Writer's sleep?

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  • Writer's sleep?

    I think I've developed some kind of sleep disorder, I wonder if anyone else has ever had the same problem?
    Every time I try to write nowadays, I get little done and some inexplicable, overwhelming fatigue just knocks me right now.

    I'm someone who generally has a hard time falling asleep at night. When I was in school, I pulled off all-nighters while studying for exams.
    When I started writing, I could go 2-3 days with only half a night's sleep. No problem. Now? It doesn't matter if I write in the morning, or during the day, or at night.
    Doesn't matter if I was tired to begin with or had a full night's sleep. The moment I try to write, the yawns begin, and within half an hour I feel a powerful sleepiness I've never felt before in my life.

    Interesting is that if I get up and do something else, like write this post, I wake back up.

    What to do? Has anyone else ever had this problem before, and if so, how do you overcome it?
    I wish it were as easy as "just don't sleep" but it is such a powerful tiredness, something much worse than you would feel after working all day.

    God I remember the days when I would sit down to right and have the overwhelming urge to get up and clean the house or surf the web instead. Such an easier problem to deal with.
    But this, this is seriously affecting my ability to accomplish anything at this point. Much help appreciated -- thanks.

  • #2
    Re: Writer's sleep?

    i don't know if this helps but it sorta sounds like you're dealing with a physical manifestation of writer's block. not the kind where you can't come up with anything; but, more like your brain knows what's coming when you sit down to write, and the creative mental gymnastics involved, so it's shutting down as a defense mechanism, if that makes sense...? what i've done to overcome it is to keep the room i'm writing in a little cooler; and when that doesn't work, i go to a busy location to write... something about keeping my creative subconscious preoccupied while my creative conscious is creating.

    life happens
    despite a few cracked pots-
    and random sunlight

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    • #3
      Re: Writer's sleep?

      Have you tried writing in some explosions? Those always wake me up.
      Chicks Who Script podcast

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      • #4
        Re: Writer's sleep?

        Chronic suicidal depression?
        I heard the starting gun


        sigpic

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        • #5
          Re: Writer's sleep?

          Sounds like you're not interested in whatever you're working on.
          One must be fearless and tenacious when pursuing their dreams. If you don't, regret will be your reward.

          The Fiction Story Room

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          • #6
            Re: Writer's sleep?

            What about glasses? If you don't have them, maybe you need them. If you already use them, then I don't know. Never mind, I guess.
            FOR SALE: Brass brads, three hole punch, two reams 20 lb. paper, two packs of index cards, Final Draft (trial version), and a slew of reading material: Field, McKee, Snyder, etc.

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            • #7
              Re: Writer's sleep?

              Actually, the cooler room idea worked great tonight. I cranked up the a/c and definitely felt more alert. Thank you for that suggestion.

              And I'm obsessed with the story I'm working on, so I don't think that was it.

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              • #8
                Re: Writer's sleep?

                Embrace the change. I've had to deal with this for a while. If you feel it coming on, nap for 15 minutes or for a short amont of time, just enough to convince your brain has rested. The most important part is to write as soon as you wake up. And I mean write pages. Just let go and write. Overtime, that weird mechanism will taper off and you'll simply sit there and write without needing that nap.
                Give yourself time to adjust. Your sleeping habits will be all over the map. But you'll be able to write.

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                • #9
                  Re: Writer's sleep?

                  Originally posted by Ven View Post
                  Actually, the cooler room idea worked great tonight. I cranked up the a/c and definitely felt more alert. Thank you for that suggestion.
                  happy to help. i struggled with this for awhile myself before i figured out the sleep-trigger was specifically related to writing periods in which i had to do a lot of creative visualization. also, eucalyptus works great but not as well as a cold room or a busy background location.
                  Last edited by asjah8; 08-07-2011, 11:05 AM.
                  life happens
                  despite a few cracked pots-
                  and random sunlight

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Writer's sleep?

                    Originally posted by emily blake View Post
                    Have you tried writing in some explosions? Those always wake me up.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Writer's sleep?

                      Cut back on the Quaaludes and whiskey. For most people -- except the most seasoned professionals with abnormally strong constitutions -- anything over a dozen Ludes and a fifth of whiskey a day is risky territory.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Writer's sleep?

                        Originally posted by jtwg50 View Post
                        Cut back on the Quaaludes and whiskey. For most people -- except the most seasoned professionals with abnormally strong constitutions -- anything over a dozen Ludes and a fifth of whiskey a day is risky territory.
                        People posting their age ITT.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Writer's sleep?

                          I have experienced this. But it usually happens when I don't know what to write. If I take a look at my outline (assuming you have one), and then say to myself, I'm going to write these next 5 scenes, then I find that I get less sleepy.

                          Know what you're going to write before sitting down. And know it in adequate detail. If you tell yourself, I'm going to write this dinner scene, you need to know what you mean. What happens in the dinner scene you said you're going to write? Don't go to write it without knowing.

                          Ok, hopefully I'm not babbling too much, but in short, yes, I experience this, and it's when I don't know exactly what to write.

                          But we're all different
                          -chris

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                          • #14
                            Re: Writer's sleep?

                            Thanks for the feedback everyone.

                            Something else I think I've discovered -- try and write in an environment where you will get steady dose of sunlight. I think this has been a big part of my problem.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Writer's sleep?

                              Ven, I agree with Juno. Our brains don't like to be bored. They shut right down if not being used. The yawning signifies your lack of interest, concentration, and purpose I believe... your desire to do anything but write. I wouldn't sit down to write until I had something to say. Purposefully stay away from sitting at the computer for a few days, deny yourself any small urge to write, allow all the stuff to pile up until you can't contain it. When you sit down again to write nothing will stop you. You'll be back to all-nighters. The house will never get cleaned. Good luck.

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