Wednesday 13 January 2010

Insomnia is...

... probably just an excuse.

But heck, let's role with it. I've never had the sort of sleep patterns that really stick to those norms of the everyday human, which really help when you want to function in the world. Sleeping at night and being awake during the day really sets the tone for getting work done, going to work etc etc so you'd think knowing that sort of information I'd make the effort to sort it out... Well Mr Presumptuous that is just plain wrong.

I have a few theories on why this seems to be the way I roll, but who knows the truth? So here are a few possibilities, please chime in with your own ideas on why my sleep patterns aren't much on the pattern side (or you know, why you don't sleep properly either).

1 - This is my subtle attempts to live outside society and rebel against it's structures

2 - I am trying to put tomorrow off so much I don't want to speed its arrival up by going to sleep.

3 - My avid procrastinating has me putting off sleep

4 - My brain is just too active to switch off on command

5 - I'm stressed/worried about the pressures of life and existence. Avoiding sleep means avoiding that quiet thinking time that comes before it

6 - I want to keep going until my body gives up for itself

7 - I enjoy the peace of night time

What do you think? Any suggestions? Both in a 'add to the list' and 'how you get to sleep' kind of way.

It's weird, between the hours of 1am and 7am I swear my brain is at it's most efficient. I can write and read and think and most importantly actually seem to get things done. I just can't understand those early risers, who get up at 6am to commence the day!

So I am sat here waiting for Better Than Chocolate to buffer to watch a movie before attempting to retire for the evening and figured I may as well do something to waste *cough* I mean 'fill' my time. The only place I could find it in good quality is on divx and I am starting to think divx hates me. Divx web player refuses to play on my new macbook for some unbeknown reason no matter what I do, so I'm having to watch it on a different computer. On top of this small (ok bigger than small) annoyance it also takes longer to buffer than anything else seems to! Sure, I could watch it in a lower quality or just watch something else which doesn't need to be streamed but that's not the point.

Do any other macbook owners have divx web player hate or am I just lucky?

6 comments:

  1. My mac doesn't mind divx and the web player can play... it must hate you. That's almost special...

    I too am hit with the insomniatic button every so often. My tactic to to either attempt reading until my eyes hurt so much sleeping is a solution or to have a drink; hot chocolate, whiskey - either way.

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  2. It's all of those reasons, and probably in that order of 'importance' (for lack of a better word), too. You said it all yourself, without really realizing. You weren't consciously admitting the reasons to yourself, it was more of a casual suggestions type of thing, and so it was easier for your subconscious to let it slip through.

    The reason your brain seems most efficient at later hours is because your brain waves change when you become more tired, and you're in a better state for creativity.

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  3. 4 and 7 apply to me. It's hard for me to sleep, too, and it happens exactly when I go to bed. Then I use the sleepless time to write or read or listen to some music and there are times when I can do all of these things and I never get sleepy at all!!!

    I see 4 as a good theory for you being an insomniac too. =)) You're too much smart. Smart brains almost never turn off.

    Much love.
    K.

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  4. 3 is pretty spectacular. That is like some sort of ultimate procrastination. I personally really enjoy sleeping and try to do it as much as possible - though this does mean I still lose those precious morning hours. I imagine insomnia has to be a fairly productive ailment to have. You get to spend more hours awake so more hours doing stuff - or at least you could be spending it productively. I'm going to guess your procrastination probably halts that productivity time a little bit. But hey, may as well make it work for you. Practice makes perfect and all that.

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  5. We seem to think in our culture, that night time from 12:00 - 7:00 should be reserved for sleeping. Who came up with that idea? I agree, when it is dark, things seem to quiet down & it seems conducive to sleep. Some of my greatest imaginative flights of fancy are in the wee hours of the morning, when it is still dark. And Lately, I am still perking at 1:00 am. Should I sleep through my most imaginative productive hours? Unfortunately, those that do not go by the rules of our universally delegated "sleep time", seem to miss out on the most happening around them in the physical realm. There must be a way to do this to meet all desirabilities without losing sleep which is necessary for productivity (and life) ... So far, I have not found the delicate balance.

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  6. I can certainly relate to this. My mind is most active in those quiet hours when everyone else is sleeping.

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