The Vince Review: Stories about insomnia

No doubt we have all fought this beast occasionally and tried to count thousands of sheep. Fortunately I was never a chronic sufferer, but it caused despair on random nights when I joined the ranks of nervous mortals researching books with titles like 'Desperately Seeking Sleep'. I'm sure many of these purchases are made at 2 or 3 in the morning.

Sleep experts suggest not lying in bed, but getting up to read. So here's a list of famous literary insomniacs for a time when you might need it. Who would have imagined that they have their own tradition? Trust me, there isn't much out there like what I've compiled here. If you Google “insomnia stories,” you’re more likely to find a litany of pitiful anecdotes from poor waking sufferers rather than entertaining lists of literary gems. Consider this the Insomnia Hall of Fame, if you will.

I'll start with the miserable, sinister side of insomnia (just to prove that your own waking spells can be worse).

1) Shakespeare's Henry IV
I think this may have been guilt-induced insomnia. Henry deposed Richard II to claim the throne, but now the poor fellow drags himself through the palace passages all night, groaning because his poorer subjects are currently enjoying the luxury he is being denied. 'O sleep, O gentle sleep, sweet nurse of nature, how have I frightened thee?'

2) The Yellow Wallpaper
Charlotte Perkins Gilman came out on the other side of what she considered almost madness and wrote this story to help process her experience. The main character, who has likely suffered a bout of post-natal depression, is ordered to relax and recover, but the yellow wallpaper in her room begins to make her spin. She stays up all night to the point where she believes other women may be confined behind him. From there, it's an easy leap to assume she might even be one of them! No wonder she can't sleep.

3) “Insomnia” by Stephen King
Ralph Roberts not only has to put up with the frustration of insomnia, but also experiences disturbing visions along with it. He can detect auras around people, and also sees a strange race he calls 'little bald doctors', who are involved in a terrible battle against the Crimson King.

4) Laura Ingalls Wilder
In These Happy Golden Years, Laura describes her difficult time teaching away from home and boarding with the Brewster family. Mrs B would often lose control and swing her carving knife, making desperate threats of murder or suicide. She was an extremely unhappy lady. Just like Laura, when she found herself awake, staring into the darkness, always alert in case she was the unlucky victim.

5) Emily from New Moon
The poor young heroine is staying with her great-aunt Nancy. The chimney behind the headboard of her bed is filled with eerie sounds, and she is convinced it is haunted. Every night, Emily lies awake, frozen in terror, until she discovers that the commotion is not coming from ghosts, but from a flock of nesting birds. Wow! I think I would still prefer silence, but it worked for Emily. (My opinion is here.)

6) The Moonstone
Here's one of my favorites. Poor Franklin Blake is addicted to tobacco, but gallantly tries to give up smoking because Rachel, the woman he loves, hates the odor on her clothes. As a symptom of withdrawal, he suffers successive nights of terrible insomnia until Doctor Candy, the doctor, decides to put an end to his misery by placing a drop of opium in his nightcap. This triggers a catastrophe for poor Franklin that takes months to reach the bottom. I reset the book here.

And the next stories are about moments when insomnia proves productive.

7) Tom's Midnight Garden
Poor Tom finds it difficult to sleep while he is with his aunt and uncle, so he gets out of bed to go for walks when they sleep. If not for his nocturnal exploration, he would never have made his startling discovery. My review is here.

8) The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Lucy and Susan can't sleep one night. They sense something sinister in the air. When the sisters emerge from their tent for a moonlit walk, they come across their beloved Aslan at a pivotal moment in his life. The girls are able to offer the great Lion some much-needed comfort and support before he bravely sets out for the Stone Table to find the White Witch and her minions. (The review is here.)

The three endings are straight from the Bible, so if you want to think of it that way, maybe your insomnia could be part of a divine plan.

9) Jacob
He is too tense about meeting his brother, Esau, to fall asleep. Their date is scheduled for the next day, and Jacob has no idea what kind of reception to expect. So he wanders away from the camp and ends up spending the rest of the night fighting a powerful warrior. When Jacob realizes that the man is the Angel of the Lord, he gathers the courage to ask for a blessing. What a missed opportunity it could have been if he had managed to fall asleep.

10) Gideon
It is the night before a great battle against the Midianites. The leader of the Hebrew army understandably cannot sleep. He spends the hours crawling to the enemy's camp, where he overhears two soldiers discussing their terror of the Jews. One of them (who obviously did not share Gideon's insomnia) describes a prophetic dream that Israel will certainly lose. Gideon takes this as an excellent sign and returns to his own camp with his courage restored.

11) King Artaxerxes
This powerful Persian ruler has an inexplicable bout of insomnia one night, and decides to try to fall asleep by reading some dry historical records. Sounds like the right idea. His reading reminds him that a Hebrew named Mordecai had done him a great service long ago and was never rewarded. Behind the scenes, the king's wicked advisor, Haman, is plotting Mordecai's downfall. This is nipped in the bud in such a way that the king's insomnia helps save Mordecai's life.

This list is a good start to give us a sense of camaraderie during those times when sleep eludes us. Getting stuck into these books can also help give us the zzzzs, which is what we really want. Please let me know if you can think of others.