Sydney mum reveals heartbreaking reason she can’t sleep

This mother of two never sleeps through the night, but it’s not her young kids keeping her up – instead it’s the man lying beside her. Here’s why.

Every night Laura Bouchet wakes up not once, but twice, because she can’t sleep.

“I get up twice a night, midnight and 4am, I wake up and I check, are my children breathing?” the mum of two and radio producer tells this week’s episode of news.com.au podcast Kinda Sorta Dating.

“Is he breathing?”

The “he” is Laura’s husband, Bruno Bouchet, otherwise known as “The List King” for his viral social media rankings and as Kyle Sandilands’ manager.

Bruno has Bipolar II disorder which sees him go through prolonged depressive periods and have hypomanic episodes.

Radio producer Laura is married to Bruno, who lives with Bipolar II disorder. Picture: Instagram/Laura Bouchet

Laura and Bruno met while working in radio over a decade ago and fell hard for each other, however, six months into dating things changed.

Bruno suddenly wouldn’t “want a bar” of Laura, despite previously spending lots of time together.

There would be “moody outbursts and irritability”, to the point where Laura could be at his house and he would “ignore me”.

“I know everyone has bad days and gets angry, but this was different,” she said of the behaviour.

Then 18 months into their relationship Bruno tried to take his own life, the first of many self-harm attempts over the next decade.

Six months into their relationship Bruno began acting ‘moody’ and a year later, tried to take his own life. Picture: Instagram/Laura Bouchet

Laura estimates Bruno has sought help at “20 different facilities over the last 10 years”.

His last episode of self-harm was over a year ago, however, Laura says she “still can’t relax”.

“There are all these practical steps I take to manage everyone else around me, which sounds crazy, and then myself. I find talking to friends, like you, really helpful, therapeutic,” she told podcast host and best friend, Jana Hocking.

“I have had therapy in the past, particularly after some big episodes.”

Laura says her worry for Bruno’s wellbeing is “not something that ever goes away, because I have the memory of it”, which is why she wakes up twice every night to check that he — and their two children — are OK.

“I can’t help it, it’s my normal way of life,” she said. “I’m trying to stop it, but I wake up at those hours so I do (go check).

Laura wants more intervention available for those with mental health issues before it becomes an “emergency”. Picture: Instagram/Laura Bouchet

“I’m aware that I am on extreme high alert all the time, I look at my phone constantly... I don’t have the luxury of not answering private numbers, I can’t avoid it because it could be something bad.”

But despite the challenges Bruno faces, he is wonderful father and husband, as well as being a creatively gifted guy who has “high energy and lots of ideas”, Laura said.

She wants more funding and intervention for those struggling with their mental health before it becomes an “emergency situation” as it would be a “game changer” for people like Bruno.

“It’s a really hard thing to do and it’s a choice you have to make every single day,” she says of their relationship.

“With my choice, with Bruno I’m there for the ride and the highs — and I’m not saying bipolar highs, I’m saying relationship highs — but the highs are so great that I will take the lows and I will work through him with it.”