Artists And Sleep (Or The Lack Thereof)

Many artists have the habit of spending hours upon hours on an image. Some even go without eating because they're so focused on finishing or in the zone. When an artist starts to focus too much on art, so much so that they start losing sleep, they start losing productivity and creativity.

What Sleep Loss Does To Artists

• Sleep loss slows down the brain processing power (AKA art block)
• Sleep loss becomes a badge of honor. "I stayed up until 6AM to get this piece done!"
• Sleep loss impairs judgement. That one thing that may be off in a piece becomes harder to figure out.
• Sleep loss depresses people—this may be why artists tend to face depression more often

Catching Up On Sleep
Regular sleep makes inspiration and learning easier to come by. The sleep deprivation fades away and creativity surges up. Getting regular sleep may be a struggle at first, especially when deep in the throws of the next masterpiece. 

• Set an alarm to start waking up at normal hours routinely
• Set a time (not an alarm—you don't want to be jarred awake) to go to sleep every night
• Take breaks from your drawings to exercise, you will be more likely to fall asleep faster
• Cut back on caffeine intake within 4 hours before bed

The Artistic Benefits Of Sleep

• Stopping in the middle of a piece rests your eyes so you can spot mistakes later
• Ideas come faster and more easily
• Depression becomes manageable with help from others

Be sure to get some sleep, it could be what inspires your next master piece.

Feature, C. (May 8). 10 Surprising Effects of Lack of Sleep. WebMD. Retrieved April 25, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/10-results-sleep-loss