Tis a Writer's life for me! -- Sleepless in San Jose

Progress on WIP, Forsaken Dreams:  Finished up Chapter 27 this week. (out of 35) Yea!! 

Over the years I've met a lot of different authors at conferences and book signings, etc.. and I was surprised to discover that many of them suffer from insomnia. Including yours truly. So, I began to wonder if this was common trait among creative people. Such as people in the arts who are mainly right brained like authors, artists, actors, playwrights, people who design furniture, etc.

According to the Cognitive Science Examiner, there was a study done by Healey and Runco in 2006 on children ages 10-12 that confirmed that creative children experienced a higher amount of sleep difficulties compared to regular kids.

I wonder why?  My problems began about twenty years ago when I entered my 30s. All of a sudden, I simply couldn't sleep. I had the worst time getting to sleep. And forget staying asleep. At first I thought it was hormones but I believe now it goes much deeper than that.  Although I'm able to fall asleep now pretty quickly, I never stay asleep. I wake up several times a night, look at the clock, get up for awhile, then try to fall back asleep. I've always told my husband that it seems like my brain is waking me up!  Like it can't stand to see me rest so it knocks on my consciousness over and over until I open my eyes!

You see I have one of those overactive brains. It's not brilliant, but it can think of a thousand things at once. Thoughts are zipping here and there, barely landing long enough for me to contemplate their meaning before the next thought leaps in.  It's like being in the middle of a hurricane of thoughts and ideas!  I have no control! I'm completely at their mercy. Yikes

On the other hand, my husband, who is a scientist and very much left-brained, can focus on a single thing for hours and hours. Me? I cannot even fathom that. I would get too bored.

I suppose God gave me this crazy brain so I could transport myself into another world and be able to see everything that's going on and write it down in story form. I love that! But the downside is that my brain sometimes refuses to leave that world. I mean, if that world is on a tall ship in the Caribbean with a handsome pirate and a warm breeze.. can you blame it?  I wouldn't leave either!  The problem lies in that my body is stuck here. Major bummer, huh? I thought so too.

I suppose I should give my brain a break. At 2:00 in the morning, when it is tapping it's fingers in impatience.. wondering how I could possibly sleep with all this adventure going on: battles to fight, damsels to rescue, seas to explore... I suppose I can't blame my brain for waking me up.   I would do the same thing!

So, if you ever happen to pass my house in the wee hours of the morning and you spot me floating by the window in my nightgown with a candle in hand, you'll know me and my brain are plotting some grand adventure in an exotic land that no doubt contains swashbuckling heroes and glorious tall ships!

How's your sleep these days?