Every night, millions of people around the world suffer some sort of sleep disorder or insomnia. Since I was little, I have been suffering from chronic insomnia; it seems that I have a lot on my mind and I seem to lack an “off” button for my thoughts.
Insomnia can put your health at risk as it can cause: loss of concentration and memory gap, constant tiredness, heart attack, and diabetes. Insomnia can make your life a living hell as you will be unable to fully function especially in the morning and the last thing you want to do is going to your office, college or school. In the morning, my head feels like a train station and my back is so tense that a fighter jet can land on it with no problem. With insomnia you don’t have to worry about being unemployed as there is a high probability that you will get hired as an extra for a movie as you look like a zombie or a heroin addict.
Over the years, I learnt how to cope with insomnia. People often ask me what you do when you can’t sleep: do you play hide and seek with the bogeyman or talk to the Casper the ghost? Needless to say, people think I’m batshit insane because of my insomnia. Well, instead of looking at the ceiling and counting sheep all night I learnt how to benefit from insomnia by doing the following activities:
- Writing: The darkness is the perfect time to throw thoughts on the table. There is no secret recipe to write, just start writing some random thoughts, memories, subjects that you are passionate about. With practice you will be surprised how good your writing skills will improve.
- Enjoying night life: you can hang out with your friends in a nightclub or a pub (though I prefer the latter option) and stay there till the wee hours of the morning and still manage to wake up the next day (even at weekdays) full of energy
- Follow up your work: When I was a student, I used to study and write my researches at the last minutes. Being an insomniac gave me plenty of time to finish my researches and study in short time. The results? I had the highest GPA in my class. Since everyone is sleeping, there will be no distraction whatsoever you can concentrate on any task in your hand. You can even clean your house, do the laundry, or cook lunch
- Reading: Thanks to insomnia, I have read everything from books, online newspapers to the back of shampoos and cereal boxes. Reading will improve your vocabulary and boost your imagination and creativity.
- Enjoy the silence: The peace and quiet that insomnia give you is priceless. After a hectic day, I’m finally alone enjoying the silence. Nothing beats starring to the stars in my balcony while sipping wine and listening to good music.
- Learn something new: For instance you can learn a new language or start a new hobby like painting.
- Exercise: You can burn the extra calories that you gained during the day by buying a stationary bike or treadmill.
- Chatting with your friends: Since I stay awake, I can chat with my friends that live abroad with different time zone and if you are in love you can chat with your significant other all night long.
Voyager of freedom 