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Thu 17 Feb, 2005 10:19 am
I have often said that if I didn't have to sleep or eat, I might actually have time to get everything done. I may have proved that theory correct last night.
I was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, and decided to get up and get some work done. I turned on some music for background noise and got to work. After just a few short hours I managed to finish 2 projects that I had recently started but just couldn't find the time to finish. I was feeling quite good, since they have been hanging over my head for a couple of weeks now. The important thing is I am happy with the results. My mind was actually quite clear and good ideas, which have been few and far between as of late, were pouring out of me faster then I could write them down. This got me to thinking. Is being an insomniac a good thing?
I remembered an old co-worker that was an insomniac. He taught himself languages. He fluently spoke: Russian, German, English, Spanish, Japanese, some Indian language which I forget exactly, Greek and Italian. He had a working knowledge of over 20 more. No joke... he could travel nearly anywhere in the world and be able to get by. Besides that he was teaching himself to play various musical instruments, had a film editing business on the side and was working on a degree through an internet program.
After a little bit of research I discovered other famous insomniacs:Vincent Van Gogh, Napoleon Bonaparte, Catherine The Great, Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens, Benjamin Franklin, Marilyn Monroe and Thomas Edison to name a few.
By now you are probably thinking to yourself: JP... what on earth could you possibly have to do that would be worth giving up sleep for?
Well, for starters I would read more. I would start playing the piano again. I would take on more freelance projects. I would exercise more. I would like to start experimenting with woodworking. I would start drawing and painting more. I would love to build a darkroom as well as a printmaking area. I would like to learn a second and then a third and maybe a fourth language. I would clean my house more. Fix more things. Invent more things. Create more things. Learn more things.
After that... I may take a nap.
I just thought of some more stuff: Get up to date on my web design skills which have gotten a little bit rusty. Play around making stop frame movies with my digital camera. Refinish the floors in the living room and dining room.
I get so frustrated when I can't sleep this just might do the trick. Actually DOING something. I get so mad I could cry, while I am laying there, tossing, turning and staring at the ceiling. Hm. Pehaps I have to pick up a new hobby to learn in the middle of the night.
That is really cool, jer... thanks!
Bella Dea wrote:I get so frustrated when I can't sleep this just might do the trick. Actually DOING something. I get so mad I could cry, while I am laying there, tossing, turning and staring at the ceiling. Hm. Pehaps I have to pick up a new hobby to learn in the middle of the night.
That's right bella... join the revolution. Who the heck needs sleep anyway? If Thomas Edison can do it, so can we!
The problem with your theory for me is that if I had all that extra time, the thing I'd most want to do with it is sleep.
Sleep is so underappreciated...
kickycan wrote:The problem with your theory for me is that if I had all that extra time...
I got to this point and thought to myself... here comes the masturbation joke. You've suprised me once again, kicky.
But seriously, besides dreams, what is so great about sleeping?
I'd choose sleep too but when that isn't an option (as it was not last night) it might be less stressful and frustrating if it was productive.
jpinMilwaukee wrote:kickycan wrote:The problem with your theory for me is that if I had all that extra time...
I got to this point and thought to myself... here comes the masturbation joke. You've suprised me once again, kicky.
But seriously, besides dreams, what is so great about sleeping?
I'll answer that as soon as you tell me what's so great about being awake and getting stuff done. Hehehe...
sleep rules!
i usually have a bad day if i get less than 6 1/2 to 7 hours.
fortunately i'm a natural born putter-offer, so i could care less
about all those things i never get around to...
I'm with Region on this one. Plus, on a saturday afternoon, a nap in the sun is a beautiful thing. Maybe I'm just getting old...
Kicky, have you run into any insomnia in the last three weeks?
Re: Have you ever noticed how much work insomniacs get done?
jpinMilwaukee wrote:IVincent Van Gogh, Napoleon Bonaparte, Catherine The Great, Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens, Benjamin Franklin, Marilyn Monroe and Thomas Edison......
Know what else all those people have in common, jp?
They're all dead.
Go to sleep.
J_B wrote:Kicky, have you run into any insomnia in the last three weeks?
Naaah, not really. Well, yeah, I did, but only for the first couple nights after I quit smoking. Since then I've been sleeping fine.
I have insommnia once a week. So stuff to do is good.
Re: Have you ever noticed how much work insomniacs get done?
Eva wrote:jpinMilwaukee wrote:IVincent Van Gogh, Napoleon Bonaparte, Catherine The Great, Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens, Benjamin Franklin, Marilyn Monroe and Thomas Edison......
Know what else all those people have in common, jp?
They're all dead.
Go to sleep.
kickycan wrote:
Sleep is so underappreciated...
and
Underestimated. Sleep depravation is extremely harmful. But the poster has to right attitude in making the most of any (even a bad) situation.
Re: Have you ever noticed how much work insomniacs get done?
jpinMilwaukee wrote:Eva wrote:jpinMilwaukee wrote:IVincent Van Gogh, Napoleon Bonaparte, Catherine The Great, Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens, Benjamin Franklin, Marilyn Monroe and Thomas Edison......
Know what else all those people have in common, jp?
They're all dead.
Go to sleep.
and a few of them were of questionable sanity
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