Good news, fellow insomniacs!

"Insomnia" by this artist

Apparently, there's a correlation between insomnia and creativity. A recent study suggests that "highly creative" children tend to show "signs of sleep disturbance." (Source: Healey and Runco 2006, "Could creativity be associated with insomnia?", Creative Research Journal.) Research on the correlation between sleeping habits and creativity is still skimpy, but it's not uncommon for people in primarily creative occupations--e.g., writers, designers, actors, musicians and many other artists--to be chronic insomniacs indeed. Good news is, some of their most inspired works/ideas tend to come in the wee hours of the night/morning when they can't sleep.

I guess that should make me feel good about--and somewhat justified for being--an insomniac. While the above-mentioned research is fraught with qualifiers (it's not considered overwhelmingly conclusive), the findings resonate with me, personally. Some of my most enlightened and creative moments happen between 1 and 4 am. Many nights I'd hop off my bed and sit at my desk to write or brainstorm ideas for the "next" day. That 1-to-4am block, to me, are my peak hours when I'm so high and ideas seem to flow effortlessly. I'm sure I'm not alone in this experience. I'd like to think that I'm not the lone sleep-deprived soul enjoying those hushful nights of intense "awakening."

But, but, BUT: as the article's author quotes,

In our sleep clinic we see lots of people who have insomnia and function at a high level. The only trouble is, they feel miserable during the day.

Touché.

...

Feature article on this topic written by Dennis Drabbelle for The Washington Post. Republished on The Vancouver Sun, March 24, 2007.


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