Night Owls

On July 19, 2004, Neal Conan’s guest on Talk of the Nation discussed sleep chemistry and how some writer’s use this chemistry to their advantage. Christopher Dewdney, author of Aquainted with the Night: Excursion Through the World After Dark described the phenomenal chemical changes that occur within the body overnight. At approximately 10 or 11 p.m., the body secretes a chemical that induces sleepiness. Another chemical slows kidney activity. As morning nears, the body produces a chemical that begins to wake you up, just like caffeine. A fine arts metal smith called the show and described her night owl work habits. She reported that she works through the night until 5 a.m., sleeps, and then wakes refreshed at 9 a.m. Her mother, also a creative soul, has a similar routine. Her father and sisters, however, do not share this pattern and are not as creative. She asked whether sleep patterns corresponded with creative personality traits. Dudney replied that he found no evidence to connect sleep patterns to right brain or left brain activity. However, If you resist the urge to sleep at 10 or 11 p.m., you enter a stage of very clear mental lucidity that lasts until 1 or 2 a.m. Many writers do good work during this lucid period. (In the book, he does point out that sleep deprivation can ruin one's long-term health.)

The discussion went on to cover moonbows and a fatal nightmare syndrome found in Hmong and Philippine populations. The discussion was sprinkled with poetry and prose about the night.