Better Sleep for Writers

April 10, 2023 / Motivation and the Writing Life, Uncategorized / 18 COMMENTS

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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Image by Shanon from Pixabay

  1. Great topic, Elizabeth. It's 2: 33 a.m. in the Prescott area, and I'm at my desk with a cup of coffee. Much like you, I've awakened early since I was a kid. I don't use an alarm clock, because there's no reason to do so. I love your list, and I will try your brain dumps. Fingers crossed! One thing I do is read at night, and more often than not, I fall asleep with a book/kindle in my hands. I wish I had some good advice to add to your list, but unfortunately, I don't. 🤗

    1. I think it’s better to just get up when we can’t sleep; at least, that’s what I’ve read. Sorry you’re in the same boat! Hope the brain dumps help. :) If I get it all out of my head, it seems to calm things down.

  2. More and more research is showing how absolutely vital a good sleep is for all of us, Elizabeth. I like your ways of getting your brain to 'gear down' so you can sleep better. I think certain rituals help us tell the brain that it's time to sleep, and that helps us to rest. Well, anyway, it works for me. Just following the same bedtime habits helps me to get ready for sleep.

  4. Reading, reading, reading. And I have an iPad mini by my bed with the font bumped up and the screen dimmed to the max so when I wake up at 2AM, or whenever, I can read without disturbing the Hubster. (Or he's used to it). But sometimes, I resort to drugs.

    1. I’ve got a backlit Kindle, but I did wake my husband last night with it. Pills take the edge off, but I can’t take anything major because I sleepwalk (even without pills, but especially with them).

  5. I take Melatonin, which has been helping me sleep longer and better. I've struggled with getting enough sleep for a long time too. Thanks for your tips.

  6. Good tips!
    I'm not very good at sleeping either. My brain spins stories rather than tasks. It tends to focus on characters in stories that are 3 or 4 down the line which works because when I get to the story, I know the characters pretty well.
    I like to read at night as well, but I have to stop when I know something stressful is about to happen :)

  7. I need to try going over my list and dumping everything I can think of. I can fall asleep quickly, but if I wake up in the middle of the night, my brain goes into overdrive and I can't get back to sleep.

  8. I listen to a mildly interesting (but NOT gripping) podcast while falling asleep (I set it to shut off after 30 mins). Then, if I wake up in the middle of the night, I go back to the same program and set the timer again for only 10 or 15 mins. I'm always back asleep in five…

  9. Hi Elizabeth – gosh no wonder I just blog … I love my sleep – now I'm having minor troubles – but cope with disturbed sleep. I've done a few 3.00 o'clocks – and feel positively awful come eleven or so … grotty, grotty, grotty – I do have the radio on all night – wake, sleep, etc etc – fascinating to see how many of you have this syndrome. Interesting for me to read – but so glad I don't fall into this category – yet perhaps it'd be good .. .I'd get more done! Cheers Hilary

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