Here’s How I Make My Insomnia Work For Me

I have had trouble sleeping ever since I was a baby. Insomnia is not a recent development in my adult life. I am very familiar with it; and I have many stories, doctor’s visits, and a former addiction to sleeping pills to prove it.

As an infant, my father used to strap me in my car seat and drive me around the neighborhood to “rock” me to sleep. During my elementary school days, there were times I wouldn’t sleep for days. This resulted in me not being able to concentrate, which affected my grades.

In my high school years the lack of deep rest, along with many growing pains, caused me to develop depression. My college years were spent in a dangerous cycle of staying up all night to do homework and study, then going to class and working full time. After years of working a 9–5 and dealing with the consequences of late-night Netflix, junk food, Benadryl, and journaling until the sun rose, I was fed up and decided to set my own hours and work for myself.

The night time is truly my time to shine. As a cancer I am ruled by the moon, so my relationship with this planet and its viewing hours is a special one. I’ve always fought to develop a circadian rhythm in…