Does anyone find that when they have a work-in-progress, and go to bed thinking about it, that you get to sleep faster?  I'm not writing anything at the moment, but I remember when I used to have something to work on, I would play out the scenes in my head in bed and it would help me get to sleep, like a writer's version of counting sheep.  Given the stressful times we're living through, I'm thinking about starting something just to fight insomnia.

Yup. Nope. My stories keep me up most of the time, but it does feel amazing to drift off while I'm lost in my own little world.
I'm half delirious with exhaustion pretty much 70% of the time nowadays. 
Probably due to how many things I'm writing all at the same time.
Combining a lack of sleep with straining my brain on around 15 fictions is a double whammy. 
But if it helps you sleep, go for it. 
It's seriously not a good idea to stay up most of the time.
Sleep deprivation sucks.
I can feel my sanity draining.
Especially with all these weird hallucinations.
Trippy.
 
Sleep deprivation is the worst drug of all.
If you can kick it by writing a story, go for it.

NO!

I've had life long sleep issues (currently 03:32 in the UK) and my writing has not helped, I've lost count of how many times I gone to bed, only to figure out the next sentence/paragraph, got up to write it and wrote for hours, which is actually a marked improvement over constantly working out how many hours I had before getting up. Admittedly lockdown has not helped either

The real kicker for me is that both a symptom of my mental health issues, and a side effect of my medication are incredibly vivid, extremely stressful dreams/nightmares, and after spending all day writing I'd have dreams about my characters/scenes, and not the fun gutting drunk scenes, the hordes of undead/cannibal mutant scenes.

On the whole though, I'm so glad I started writing, I don't think I would be coping anywhere near as well without being able to transfer a little of my stress, isolation and anger to my characters (of course they're in a nuclear apocalypse and I'm in a flat with netflix!) 

Just as a little side note that amuses me every time write it, my story is set in the fallout game universe, a key mechanic of the games is the ability to sleep almost anywhere, instantly for any amount of time, when my lead does this it profoundly annoys his insomniac commander!

Lime_Lover Wrote: Sleep deprivation sucks.

There's a reason they use it as torture

Considering that it's almost 5 in the morning... No, it doesn't help me. 

FourPin Wrote: sleep almost anywhere, instantly for any amount of time, when my lead does this it profoundly annoys his insomniac commander

Roughin' it bedroll kit is op.

If anyone hasn't tried one yet, those weighted blankets are great for people who have anxiety or depression related sleep issues.

It has the opposite effect. I toss in bed for hours devising scenes, plots, and dialogues. it is a fun and rewarding time but also an exhausting one.

HA HA HA HA no. It makes me think of what to write next. I started meditating before going to sleep because I needed to stop thinking about my stories.

sunandshadow Wrote: If anyone hasn't tried one yet, those weighted blankets are great for people who have anxiety or depression related sleep issues.

I have a 16lb weighted blanket and even if I want like 25lbs i LOVE it it's so nice.

i definitely have to NOT think about my stories while I'm falling asleep or else I'll end up getting up to write lmao

Nah I do some of my best uninterupted when I ought to be asleep.  I'm trying to cut down on the need for that though.

Creative writing is great for helping me sleep because I procrastinate getting any work done by going to bed.

Of course, the price paid is that sometimes I have to get up to write another chapter at 3am because my brain demands it.

I experience the weird effect that if I cannot write for a longer time for whatever reason, I will suddenly start to remember my dreams. I will also have more nightmares. I never, ever remember my dreams while I am able to write, and I usually sleep much better for it. 

It helps me lucid dream, but nothing else.

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Yes and no. When I’m in the zone I’ll write in bed in the dark until I pass out, but for some reason writing in bed makes me get super tired super early. 

No, creative writing actually encourages the opposite for this insomniac.  I could tell myself, "I need to sleep by 11 pm tonight", but if I get on my laptop and end up working on my story, I always get to bed by near 2 am.  At the worst, I am laying in bed, doing research and typing shorthand notes for the next events! 

I'm not really sure. But I think you should start something, if not to cure your sleeping problems, at least to get away from the distractions of the crap going on.

I believe it does. It kinda gives something for your mind to stew on as it winds down?

Yes -> if I do an exercise where I can write something complete and put it away, like a 200 word short scene based on a picture that is outside my project.


No -> if I'm working on my main fic and Grint (MC) keeps on pestering me with questions 

Nope, it is terrible for my sleep. I usually lie down on my bed trying to sleep right away, but spend around two hours just thinking about my novels.