When to get up and write in the middle of the night

Last week I woke up at 4:00 am with a brilliant idea of what to write for the opening of a book proposal for a client. Every sentence was clear in my mind — at least to the extent that one can have clarity of mind at four in the morning.

Was it worth getting up and writing, should I just send myself a note, or should I go back to sleep and resume my work in the morning?

I got up and wrote. I did not go back to sleep (I usually wake up around 7.) I was tired all that day. But it was worth it.

How to decide

For some people, losing a few hours sleep screws them up for days. So this is actually a serious decision. If you’re a writer and you care about what you write, this is likely to happen to you. It’s better to think about it now than at 4:00 am when your decision-making is likely impaired.

Here are a few things to consider:

• Is this an idea you can flesh out later? Often, the middle-of-the-night brainstorms are just an idea or a great first sentence or two. “Start the story in the middle.” “Pharmaceutical analogy.” “Everybody fails. Failing just makes you human.” If it’s sufficient to write a note that makes sense to your future self, do that. Then go back to sleep and finish it in the morning.
• Do you often awaken in the night with ideas? I know people who habitually work a couple of hours between sleep segments at night. If you typically do that and fall back to sleep, go ahead and spend it writing.
• Is the piece worth the price? For me, this passage unlocked a writing challenge that was holding back a six-figure ghostwriting project. I cared about it, so it was worth it. If it’s your own book, you may find that a compelling reason to get up and type out your inspiration. But if your inspiration is one of ten copy ideas you were supposed to generate the next morning, just jot yourself a note and roll over.
• Are your midnight ideas any good? Have you ever looked at your notes from the night before and thought, “Crap, that’s useless.” Don’t fool yourself. If you can’t trust your wee-hours inspirations, ignore them.
• How sensitive are you to insomnia? You need to consider the cost of waking up enough to write. If you do this a lot, you’ll be sleepwalking through the day, which is hardly worth it. If you fall asleep quickly, the cost may be lower. Be aware of your sleep cycle and the costs of interrupting it. If you sleep with someone else, you should consider the cost of your interruptions to your relationship as well.

Why this happens

Your brain processes the remains of the day each night when you go to sleep. It’s often necessary to stop consciously working on something to allow the subconscious inspiration to surface.

If you frequently waken in the night like me, that’s when your brain will present you with this little gift. It will not necessarily be there clearly when you need it in the morning, so you need to decide what to do about it.

If wee-hours inspiration happens to you frequently, you may need to change your routine. But don’t scoff at your midnight inspiration. Whenever the muse appears, even if it’s inconvenient, creative folks like us must learn not to ignore her.