of great food for thought!
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September 26, 2022Fleur Anderson’s essay ‘On Sleep’ is quite a compelling reminder that sleep (or lack thereof) is a shared experience, which is worthy of greater discussion beyond the phatic exchange of bed-times and wake-times made between tired students, busy workers, parents and friends.
Hearing about the sleeping habits of relative strangers feels disquietingly intimate. Yet it’s strangely heartening to hear that Prime Ministers and politicians also struggle with sleep and still manage to conduct the country — although Anderson perhaps adulates sleepless nights too much when she compares part-time insomniacs to “a secret community”.
The penultimate section of the essay deals with the “future of sleep”: gadgets and an eventual ‘cure’ to sleep. On Sleep is very much grounded in the unusually techno-centric rhetoric of 2018 when it was published. How Anderson would approach the future of sleep, and indeed the topic of sleep in general, following the COVID-19 pandemic would be an interesting read. One can’t help but think our relationship with sleep would be more complex in a world marred by long-covid, and groggily emerging from stay-at-home, work-from-home, and the now too familiar four-bedroom-walls vista.
Hearing about the sleeping habits of relative strangers feels disquietingly intimate. Yet it’s strangely heartening to hear that Prime Ministers and politicians also struggle with sleep and still manage to conduct the country — although Anderson perhaps adulates sleepless nights too much when she compares part-time insomniacs to “a secret community”.
The penultimate section of the essay deals with the “future of sleep”: gadgets and an eventual ‘cure’ to sleep. On Sleep is very much grounded in the unusually techno-centric rhetoric of 2018 when it was published. How Anderson would approach the future of sleep, and indeed the topic of sleep in general, following the COVID-19 pandemic would be an interesting read. One can’t help but think our relationship with sleep would be more complex in a world marred by long-covid, and groggily emerging from stay-at-home, work-from-home, and the now too familiar four-bedroom-walls vista.
January 27, 2023
given the data on the cover, anderson is not somebody who has the qualifications to emit this book. anderson is not even average. anderson is a failure. anderson is an aborted project who might somehow evolve some thoughts. the equivalent would be to ask a failed plumber about your new and completely outlandish project. the best thing you would get is average plumbing done badly. never mind breaking new grounds.
November 7, 2025
Rating: 3.5
Format: Audiobook
Very different from my usual reads, but I was in the mood for something short to listen to after many sleepless nights.
This was an interesting discussion about sleep, or lack thereof, and how that affects everyday people, but also those in high positions of power - like in politics.
The overall takeaway being; sleep is important.
Format: Audiobook
Very different from my usual reads, but I was in the mood for something short to listen to after many sleepless nights.
This was an interesting discussion about sleep, or lack thereof, and how that affects everyday people, but also those in high positions of power - like in politics.
The overall takeaway being; sleep is important.
April 10, 2024
I hadn't realised this was an essay related to Australian political figures as I didn't read the synopsis beforehand. So I did not enjoy it although I liked the snippets of sleep information.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews