This post reminds me of one of the first jobs I had after graduating from MSU in 1987. I helped a nurse write a paper on sleep deprivation in the intensive care unit of the hospital. The machine noises and constant interruptions to the sleep cycles of the patients caused prolonged stays due to slow recovery rates. Like food and water, I believe that sleep is right up there as one of our basic needs to be at our best creatively. But it seems we are all chronically sleep deprived these days, especially at this time of year with all of the hustle and bustle.
Ok, now I really need a nap! I'm starting to imagine my own little steam punk-like inventions where I could nap and electrodes would be strapped to my temples to extract ideas and little robot arms would type away while I slept. Genius!
Here's the poem that inspired this post, taken from my 2002 journal number 82:
The Woman in the Moon
When you cannot go to sleep
Into your room she'll creep
She's the woman in the moon
Her spell will make you swoon
And you'll dream of happy things
Of dragons, queens and kings
You'll sleep all through the night
And wake at morning light
With a head all full of dreams
And eyes full of stars and moonbeams