Better Sleep for Writers
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Getting a good night's sleep has always been something of a challenge for me, ever since I was a kid. Some of my earliest memories involve watching the hours creep by on a backlit analog clock. Insomnia as a child was just me being my high-energy self, I think. As an adult, it's meant more of a “busy brain” that hasn't had time to really process upcoming events and tasks during the daytime.
When I haven't gotten enough sleep, I function pretty well . . . for a while. But I think it takes a toll on my writing.
Although my sleep now is far from perfect (in fact, I'm writing this post after having gotten up for the day at 3:15 a.m.), there are a few ways I've tried to make sure I set the stage for a better night.
I check my calendar for the next day. Before I turn in, I make sure to check my planner (and my online calendar in case something there didn't make it onto my planner) to see what's up for the next day. There's nothing like not being prepared for an early appointment of some kind. Better to know the day before.
I do brain dumps. This is one of my favorite ways to keep from waking up at night. I make a list of all the different things I need to get done in all the different areas of my life. This could be everything from scheduling a vet visit, to planning for an upcoming family birthday, to getting in touch with my editor or audiobook narrator. Sometimes I'll arrange the lists by topic before coming up with everything I possibly can think of that might wake me up at night. But often, it's a true “dump.”
I schedule some of the brain dump items on calendars. After you've completed a massive list, how do you keep all the to-dos from keeping you up at night? For me, it means scattering them throughout my calendar. It means I have the beginnings of a plan for addressing them.
I reschedule tasks that didn't get completed to another day. This is important, I've learned. It's okay not to finish everything on my list for the day. But when don't finish a task, I need to reschedule it on my calendar. Otherwise, I'll be thinking about it in the middle of the night.
I read before bed. Not only is reading incredibly important for writers, it helps me to calm my brain down and transport me to another world.
Those are the things that are working best for me now. But I'm curious to hear what works for you. Do you have issues falling and staying asleep? What helps you out?
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