Sleepless: Discovering the Power of the Night Self (Hardback) - Annabel Abbs

A revelatory, personal exploration of insomnia and the night which shows how women throughout history have found inspiration, creativity and freedom in darkness.

'Sleepless has changed how I feel about sleep . . . I was captivated' The Times, Book of the Week

'This book will inspire you to get up, light a candle, and experience your own Night Self' Financial Times

THE NIGHT SELF IS: CREATIVE. CURIOUS. VULNERABLE. ENCHANTED. COURAGEOUS.

In the winter of 2020, Annabel Abbs experienced a series of bereavements. As she grieved, she kept busy by day, but at night sleep eluded her. And yet her sleeplessness led to a profound and unexpected discovery: her Night Self.

As the night transformed into a place of creativity and liberation, Annabel found she wasn't alone. From the radical fifteenth-century philosopher Laura Cereta and subversive artist Louise Bourgeois, to Virginia Woolf and the activist Peace Pilgrim, women have long found sanctuary, inspiration and courage in darkness.

Drawing on the latest science, which shows we are more imaginative, open-minded and reflective at night, Annabel set out to discover the potential of her Night Self. Sleepless follows her journey, from midnight hikes to starlit swims, from Singapore, the brightest city on Earth, to the darkest corner of the Arctic Circle, and finally to that most elusive of places - sleep.

A moving, revelatory voyage into the dark, Sleepless invites us to feel less anxious about our sleep, and to embrace the possibilities of the night.

About the Author

Annabel Abbs is an award-winning writer of highly researched fiction and non-fiction. As Annabel Abbs, she is the author of Windswept: Why Women Walk, voted a top ten 2021 travel book. As Annabel Streets she wrote 52 Ways to Walk: The Surprising Science of Walking for Wellness and Joy, One Week at a Time and co-wrote The Age-Well Project: Easy Ways to a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life. She has written for a wide range of titles, including the Guardian, Daily Mail, Telegraph, Tatler and the Paris Review, and is a Fellow of the Brown Foundation. She lives in London and Sussex with her husband and four children.