I recently had my pre-birthday Tarot reading, and again, the Goddess of the Night (Nyx, Nuit) showed up in my creativity corner. Most humans have a love<—>hate, or truer, a longing<—>fear, relationship with the dark. We naturally awaken after a couple or three hours of sleep, pee or roll over, hoping to drift into “second sleep,” where dreams reside. But if there is a hiccup of fresh thought, an urge to act, and we fight against the impulse? We kick off a stress cycle that makes sleep ever more elusive. Thrilling phrases or images wisp without remembrance, the recalled task is yet undone, and we end up tired in the morning anyway. If this is your struggle, you are so not alone. Ancient records inform us that inspiration has always favored popping in between first and second sleep. If we call it a problem, we are refusing a visit from the Muse.

But sleeping is so delicious! Lust for great sleep, longing for the safety of drooling infancy, has always been a source of internal strife. Mathew Walker, PhD, explores this multi-cultural phenomenon in Why We Sleep. The fear of not sleeping, or being forced to sleep “on command” due to work or family obligations, denies our special relationship to the night. We drink and dope to pass out, awaken not-quite-rested, and need to take more the next night.

A recent discovery offers hope and explanation. The brain heals itself in the first sleep, those couple hours of dream-free stillness. The next cycle, REM, allows subconscious thoughts to have their turn, and it activates the body: muscles twitch, organs are cleansing. It’s one reason we wake up then. Being willing to gently use this energy is key to quieting the brain/body, and enhance the ability to re-slumber. When we are too revved up, it can be enough to jot a list, write that letter you don’t intend to send, or clear your dining room table. If we accomplish anything at all, we often can return to bed for a sweet snooze.*

Another view comes from the Benedictine monks, who meditated between 2 and 4 AM, because “This is when the angels eat.”

We must not deny that there’s something magical about the mid-night hours. A beloved art teacher, Bill Martin, claimed “We don’t age while doing art.” I believe the sensible brain actually RESTS while Nyx is whispering, “Trust me, just keep writing.” Do you think Shakespeare or Gaugin refused a call from the night Goddess? You just know they lit candles and caught the turn of phrase, added a stroke. Elizabeth Gilbert speaks of her muse moving on to someone else if she ignores it (Big Magic).

I am intrigued by any who plan for a 9AM creative-fest. Truly: once we rise, fully caffeinate, and bungee cord ourselves into a chair, it’s possible to create something worthwhile. However, in the space between first and second sleep, the barriers to innovation are down. Distractions are less likely, and time becomes meaningless in the throes of creativity. It’s when I coin new phrases, totally unattached to a spiffy first draft, content to just “lay track.” Important to note: we can’t edit with the same part of our brain that creates: it short-circuits flow. It’s best to review our work in the morning, as daylight brains are geared to critical regard, eager to hack and hew on the wild and crazy ideas that made sense in the muddle of the night.

We often ask, “How did you sleep?” as if it determines our readiness for the day. I cherish the sense of sleeping through the night, I do! But I also love it when I have something worth editing awaiting me in the morning. For most, certainly for me, the juiciest stuff happens when we welcome the call to rise. I wrote the first draft of this at 3AM. It wasn’t inspired thinking that woke me; most likely the cat kneading my bladder. But I was fiercely awake, and my brain started the argument about the value of trying-to-sleep v. inviting in Chaos (she’s the daughter of The Night). I sighed and surrendered, sick of the power struggle. “Okay, nighttime, you win this time. Drag me kicking and screaming into a state of FLOW if you must.” Since I’m way beyond merely being a grown-up, I reject the tragedy in being a bit groggy, and thrill with joining the secret society of others filling drawing and writing pads.

It’s no small challenge to escape ordinary rules and expectations, to not fret about abnormal rhythms and habits. It helped me to learn that once I’ve had just enough to heal my brain, the Mind and Soul are hoping to receive instruction from the Great Beyond, or the Deep Beneath. Just not every night, Nyx! Deal?

*Caveat: This essay is about occasional sleep struggles, NOT huge bouts of insomnia and anxiety. If your body is trying to tell you something, I encourage you to explore healing options from trusted folks.

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Night-timing