Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts

September 6, 2025

Highly Creative Insomniacs


One of the characteristics of very creative people involves thinking outside the line, the circle, and, yes, okay, the box. These men and women typically include writers, poets, scientists, composers, philosophers, artisans, and gifted children, especially those with empathy or sensitivity to others.

Often, these gifts overlap, for example, a poet might also write, create music, or paint. Or a data processing engineer might find amazing ways to connect numerical digits and produce something that categorizes information and provides solutions to problems. Then, in his spare time, he might doodle, make swirly colored bars of natural soap, or invent a new recipe for bread.

On particularly active days, creatively speaking, trouble comes when those ingenious ideas don’t acknowledge bed-time, as if the imaginative mind has no off switch. Other creatives all over the world experience this frustration, too, so, Lord willing, some will respond with helpful ideas in the Comments section below. Meanwhile,

  • Don’t get mad at yourself for being awake, even though you’re tired! 
  • Do a few stretching exercises.
  • Make a list of ideas that won’t hush to expound on at a more appropriate time.
  • Listen to some relaxing instrumental hymns or calming prayers.
  • Ask God for the prayers to pray. Then use the time to pray whatever He brings to your mind.
  • Thank God for giving you the gift of creativity even though insomnia accompanied the gift.
  • If you’ve done all the above and can’t let go of a new idea, get up and go with it. Let it flow until empty.
  • Ask God to give you the rest you need, even if sleep only comes for a couple of hours.

 

May the Lord guide, bless, and provide you with the rest and everything else you need in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

Mary Harwell Sayler

 

July 10, 2017

Questions from an insomniac


During one of the several times I woke up during the night, an idea for a book about sleep (or lack thereof) arose. I’ve since been doing biblical and online research on the topic, but if thoughts come to you about any of the questions posed, I hope you'll respond in the Comments section below.

1. What keeps you from going to sleep? (For instance, pain, medication, worry, caffeine, etc.)
2. Does anyone else in your family have sleep problems?
3. Once you’re asleep, do you wake up? How often?
4. What’s most apt to awaken you during the night?
5. How comfy are your bed and pillow?
6. Do you have a quiet space dedicated to sleep?
7. What helps you rest best? (For example, praying a particular prayer or recalling scripture)

Thank you for your responses to the above and anything else that might help those who have trouble sleeping as, reportedly, millions of us do!

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2017


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