Are you lying in bed awake as your thoughts race in the middle of the night? You're not alone. Our collection of insomnia quotes is a haven for those sleepless souls seeking comfort from and meaning in the struggle of sleeplessness. So whether you're lying awake, grappling with incessant thoughts, or simply searching for a sense of camaraderie amidst the darkness, these quotes will undoubtedly strike a chord within you.
Our curated sections delve into various aspects of insomnia, from expert opinions to the connection between insomnia and mental health. We also pay tribute to the wordsmiths who've captured their restless experiences and offer lightweight insomnia quotes to make you smile.
Lastly, check out our short insomnia quotes you can share with others who understand your nocturnal struggles online. So, join us as we explore and find solace within the intricate world of insomnia through the power of words.
Related read: Check out our selection of the best sustainable sleep masks for an improved night's sleep, or check out our article on green noise for the latest trend in sleep.
Quick links to our selection of insomnia quotes:
A person with insomnia could experience daytime fatigue, difficulty focusing, irritability, and mood swings. Physical symptoms, such as dark circles under the eyes, frequent yawning, headaches, and muscle tension, can also exhibit. And stimulants such as caffeine only contribute to making the situation worse. Furthermore, various studies reveal the long-term effects of sleeplessness could lead to health issues2 related to cardiovascular, neurological, and other systems.
With all the effects stated above, the daily struggle can happen for some people every long night. The pattern can comprise efforts to do everything to fall asleep - from reading a boring book, counting sheep, getting up to cook a meal, regretting, and accepting defeat.
As you read the following insomnia quotes, relate to those struggling to sleep.
"I think the most common cause of insomnia is simple; it’s loneliness."
"The scary thing about having insomnia is not the hours lost for sleeping but the re-run of thoughts you’ve been trying to forget."
"I've got a bad case of the 3:00 am guilts – you know, when you lie in bed wide awake and replay all those things you didn't do right? Because, as we all know, nothing solves insomnia like a nice warm glass of regret, depression and self-loathing."
"It was that sort of sleep in which you wake every hour and think to yourself that you have not been sleeping at all; you can remember dreams that are like reflections, daytime thinking slightly warped."
"When it becomes really impossible to get away and sleep, then the will to live evaporates of its own accord."
Neurologists and psychologists have studied insomnia's causes, effects, and treatments for years. Emphasizing the importance of having a good night's sleep, we have heard many tips like sticking to a sleep schedule, avoiding screen time before bed, no caffeine after 3 PM, etc. But when suffering from chronic insomnia, we need more help from medical professionals.
The top recommendation is the Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI), wherein the medical practitioner conducts 6 to 8 sessions of education, training, and guidance. A case study of a 40-year-old man showed promising results after six sessions where his Insomnia Severity Index decreased to 9 (mild insomnia) from 183. Doctors can also recommend prescription medications and over-the-counter sleeping aids.
After reading experts' sentiments from their insomnia quotes below, remember to consult the professionals when needed.
"A night of sleep is as much preparation for the subsequent day's activity as it is recovery from that of the previous day."
"Sleep is a process that is heavily influenced by a number of psychological factors including daytime activities and overall schedules."
"Insomnia is an indication, not a chaos. It's like ache. You're not going to provide a patient ache medicine without figuring out what's reasoning the pain."
"Most individuals experience a night of poor sleep now and then, but chronic or persistent insomnia develops in 10–15% of those in the general population who are the most vulnerable and who are subject to the proper set of sleep-disruptive circumstances."
"Insomnia can be a symptom of serious medical problems and has been associated with a higher risk of all sorts of negative outcomes, from increased missed days of work to increased use of healthcare resources, and higher risk for several medical problems."
"The relegation of insomnia to a secondary condition has dictated treatment practices that are questionable."
"The most important behavioral intervention for chronic insomnia is the time of arising in the morning. Patients should be very consistent about their arising time."
"Living chronically with insomnia can generate considerable anxiety and interfere with the quality of life."
The restless nights and endless anxious thoughts trigger each other. So, it's no wonder how insomnia, a common sleep disorder that plagues many, profoundly connects with mental health.
In fact, studies revealed that almost 50% of people with insomnia also suffer from mental health conditions1. Sleep deprivation could lead to major depressive disorder or other mental illnesses like schizophrenia could also have insomnia as a symptom. So, it's clear how the lack of sleep manifests from or affects our mental health.
For more information, head to our mental health quotes after exploring the insomnia quotes below.
"Insomnia is an increasing problem. I've become swayed that sleep disorders are conceivably the most unnoticed, ignored, underrated reason of health as well as performance problems in the place of work."
"In its early stages, insomnia is almost an oasis in which those who have to think or suffer darkly take refuge."
"If you can’t sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there and worrying. It’s the worry that gets you, not the loss of sleep."
"Insomnia is a gross feeder. It will nourish itself on any kind of thinking, including thinking about not thinking."
"Insomnia can be a gift. More time for reading, writing and walking. More time to live."
"The creak of bed springs suffering under the weight of a restless man is as lonely a sound as I know."
The literary world has long been intertwined with insomnia, as countless authors and poets have turned their sleepless nights into wellsprings of creativity. During those quiet, solitary hours, many writers find themselves deep in introspection, making it the perfect time to conjure up some of their most powerful and moving works.
To battle insomnia, the author of A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens, spent the nights walking around the streets of London. We also have Sylvia Plath, who endured the crippling effects of insomnia, depression, and controversial treatments, imbibing her experience into her only novel, The Bell Jar.
Check how literary artists think by picking their brains from their insomnia quotes below.
"I find the nights long, for I sleep but little, and think much."
"Insomnia never comes to a man who has to get up exactly at six o'clock. Insomnia troubles only those who can sleep any time."
"I wonder why I don’t go to bed and go to sleep. But then it would be tomorrow, so I decide that no matter how tired, no matter how incoherent I am, I can skip on hour more of sleep and live."
"A little insomnia is not without its value in making us appreciate sleep, in throwing a ray of light upon that darkness."
"It appears that every man's insomnia is as different from his neighbors as are their daytime hopes and aspirations."
"I've always envied people who sleep easily. Their brains must be cleaner, the floorboards of the skull well swept, all the little monsters closed up in a steamer trunk at the foot of the bed."
"He would lie in the bed and finally, with daylight, he would go to sleep. After all, he said to himself, it is probably only insomnia."
Only the insomniac looks on with open eyes, like a cadaver who forgot to die.
~ Gyula Krúdy
When the sun goes down, the insomniac dreams of having a nightmare, just to get some sleep in this too loud world.
~ Vivian Pham
O sleep, O gentle sleep, Nature's soft nurse, how have I frightened thee. That thou no more will weigh my eyelids down, And steep my senses in forgetfulness?
~ William Shakepeare
In the January that I turned thirty-five, sleep became a foreign and hostile country. I had never been more than what one might call a refugee in the country of sleep.
~ Sarah Monette
Even for insomniacs, laughter could still be the best medicine. A hearty chuckle can help relax the body and mind, providing a much-needed break from sleepless nights. In addition, injecting humor into the situation allows people with sleeping disorders to adopt a light-hearted approach to cope.
But it's only supplementary. Maintaining sleep hygiene and following techniques like the Military Method are still ideal for combating insomnia.
Whether you are working on a graveyard shift at work or caring for a newborn baby, there are insomnia quotes below that you can surely relate to - and may even help you fall asleep faster.
"I’m an insomniac, my mind works the night shift."
"Insomnia: A contagious disease often transmitted from babies to parents."
"The sleep deprivation after children is so real. I liken it to what it must feel like to walk on the moon and cry the whole time because you had heard that the moon was supposed to be great but in truth it totally sucks."
"His insomnia was so bad; he couldn’t sleep during office hours."
"Sleep is like the unicorn - it is rumored to exist, but I doubt I will see any"
"Not being able to sleep is terrible. You have the misery of having partied all night… without the satisfaction."
Sharing short insomnia quotes on social media raises awareness and helps forge a sense of community among those grappling with sleeplessness. However, lying in bed awake with a melatonin-suppressing blue light in front, especially before sleep time, can worsen insomnia.
As the National Sleep Foundation recommends, we should stop using electronic devices one hour before sleep. So, as ironic as it may seem while posting these quotes, we should remind our online circle to limit phone usage and stick to healthy sleeping habits.
Celebrate Sleep Awareness Week every third week of March or spread understanding all year round with the following quotes about insomnia to inspire restful sleep.
"Sleep is such a luxury, which I can't afford."
"Insomnia is a glamorous term for thoughts you forgot to have in the day."
"Achievement is the best sleep aid pill."
"A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow."
"The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to."
"The best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep."
"The night is the hardest time to be alive and 4am knows all my secrets."
"The last refuge of the insomniac is a sense of superiority to the sleeping world."
My mind decides to run when normal people sleep.
~ Unknown
Nothing cures insomnia like the realization that it's time to get up.
~ Unknown#
It is better to sleep on things beforehand than lie awake about them afterward.
~ Baltasar Gracian
Whoever says sleep equals laziness is probably a bitter insomniac.
~ Joyce Rachelle
Insomnia sharpens your math skills because you spend all night calculating how much sleep you'll get if you're able to fall asleep 'right now'.
~ Unknown
Insomnia is just another word for chit chat with the demons during bedtime.
~ Daniel Saint
I prefer insomnia to anaesthesia.
~ Antonio Tabucchi
| 1 | Ohayon MM, Roth T. What are the contributing factors for insomnia in the general population? J Psychosom Res. 2001 Dec;51(6):745-55. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3999(01)00285-9. PMID: 11750297. |
| 2 | Taylor DJ, Mallory LJ, Lichstein KL, Durrence HH, Riedel BW, Bush AJ. Comorbidity of chronic insomnia with medical problems. Sleep. 2007 Feb;30(2):213-8. doi: 10.1093/sleep/30.2.213. Erratum in: Sleep. 2007 Jul 1;30(7):table of contents. PMID: 17326547. |
| 3 | Pigeon WR. Treatment of adult insomnia with cognitive-behavioral therapy. J Clin Psychol. 2010 Nov;66(11):1148-60. doi: 10.1002/jclp.20737. PMID: 20853442; PMCID: PMC4294319. |
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