Background: This research explores and represents the sleep of people caring for a family member with cognitive impairment or dementia. Methods: A thematic analysis was applied to the open-ended comments from 526 carers from a postal survey concerning sleep, health and caregiving. Themes are presented within a framework of five dimensions of sleep health. Findings: Themes of sleep duration included striking a balance between 'achieving the hours' whilst also sacrificing sleep to manage responsibilities.