Snippets
The NYT website has a prominently featured piece titled “In Sleepless Nights, a Hope for Treating Depression”… I read it with interest as I’ve from time to time had brutal, grinding insomnia (as have many other writers I know). Extended periods of insomnia do not in my experience alleviate depression in any way. On the other hand–and this is not insomnia–there are those nights (rather, mornings) when dawn breaks and you’ve been writing nonstop all night and your exhaustion becomes a kind of euphoria. Writing as a profession or lifestyle can be disruptive to circadian rhythms because of those nights–they can fuck up your sleep schedule for a week. (This just happened to me in the last few days, totally disoriented my mind and body in relation to time of day, and may or may not have contributed to a minor car accident.) But those nights are actually one of my favorite parts of being a writer–those nights are when you get the pure joy of creative endeavor unadulterated by the logistical headaches of publishing and promoting and etc etc etc.
Oh, and–I really want to see the new Nightmare on Elm Street (http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/newline/anightmareonelmstreet/)
Oh, and–I really want to see the new Nightmare on Elm Street (http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/newline/anightmareonelmstreet/)
just want to express myself yall
just want to express myself yall
I love writing, but man, I don’t fuck around with my sleep. In bed by midnight at the latest, every day. It’s automatic.
I love writing, but man, I don’t fuck around with my sleep. In bed by midnight at the latest, every day. It’s automatic.
At university I don’t sleep a great deal, as a result of trying to juggle my workload, ‘extracurricular’ pursuits and social life. I pull an all-nighter at least once a week in order to get an essay in on time, and quite often end up going to the bar the following night without having slept yet. It’s a stupid system, though, and after maybe 6 weeks leaves me burned out and feeling pretty down about the whole thing. I’m going to try to get out of the habit when I go back for the summer term in a couple of weeks. That said, I do find that writing seems to come more easily around 1am – 3am.
Also, I have several friends who suffer serious insomnia and will often be incapable of going to sleep for two or three days. One of them (the only girl among the insomniacs, incidentally) is one of the happiest people I know, but for the rest of them being awake for days on end always makes them depressed.
The article sounds like the researchers might be hitting on an interesting approach to the problem of depression, but I think it’s misleading to mention insomnia in the opening sentence. Occasional or one-night (or voluntary) sleep deprivation is not the same thing as insomnia.
At university I don’t sleep a great deal, as a result of trying to juggle my workload, ‘extracurricular’ pursuits and social life. I pull an all-nighter at least once a week in order to get an essay in on time, and quite often end up going to the bar the following night without having slept yet. It’s a stupid system, though, and after maybe 6 weeks leaves me burned out and feeling pretty down about the whole thing. I’m going to try to get out of the habit when I go back for the summer term in a couple of weeks. That said, I do find that writing seems to come more easily around 1am – 3am.
Also, I have several friends who suffer serious insomnia and will often be incapable of going to sleep for two or three days. One of them (the only girl among the insomniacs, incidentally) is one of the happiest people I know, but for the rest of them being awake for days on end always makes them depressed.
The article sounds like the researchers might be hitting on an interesting approach to the problem of depression, but I think it’s misleading to mention insomnia in the opening sentence. Occasional or one-night (or voluntary) sleep deprivation is not the same thing as insomnia.
I deal with pretty serious insomnia. The good news is that I get a lot done, the bad news is that I always feel tired and the more tired I become the less happy I feel. It’s also a little lonely to be awake all night every night. Alas.
I deal with pretty serious insomnia. The good news is that I get a lot done, the bad news is that I always feel tired and the more tired I become the less happy I feel. It’s also a little lonely to be awake all night every night. Alas.
I have sleep paralysis. I also tend to masturbate while I’m sleeping. It used to scare my wife. Not the sleep paralysis, the sleep masturbating. It is I who is afraid of the sleep paralysis. Anyone who has ever had sleep paralysis will tell you that it’s not a very pleasant experience.
I have sleep paralysis. I also tend to masturbate while I’m sleeping. It used to scare my wife. Not the sleep paralysis, the sleep masturbating. It is I who is afraid of the sleep paralysis. Anyone who has ever had sleep paralysis will tell you that it’s not a very pleasant experience.
I used to have pretty crippling insomnia myself. It’s mostly abated over the past few years. But, that touch of the midnight disease is definitely something I keep in my memory as a lover that I sometimes wish to revisit and sometimes do.
I used to have pretty crippling insomnia myself. It’s mostly abated over the past few years. But, that touch of the midnight disease is definitely something I keep in my memory as a lover that I sometimes wish to revisit and sometimes do.
There is a big difference, as the article alludes to, between insomnia and sleep deprivation. It’s also worth noting that this evidence is not and will never be a cure: its effects are short-lived and non-tenable over the long run.
There is a big difference, as the article alludes to, between insomnia and sleep deprivation. It’s also worth noting that this evidence is not and will never be a cure: its effects are short-lived and non-tenable over the long run.
dude, i used have crazy sleep paralysis. but only when i was napping (or, you know, had just fallen asleep after track practice). i would wake up, see my entire family walking around, talking, doing shit, and i’d be unable to move or talk on the sofa. i could typically move my eyes, though. it was so odd and frightening. after some time though, i was always able to tell myself to relax, you’re just sleeping, etc, so the fear vanished and i guess so did the paralysis. i only have it very rarely now. i also used to sleepwalk. i apparently also hold long, nonsensical conversations with myself while sleeping. i used to call family members into the room and talk at them and have no memory of it. and finally, my favorite one, i used to get intense false-awakenings, in which i believed i’d gotten up and done a bunch of stuff, but i’d really been sleeping the entire time. usually though i’d wake up in a new spot in the house and have no idea what exactly had happened. you’ve got me on the masturbating though.
dude, i used have crazy sleep paralysis. but only when i was napping (or, you know, had just fallen asleep after track practice). i would wake up, see my entire family walking around, talking, doing shit, and i’d be unable to move or talk on the sofa. i could typically move my eyes, though. it was so odd and frightening. after some time though, i was always able to tell myself to relax, you’re just sleeping, etc, so the fear vanished and i guess so did the paralysis. i only have it very rarely now. i also used to sleepwalk. i apparently also hold long, nonsensical conversations with myself while sleeping. i used to call family members into the room and talk at them and have no memory of it. and finally, my favorite one, i used to get intense false-awakenings, in which i believed i’d gotten up and done a bunch of stuff, but i’d really been sleeping the entire time. usually though i’d wake up in a new spot in the house and have no idea what exactly had happened. you’ve got me on the masturbating though.
I don’t know about anyone else, but when I don’t get very much sleep, I start getting very weird.
I don’t know about anyone else, but when I don’t get very much sleep, I start getting very weird.
coffee is for closers
if you want the Glengarry leads, you can’t be tucked in at a normal hour
Good father? Fuck you. Go home and play with your kids.
coffee is for closers
if you want the Glengarry leads, you can’t be tucked in at a normal hour
Good father? Fuck you. Go home and play with your kids.
so yes, I’m with Nick about staying up late
I’m never lonely in the middle of the night. Lots of stuff to do online, um like Fictionaut and Zoetrope and this place
so yes, I’m with Nick about staying up late
I’m never lonely in the middle of the night. Lots of stuff to do online, um like Fictionaut and Zoetrope and this place
Ah, man, I get false awakenings. They’re especially problematic when you have a lot to do and can’t afford to sleep in. The moment you realise you’ve been lying in bed asleep the whole time is horrible.
Ah, man, I get false awakenings. They’re especially problematic when you have a lot to do and can’t afford to sleep in. The moment you realise you’ve been lying in bed asleep the whole time is horrible.
Those are the worst. I get so much done during those, and then you wake up and realize you have to go do it all again.
Those are the worst. I get so much done during those, and then you wake up and realize you have to go do it all again.
Insomnia, yes yes, crippling depression, yes yes. I once put a miter saw through the top of my hand after not sleeping for three days. I cannot tell you how often I fall asleep behind the wheel, which is why I can’t drive by myself at night. I’m currently on 4 meds all for various things and they are suppose to help me sleep but none do. – I thought the abilify was working well as I slept great for two weeks (longest since I was eight) but now the monster is back and toying with my mind.
this is why I write they way I do, I never fucking sleep. well, not never – I would be dead and some nights it’d be preferable.
Insomnia, yes yes, crippling depression, yes yes. I once put a miter saw through the top of my hand after not sleeping for three days. I cannot tell you how often I fall asleep behind the wheel, which is why I can’t drive by myself at night. I’m currently on 4 meds all for various things and they are suppose to help me sleep but none do. – I thought the abilify was working well as I slept great for two weeks (longest since I was eight) but now the monster is back and toying with my mind.
this is why I write they way I do, I never fucking sleep. well, not never – I would be dead and some nights it’d be preferable.
b o r i n g
b o r i n g
this makes sense. i’ve had erratic sleep patterns all semester because of noises waking me up and keeping me up at night. consequently i’ve been running on less than adequate sleep going on about three months, but have still managed to get a lot done writing-wise (despite the fuzzy brain) and been in a kind of euphoric state for much of it — which anyone observing me closely would just take for straight up crazy or autistic whack or something. the major downside to the lack of sleep has been an inability to sustain coherent conversation with others. but fuck ’em.
this makes sense. i’ve had erratic sleep patterns all semester because of noises waking me up and keeping me up at night. consequently i’ve been running on less than adequate sleep going on about three months, but have still managed to get a lot done writing-wise (despite the fuzzy brain) and been in a kind of euphoric state for much of it — which anyone observing me closely would just take for straight up crazy or autistic whack or something. the major downside to the lack of sleep has been an inability to sustain coherent conversation with others. but fuck ’em.
hey nick,
i don’t have yr email address but i thought you might like this short film called dreamland, free on the auteurs: http://www.theauteurs.com/films/23976
hey nick,
i don’t have yr email address but i thought you might like this short film called dreamland, free on the auteurs: http://www.theauteurs.com/films/23976