ANNABEL ABBS: The subversive, creative upside of insomnia (oh joy!)

Wild with Sarah Wilson

Annabel Abbs (English novelist; author of Sleepless) was crippled with insomnia. Rather than fight it she looked for its productive plus side and discovered that many incredible creatives have needed to stay awake to access their best selves – their Night Selves. Particularly women, as it turns out. Annabel chats to me about how famous writers, painters and Hollywood stars have used their sleeplessness to create their best work, and the science that explains why this happens - the role hormones play, how the nocturnal quietening of the prefrontal cortex affects women’s ability to access their creative courage and how we can access our body’s hallucinogens! We also cover why it’s good to stay awake in a full moon, why women need to invest in blackout curtains (to cut their cancer risk!) and the role of feminist rage in all this!

SHOW NOTES

• Get hold of Annabel’s Sleepless: Discovering the Power of the Night Self
• You can connect with Annabel on IG here and read more about her work here
• I write a lot about different philosophical salves for insomnia in First, We Make the Beast Beautiful

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