I have bouts of insomnia and fastidiousness — put together, I am up at 5 in the morning polishing my shoes. I had worn them on Monday and they were soaked. I dried them out with newspaper and then put them on the radiator. And then this morning I polished them for fifteen minutes, while I waited for the gym to open. The insomnia, I realise, is just a reaction to the responsibilities of adulthood. Your wife and children don't ask for anything from you when they're sleeping, so you are free to do what you want. Polish shoes, build a dataset, work out. Write, or do nothing. The less you sleep, the more time you have for yourself, to be quiet and enjoy the things you enjoy, without having to answer for them.
