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Mai fidarsi delle donne insonni
Sono anni che Annabel Abbs soffre d' per lei però l'invincibile veglia è il punto di partenza di un viaggio straordinario. Dal Sussex al Polo Nord, dalla Manica a Singapore, Abbs lascia il suo letto per girare il mondo in compagnia delle parole e delle opere di artiste, scrittrici, filosofe e attiviste che nelle tenebre hanno trovato coraggio, ispirazione e indipendenza. Mai fidarsi delle donne insonni è un'irresistibile passeggiata al chiaro di luna che ci fa riscoprire la notte come momento di riflessione e libertà: non preparazione al giorno ma tempo dalle infinite possibilità.
«Un libro che ha cambiato per sempre il mio modo di pensare al sonno».
«The Times»
Di notte siamo persone diverse. Il battito cardiaco diminuisce, il metabolismo rallenta, i muscoli si rilassano, la temperatura corporea scende, produciamo ormoni specifici. E, di solito, dormiamo. A meno che non soffriamo d'insonnia, come Annabel Abbs, che sin da piccola è abituata a passare le notti in bianco. E che perciò quando nell'inverno del 2020 viene travolta da una serie di lutti improvvisi sa che l'insonnia a cui era abituata si aggraverà. È preparata a girarsi e rigirarsi nel letto. Spera solo che i farmaci l'aiutino a conquistare almeno qualche ora di sonno discontinuo. Invece tutto cambia, e Abbs si trova catapultata in un viaggio inatteso, che un tempo l'avrebbe «un viaggio che non ho mi è capitato». All'improvviso, Abbs comincia ad aspet- tare con trepidazione la solitudine e il silenzio notturni che le consentono di stare sola con i propri pensieri, elaborare il lutto senza dissimulare il dolore. Dapprima prende in esame le teorie di neurologi, scienziati, progettisti illuminotecnici, ma presto capisce che non le basta. Cosí decide di alzarsi dal letto, uscire di casa, e incontrare di persona le creature delle falene, pipistrelli, lucciole, pesci fluorescenti. Ma soprattutto artiste, scrittrici, attiviste; da Virginia Woolf a Georgia O'Keeffe, da Jean Rhys a Louise Bourgeois, e poi Mary Webb, Laura Cereta, Lee Krasner. «Tessitrici notturne», che nella notte hanno vissuto, creato, sperimentato. È l'inizio di un'avventurosa esplorazione in cui Abbs assapora l'eterna oscurità del Polo Nord, s'immerge nelle acque gelide del Canale della Manica, dorme all'addiaccio nelle foreste, osserva l'aurora boreale dal ponte di una nave, percorre in lungo e in largo i litorali del Sussex con un unico, fedele il Sé Notturno. Una controfigura chimicamente alterata, emotivamente potenziata, tutt'uno col proprio corpo e la propria mente. Un alter ego piú fantasioso, piú disobbediente, piú rabbioso, piú irrequieto. È proprio questo che Abbs consegna alle un invito a indagare la faccia nascosta della luna, del buio, del sé. E agli uomini, un «mai fidarsi delle donne insonni».
«Un libro che ha cambiato per sempre il mio modo di pensare al sonno».
«The Times»
Di notte siamo persone diverse. Il battito cardiaco diminuisce, il metabolismo rallenta, i muscoli si rilassano, la temperatura corporea scende, produciamo ormoni specifici. E, di solito, dormiamo. A meno che non soffriamo d'insonnia, come Annabel Abbs, che sin da piccola è abituata a passare le notti in bianco. E che perciò quando nell'inverno del 2020 viene travolta da una serie di lutti improvvisi sa che l'insonnia a cui era abituata si aggraverà. È preparata a girarsi e rigirarsi nel letto. Spera solo che i farmaci l'aiutino a conquistare almeno qualche ora di sonno discontinuo. Invece tutto cambia, e Abbs si trova catapultata in un viaggio inatteso, che un tempo l'avrebbe «un viaggio che non ho mi è capitato». All'improvviso, Abbs comincia ad aspet- tare con trepidazione la solitudine e il silenzio notturni che le consentono di stare sola con i propri pensieri, elaborare il lutto senza dissimulare il dolore. Dapprima prende in esame le teorie di neurologi, scienziati, progettisti illuminotecnici, ma presto capisce che non le basta. Cosí decide di alzarsi dal letto, uscire di casa, e incontrare di persona le creature delle falene, pipistrelli, lucciole, pesci fluorescenti. Ma soprattutto artiste, scrittrici, attiviste; da Virginia Woolf a Georgia O'Keeffe, da Jean Rhys a Louise Bourgeois, e poi Mary Webb, Laura Cereta, Lee Krasner. «Tessitrici notturne», che nella notte hanno vissuto, creato, sperimentato. È l'inizio di un'avventurosa esplorazione in cui Abbs assapora l'eterna oscurità del Polo Nord, s'immerge nelle acque gelide del Canale della Manica, dorme all'addiaccio nelle foreste, osserva l'aurora boreale dal ponte di una nave, percorre in lungo e in largo i litorali del Sussex con un unico, fedele il Sé Notturno. Una controfigura chimicamente alterata, emotivamente potenziata, tutt'uno col proprio corpo e la propria mente. Un alter ego piú fantasioso, piú disobbediente, piú rabbioso, piú irrequieto. È proprio questo che Abbs consegna alle un invito a indagare la faccia nascosta della luna, del buio, del sé. E agli uomini, un «mai fidarsi delle donne insonni».
281 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 9, 2025
57 people are currently reading
4704 people want to read
About the author
Annabel Abbs
9 books282 followersAnnabel Abbs is an English writer and novelist.
Her first novel, The Joyce Girl, was published in 2016 and tells a fictionalised story of Lucia Joyce, daughter of James Joyce. It won the Impress Prize for New Writers, the Spotlight First Novel Award, was longlisted for the Bath Novel Award, the Caledonia Novel Award and the Waverton Good Read Award. The Joyce Girl was a Reader Pick in The Guardian 2016 and was one of ten books selected for presentation at the 2017 Berlin Film Festival, where it was given Five Stars by the Hollywood Reporter.
Her first novel, The Joyce Girl, was published in 2016 and tells a fictionalised story of Lucia Joyce, daughter of James Joyce. It won the Impress Prize for New Writers, the Spotlight First Novel Award, was longlisted for the Bath Novel Award, the Caledonia Novel Award and the Waverton Good Read Award. The Joyce Girl was a Reader Pick in The Guardian 2016 and was one of ten books selected for presentation at the 2017 Berlin Film Festival, where it was given Five Stars by the Hollywood Reporter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
March 16, 2024
For the year following her father's death, Abbs could barely sleep. Don't expect a straightforward book about insomnia, though. Instead, this is a wide-ranging study of the mind and body at night, filtered through the experience of female writers and artists who discovered the magic of nocturnal freedom and creativity. I suspect the author had leftover material from Windswept (who's ever heard of Clara Vyvyan?!), but also wanted to repeat a successful pattern of locating women gurus whose lives might shed light on her own. Some of the names are familiar (Sylvia Plath, Katherine Mansfield, Rachel Carson); others are less so but quickly become part of the shorthand here (Laura Cereta, Lee Krasner the widow of Jackson Pollock, Maria Mitchell).
Each chapter has one or more presiding spirit, but the organization is thematic. Abbs explores the night as a time of imagination, anger, anonymity, adventure or fear. She learns about the hormones that govern sleep and wakefulness and the negative effects of nighttime light. Despite her trepidation (inevitable for a woman alone in the dark, it seems), she goes for night walks and swims, and watches the stars. Most of her travels are through books or in her own homes (London vs. country cottage), but she also contrasts Singapore, lit-up all through the night, with the perpetual darkness of the Arctic Circle, to which she journeys by boat amid the aurora.
At times the connections are so wispy it seems the book will crumble, but Abbs manages to hold it all together with her curiosity and determination. Rather than lamenting her sleeplessness, she asks how it can free her to do new and courageous things. This 'Night Self', she hopes, might be more observant, playful and uninhibited. Just over a year after her father's death, she's back to more regular sleep patterns, but she does still wake up in the middle of the night sometimes, and enjoys the liminal time to herself. (I was surprised that menopause is not discussed at greater length, but I suppose she was resisting the easy ways people might try to explain away women's insomnia or label it a negative attribute of the 'hag'.)
This was less about death than I expected, but grief is a background theme and one I felt she described accurately. If her publishers are clever, they'll emphasize the book's similarity to Wintering by Katherine May. However, to me it seemed more highbrow, akin to Olivia Laing on bodily freedom (Everybody) or solitary wanderings (The Lonely City). There was also some crossover with Chasing the Sun by Linda Geddes, and Abbs cites A Woman in the Polar Night by Christiane Ritter and An Ode to Darkness by Sigri Sandberg.
Favourite lines:
"When I spot Orion and his belt of stars, or Cassiopeia, I'm seeing exactly as my distant ancestors did. I like this sense of being tethered to my own history. In the midst of unrelenting change, I find it vaguely comforting."
"all the life I've failed to experience because I've been welded to light, sleep, safety indoors."
"My accumulated night journeys have shown me that our world will always contain elements that lie beyond our understanding."
Each chapter has one or more presiding spirit, but the organization is thematic. Abbs explores the night as a time of imagination, anger, anonymity, adventure or fear. She learns about the hormones that govern sleep and wakefulness and the negative effects of nighttime light. Despite her trepidation (inevitable for a woman alone in the dark, it seems), she goes for night walks and swims, and watches the stars. Most of her travels are through books or in her own homes (London vs. country cottage), but she also contrasts Singapore, lit-up all through the night, with the perpetual darkness of the Arctic Circle, to which she journeys by boat amid the aurora.
At times the connections are so wispy it seems the book will crumble, but Abbs manages to hold it all together with her curiosity and determination. Rather than lamenting her sleeplessness, she asks how it can free her to do new and courageous things. This 'Night Self', she hopes, might be more observant, playful and uninhibited. Just over a year after her father's death, she's back to more regular sleep patterns, but she does still wake up in the middle of the night sometimes, and enjoys the liminal time to herself. (I was surprised that menopause is not discussed at greater length, but I suppose she was resisting the easy ways people might try to explain away women's insomnia or label it a negative attribute of the 'hag'.)
This was less about death than I expected, but grief is a background theme and one I felt she described accurately. If her publishers are clever, they'll emphasize the book's similarity to Wintering by Katherine May. However, to me it seemed more highbrow, akin to Olivia Laing on bodily freedom (Everybody) or solitary wanderings (The Lonely City). There was also some crossover with Chasing the Sun by Linda Geddes, and Abbs cites A Woman in the Polar Night by Christiane Ritter and An Ode to Darkness by Sigri Sandberg.
Favourite lines:
"When I spot Orion and his belt of stars, or Cassiopeia, I'm seeing exactly as my distant ancestors did. I like this sense of being tethered to my own history. In the midst of unrelenting change, I find it vaguely comforting."
"all the life I've failed to experience because I've been welded to light, sleep, safety indoors."
"My accumulated night journeys have shown me that our world will always contain elements that lie beyond our understanding."
May 5, 2024
A love letter to insomnia. "Sleepless nights are an oasis of inner reflection."
March 15, 2024
‘Sleepless - Discovering the Power of the Night Self’ (that is the UK title as opposed to the US version used on Goodreads) is a deeply personal but also wide ranging account of the author’s difficulty sleeping following a series of unexpected bereavements. I thought that it was very accessible and extremely well structured, combining her own experiences with research into how the brain works at night and examples of other women who were active during the hours of darkness while those around them slept.
I found myself sympathetic to the author who had to contend with multiple bereavements and the resultant consequences. Her days were busy with the admin that the death of a family member brings, running a house, looking after her own family etc. It was only after dark that she had time to process and grieve, especially for her father. I admired the way she tried new things - like walking and swimming in the dark, even when fear tried to hold her back.
I was very interested in the women she wrote about who used the night hours to write, study, walk or watch the night sky. I was familiar with some (George Sand, Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath) but unfamiliar with others (Laura Cereta, Gene Stratton-Porter and Christiane Ritter). The women in Annabel Abbs’ book were pioneers, unconventional by modern standards, daring to do things that men would not be questioned about, such as sleeping under the stars or walking in a forest.
The chapter of walking after dark in urban areas was very interesting. This is still considered a risk for women on their own and when the author walked around London (something that she was not comfortable with) she noticed that there were very few lone females about, whereas lone males were much more common. The exception to this was Singapore which is so brightly lit that no one feels unsafe (it has the third highest rate of insomnia in the world though!).
Similarly her experiences in the Arctic Circle were fascinating. The author spent hours staring at the northern lights (rather than constantly trying to photograph them) and found that when she returned to the artificial light common in urban areas in the winter she found it far too bright.
I really liked the way the author linked each chapter (with titles like receptive, curious or changeable) with relevant research. I learned a lot about how the body changes at night rather than just how the body changes when we are asleep and about how we have evolved but that some of our instincts and behaviours go back to when we were cave dwellers.
Definitely Annabel was enriched by the discoveries she made about her night self - she became interested in moths, gazing at the stars, listening to the sounds of the creatures that inhabit our nocturnal world. She also had time to reflect and eventually process her feelings and come to terms with the loss of her father. Many people find waking at night a struggle as they start to fret about things that seem much easier to cope with during the day, tossing and turning and worrying about the fact they can’t sleep (which apparently makes people less likely to go to sleep!). Annabel learns to control this - in contrast to Sylvia Plath ‘whose apocryphal story is a reminder of what can happen when we overdose on a synthesis of exhaustion, darkness, medication and emotional devastation’. As the author points out at the end of the book, it is not intended to provide medical guidance.
The book did make me curious about discovering my night self, especially as it seems to make you more creative. I can’t envisage nocturnal swimming in the sea, but I did like the idea of a walk in a forest at night, when the senses of sound, touch and scent are heightened. All in all very accessible, very enjoyable, educational and thought provoking.
I found myself sympathetic to the author who had to contend with multiple bereavements and the resultant consequences. Her days were busy with the admin that the death of a family member brings, running a house, looking after her own family etc. It was only after dark that she had time to process and grieve, especially for her father. I admired the way she tried new things - like walking and swimming in the dark, even when fear tried to hold her back.
I was very interested in the women she wrote about who used the night hours to write, study, walk or watch the night sky. I was familiar with some (George Sand, Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath) but unfamiliar with others (Laura Cereta, Gene Stratton-Porter and Christiane Ritter). The women in Annabel Abbs’ book were pioneers, unconventional by modern standards, daring to do things that men would not be questioned about, such as sleeping under the stars or walking in a forest.
The chapter of walking after dark in urban areas was very interesting. This is still considered a risk for women on their own and when the author walked around London (something that she was not comfortable with) she noticed that there were very few lone females about, whereas lone males were much more common. The exception to this was Singapore which is so brightly lit that no one feels unsafe (it has the third highest rate of insomnia in the world though!).
Similarly her experiences in the Arctic Circle were fascinating. The author spent hours staring at the northern lights (rather than constantly trying to photograph them) and found that when she returned to the artificial light common in urban areas in the winter she found it far too bright.
I really liked the way the author linked each chapter (with titles like receptive, curious or changeable) with relevant research. I learned a lot about how the body changes at night rather than just how the body changes when we are asleep and about how we have evolved but that some of our instincts and behaviours go back to when we were cave dwellers.
Definitely Annabel was enriched by the discoveries she made about her night self - she became interested in moths, gazing at the stars, listening to the sounds of the creatures that inhabit our nocturnal world. She also had time to reflect and eventually process her feelings and come to terms with the loss of her father. Many people find waking at night a struggle as they start to fret about things that seem much easier to cope with during the day, tossing and turning and worrying about the fact they can’t sleep (which apparently makes people less likely to go to sleep!). Annabel learns to control this - in contrast to Sylvia Plath ‘whose apocryphal story is a reminder of what can happen when we overdose on a synthesis of exhaustion, darkness, medication and emotional devastation’. As the author points out at the end of the book, it is not intended to provide medical guidance.
The book did make me curious about discovering my night self, especially as it seems to make you more creative. I can’t envisage nocturnal swimming in the sea, but I did like the idea of a walk in a forest at night, when the senses of sound, touch and scent are heightened. All in all very accessible, very enjoyable, educational and thought provoking.
March 11, 2025
Als Annabels Vater plötzlich stirbt, steht sie zuerst unter Schock und funktioniert nur noch. Nach der Beerdigung kann sie einen Schlussstrich ziehen und ihr Leben weiterführen. Aber sie kann nicht mehr schlafen und das, was sie anfangs für eine Phase hält, dauert immer länger, bis es zu einem echten Problem wird.
Nicht jeder, der wenig schläft, leidet an Schlaflosigkeit. Gleich als erstes erzählt die Autorin von einer faszinierenden Frau: Laura Cereta, eine italienische Schriftstellerin und Gelehrte. Sie kam mit nur wenigen Stunden Schlaf aus und nutzte die ungestörten Nachstunden, um sich ihren Studien zu widmen. Auch andere Schriftstellerinnen und Künstlerinnen nutzten die Nachstunden mit ihrer besonderen Atmosphäre. Aber nicht alle verzichteten freiwillig auf Schlaf. Oft waren es einschneidende Veränderungen in ihrem Leben, die ihnen im wahrsten Sinn des Wortes den Schlaf raubten. So kann Schlaflosigkeit kreativ machen. Aber es gibt auch andere Beispiele, bei denen Schlaflosigkeit das genaue Gegenteil bewirkte. Die Betroffenen verloren nicht nur ihre Kreativität, sondern auch ihre Lebensfreude.
Neben der Frage, warum sie nicht schlafen kann, setzt sich Annabel Abbs auch mit der Frage auseinander, warum ausgerechnet Frauen sich nachts unsicher fühlen und was sie dagegen tun können. Die Unsicherheit ist sicherlich eine Frage der Erziehung, das sieht sie an der eigenen. Aber es ist schwer, sich davon zu lösen. Für sie sind geführte Nachtwanderungen, bei denen die Teilnehmer die Dunkelheit ganz neu kennenlernen dürfen. Es ist ein Schritt aus der Komfortzone, aber gleichzeitig auch ein Schritt in eine bisher unbekannte Welt.
Für Annabel Abbs war ihre Schlaflosigkeit ein Lernprozess. Sie erinnerte sich, dass sie schon früher nächtelang wachgelegen war. Dass es sie jetzt mehr belastete, lag sicherlich auch an der Trauer um ihren Vater. Irgendwann erkannte sie, dass sie die Person akzeptieren muss, die sie nachts ist. Nicht die kreative Schriftstellerin, die Seite um Seite schreibt. Sondern die Frau, die mehrmals die gleiche Seite in einem Buch liest und sich trotzdem kein Wort merken kann. Oder die Frau, die sich in die Küche schleicht und eine Tasse Tee trinkt. Irgendwann sind die schlaflosen Nächte vorbei und plötzlich vermisst Annabel die andere Person. Aber ab und zu gibt es auch ein Wiedersehen, dann aber mit einem besseren Gefühl.
Nicht jeder, der wenig schläft, leidet an Schlaflosigkeit. Gleich als erstes erzählt die Autorin von einer faszinierenden Frau: Laura Cereta, eine italienische Schriftstellerin und Gelehrte. Sie kam mit nur wenigen Stunden Schlaf aus und nutzte die ungestörten Nachstunden, um sich ihren Studien zu widmen. Auch andere Schriftstellerinnen und Künstlerinnen nutzten die Nachstunden mit ihrer besonderen Atmosphäre. Aber nicht alle verzichteten freiwillig auf Schlaf. Oft waren es einschneidende Veränderungen in ihrem Leben, die ihnen im wahrsten Sinn des Wortes den Schlaf raubten. So kann Schlaflosigkeit kreativ machen. Aber es gibt auch andere Beispiele, bei denen Schlaflosigkeit das genaue Gegenteil bewirkte. Die Betroffenen verloren nicht nur ihre Kreativität, sondern auch ihre Lebensfreude.
Neben der Frage, warum sie nicht schlafen kann, setzt sich Annabel Abbs auch mit der Frage auseinander, warum ausgerechnet Frauen sich nachts unsicher fühlen und was sie dagegen tun können. Die Unsicherheit ist sicherlich eine Frage der Erziehung, das sieht sie an der eigenen. Aber es ist schwer, sich davon zu lösen. Für sie sind geführte Nachtwanderungen, bei denen die Teilnehmer die Dunkelheit ganz neu kennenlernen dürfen. Es ist ein Schritt aus der Komfortzone, aber gleichzeitig auch ein Schritt in eine bisher unbekannte Welt.
Für Annabel Abbs war ihre Schlaflosigkeit ein Lernprozess. Sie erinnerte sich, dass sie schon früher nächtelang wachgelegen war. Dass es sie jetzt mehr belastete, lag sicherlich auch an der Trauer um ihren Vater. Irgendwann erkannte sie, dass sie die Person akzeptieren muss, die sie nachts ist. Nicht die kreative Schriftstellerin, die Seite um Seite schreibt. Sondern die Frau, die mehrmals die gleiche Seite in einem Buch liest und sich trotzdem kein Wort merken kann. Oder die Frau, die sich in die Küche schleicht und eine Tasse Tee trinkt. Irgendwann sind die schlaflosen Nächte vorbei und plötzlich vermisst Annabel die andere Person. Aber ab und zu gibt es auch ein Wiedersehen, dann aber mit einem besseren Gefühl.
December 10, 2025
Annabel Abbs, partendo dalla perdita improvvisa del padre e dall’insonnia che ne segue, esplora un territorio oscuro e affascinante: il sé notturno, le potenzialità inespresse, un’intimità profonda che nel buio trova finalmente voce. Un viaggio guidato dalla Luna e accompagnato da artiste, scrittrici e pensatrici che hanno fatto della notte un luogo di libertà e rivelazione: Virginia Woolf, Djuna Barnes, Laura Cereta, Alice Vincent, Katherine Mansfield, Jean Rhys, Simone Weil, Sylvia Plath, Louise Bourgeois, Mary Webb, Joan Mitchell, Emily Dickinson, Clara Vyvyan, Gwen John, Daphne du Maurier, Inga Simpson, Edith Durham, Nan Shepherd, Lee Krasner, Georgia O’Keeffe, George Sand, Gene Stratton-Porter, Charmian Clift, Christiane Ritter; e poi attiviste come Peace Pilgrim, scienziate come Elise McGlashan, l’astrofotografa Antoinette Koutsomihalis, la biologa marina Rachel Carson.
Un libro per chi placa le proprie paure accumulando informazioni, per chi sente nostalgia di un’oscurità autentica, sacrificata in favore di luci blu e schermi sempre accesi. Parola d’ordine: accogliere. Mentre cerco anch’io un po’ di pace per la mia mente irrequieta.
Un libro per chi placa le proprie paure accumulando informazioni, per chi sente nostalgia di un’oscurità autentica, sacrificata in favore di luci blu e schermi sempre accesi. Parola d’ordine: accogliere. Mentre cerco anch’io un po’ di pace per la mia mente irrequieta.
October 26, 2025
[A volte il buio sa più cose della luce.
La notte è l’unico posto dove riesco a vedermi intera e l’insonnia è il solo modo per non smettere di sentire. E di sentirmi.]
Ci sono notti che non passano mai.
Quelle notti in cui i pensieri si fanno più grandi del sonno e con il loro rumore riescono a prendersi ogni cosa di te.
E allora resti sveglia, nel buio, a fare i conti con te stessa e con le paure, le ferite, le domande che il giorno nasconde.
L’insonnia può essere tormento, ma può essere anche risorsa e diventare, persino, un modo per vivere due vite. Due vite che condividono lo stesso sé: un sé che quando diventa sé notturno sembra quasi abitare un’altra dimensione.
Una dimensione fatta di silenzi e di presenze invisibili, di pensieri che si fanno più nitidi
e di verità che di giorno restano mute.
Una dimensione che ti lascia appesa a quello scorrere delle ore che sembrano sospese, ma dalle quali impari ad ascoltare e ad ascoltarti davvero: non solo ciò che hai intorno, ma ciò che ti abita dentro.
Annabel Abbs, in “Mai fidarsi delle donne insonni”, fa proprio questo: trasforma l’insonnia in un luogo di scoperta.
Scoperta di sé, ma anche di tutte quelle donne che, come lei, hanno imparato a stare nella notte senza temerla, trasformandola in un territorio di libertà e di ricerca. Un territorio di resistenza.
Donne che non hanno cercato la luce a tutti i costi, ma hanno scelto di camminare nel buio per comprenderlo, ma soprattutto per trasformarlo in uno spazio di pensiero, di creazione, di autenticità, in cui ascoltarsi e trovare la loro voce.
Nel silenzio di quelle ore insonni hanno ascoltato ciò che di giorno si disperde, hanno guardato in faccia le proprie ferite e ne hanno fatto materia di riflessione, trasformando l’inquietudine in parola, l’attesa in consapevolezza.
Perché non sempre la notte è perdita. In quel tempo sospeso, fragile, intimo, ribelle persino,
la notte smette di essere mancanza
e diventa un modo nuovo di abitare il mondo.
Un modo per restare.
Per ritrovarsi.
Per rinascere, in silenzio.
La notte è l’unico posto dove riesco a vedermi intera e l’insonnia è il solo modo per non smettere di sentire. E di sentirmi.]
Ci sono notti che non passano mai.
Quelle notti in cui i pensieri si fanno più grandi del sonno e con il loro rumore riescono a prendersi ogni cosa di te.
E allora resti sveglia, nel buio, a fare i conti con te stessa e con le paure, le ferite, le domande che il giorno nasconde.
L’insonnia può essere tormento, ma può essere anche risorsa e diventare, persino, un modo per vivere due vite. Due vite che condividono lo stesso sé: un sé che quando diventa sé notturno sembra quasi abitare un’altra dimensione.
Una dimensione fatta di silenzi e di presenze invisibili, di pensieri che si fanno più nitidi
e di verità che di giorno restano mute.
Una dimensione che ti lascia appesa a quello scorrere delle ore che sembrano sospese, ma dalle quali impari ad ascoltare e ad ascoltarti davvero: non solo ciò che hai intorno, ma ciò che ti abita dentro.
Annabel Abbs, in “Mai fidarsi delle donne insonni”, fa proprio questo: trasforma l’insonnia in un luogo di scoperta.
Scoperta di sé, ma anche di tutte quelle donne che, come lei, hanno imparato a stare nella notte senza temerla, trasformandola in un territorio di libertà e di ricerca. Un territorio di resistenza.
Donne che non hanno cercato la luce a tutti i costi, ma hanno scelto di camminare nel buio per comprenderlo, ma soprattutto per trasformarlo in uno spazio di pensiero, di creazione, di autenticità, in cui ascoltarsi e trovare la loro voce.
Nel silenzio di quelle ore insonni hanno ascoltato ciò che di giorno si disperde, hanno guardato in faccia le proprie ferite e ne hanno fatto materia di riflessione, trasformando l’inquietudine in parola, l’attesa in consapevolezza.
Perché non sempre la notte è perdita. In quel tempo sospeso, fragile, intimo, ribelle persino,
la notte smette di essere mancanza
e diventa un modo nuovo di abitare il mondo.
Un modo per restare.
Per ritrovarsi.
Per rinascere, in silenzio.
June 3, 2024
Interesting essays exploring the altered brain chemistry and moods we have at night, and the mystery/wonder of experiences in the dark. Abbs also talks about various female authors and artists who embraced or struggled with sleepless nights, and she talks about nocturnal animals and polar darkness . . . So, yeah, there’s a lot packed into this book. I wish Abbs had stuck with one train of thought (yes, that’s my Day Self talking 😂). I struggled to pay attention halfway through the book.
November 6, 2025
Interessante, soprattutto per le chicche riguardanti alcune donne del mondo artistico. Peccato non sia un romanzo, ma una sorta di saggio (il titolo mi ha fregata). E peccato anche tenda a ripetersi.
July 1, 2024
3.75 stars
For a permanent night shift worker and frequent insomniac, this book holds a lot of relevance for me.
Abbs does a great job of delving into the world "nocturne", albeit coming to it by a slightly different route of grieving for a lost parent.
There are many different aspects to night and night wakefulness which Abbs explores in detail. Her work is varied, interesting and engaging. My lack of a full quota of stars comes from some repetition and overworking of certain issues. Indeed the whole "Night Self" phenomenon doesn't quite sit with me as it does with her. I don't see my night self as any different or a separate entity to be applauded or revered, rather just the other tired cheek of a day face I suppose. Hmm.
Nevertheless a good read.
For a permanent night shift worker and frequent insomniac, this book holds a lot of relevance for me.
Abbs does a great job of delving into the world "nocturne", albeit coming to it by a slightly different route of grieving for a lost parent.
There are many different aspects to night and night wakefulness which Abbs explores in detail. Her work is varied, interesting and engaging. My lack of a full quota of stars comes from some repetition and overworking of certain issues. Indeed the whole "Night Self" phenomenon doesn't quite sit with me as it does with her. I don't see my night self as any different or a separate entity to be applauded or revered, rather just the other tired cheek of a day face I suppose. Hmm.
Nevertheless a good read.
July 17, 2024
This is the most helpful book on insomnia I have ever read, mostly because it doesn't promise to fix it at all.
December 18, 2023
Definitely makes you think about your "night self" differently. A lot of the other writers she references are interesting and compelling, as are some of her own examples of how we behave/what we can learn at night but I didn't care for some of the writing itself here, it just read really corny.
November 11, 2025
Abbandonato dopo un centinaio di pagine. Tema interessantissimo, ma non si tratta di un romanzo, bensì di un saggio. Troppe info, troppo condensate e spesso ripetute. Scritto molto bene, ma per me è too much.
October 22, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for the digital galley.
I enjoyed reading this overall. Annabel Abbs-Streets is a good writer and storyteller.
It was intriguing to explore the positive aspects of insomnia. Also, the delicacy she uses to discuss her father and the anguish from his death was very moving. But I wish the perception was balanced by being a bit more honest and candid about the challenges that come with it as well.
I enjoyed reading this overall. Annabel Abbs-Streets is a good writer and storyteller.
It was intriguing to explore the positive aspects of insomnia. Also, the delicacy she uses to discuss her father and the anguish from his death was very moving. But I wish the perception was balanced by being a bit more honest and candid about the challenges that come with it as well.
April 15, 2024
Started out strong but my interest dwindled quickly. There was a lot of jumping around, which I found jarring. Some of the research was interesting but I guess I was hoping for more memoir-vibes.
May 5, 2025
"Quelques fois, il faut une nuit sans sommeil pour entendre nos murmures de nos désirs les plus profonds. Nos larmes les plus secrètes."
September 25, 2023
Annabel Abbs-Streets was plagued by insomnia following her father’s death. Her journey moves from anxiety about lost sleep to embracing the time the night gives her.
This was a very interesting and informative book. What starts as the author’s struggle with sleep, morphs into a scientific investigation of insomnia and the night in general. It also includes many examples of historical women who have struggled with sleep in the past. It was nice to see insomnia isn’t an isolated issue and the extra time can be used for more than staring at the ceiling.
My only critique is the downside of lost sleep wasn’t fully explored. I understand this given the focus of the book is how to positively reframe insomnia and I wish the author had touched more on the health hazards of chronic insomnia.
An excellent book overall.
This was a very interesting and informative book. What starts as the author’s struggle with sleep, morphs into a scientific investigation of insomnia and the night in general. It also includes many examples of historical women who have struggled with sleep in the past. It was nice to see insomnia isn’t an isolated issue and the extra time can be used for more than staring at the ceiling.
My only critique is the downside of lost sleep wasn’t fully explored. I understand this given the focus of the book is how to positively reframe insomnia and I wish the author had touched more on the health hazards of chronic insomnia.
An excellent book overall.
January 11, 2024
Sleepless is a fascinating look at why we may be awake in the middle of the night and, unlike most books on the topic, why this is not necessarily something that needs fixing. Drawing on her own experience, Annabel Abbs-Streets explores what she calls the Night Self: a creative, un-bound creature who can use this time when everyone else is asleep to do wondrous things. She dives deep into research on sleep patterns and behaviors, showcases women from history who used sleeplessness to write or otherwise use that time — and encourages us to do the same. My main takeaway: yes, sleep is better than insomnia, but if you’re awake anyway, don’t lie there, staring at the ceiling and wishing things were otherwise. Meet your Night Self and see what happens!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.
September 29, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! Sleepless by Annabel Abbs-Streets was an absolutely fascinating read! If you're someone who like myself deals with insomnia, this book is a must read. It strikes me as so well thought out and well-researched, especially with the examples of historical women who found something valuable in their insomnia. This book will help you be happy for when you can sleep but no longer scared to meet your Night Self when you can't. I loved the chapter about Annabel Abbs-Streets' time in the Arctic Circle. It just resonated so strongly with me. I think anyone, especially any woman, who has insomnia will find something in her research and her experiences within this book that resonates with them as well.
June 17, 2024
This was an interesting book to read - all about suffering from insomnia due to grief and the loss of the writers father which led the author to discover her night self. I love the night spinners, all the strong female artists who created incredible work during the hour of night. Their struggles and how some in the past simply used the night to steal time for themselves.
Preparing myself for sleepless nights ahead maybe was the reason why I picked this book up and what I wish to explore, if I do!
Finding and discovering my own night self. I definitely want to go on a night walk (I’d probably be scared shitless) but I’ll drag some friends along for a giggle. Love exploring the outdoors and it all seems especially magical at night.
Preparing myself for sleepless nights ahead maybe was the reason why I picked this book up and what I wish to explore, if I do!
Finding and discovering my own night self. I definitely want to go on a night walk (I’d probably be scared shitless) but I’ll drag some friends along for a giggle. Love exploring the outdoors and it all seems especially magical at night.
July 15, 2024
"Sleepless" by Annabel Abbs-Streets was an utterly fascinating read!
It's the first time in my life I find a book about insomnia (especially bereavement-related insomnia) that doesn't actually demonise the condition, but rather highlights its advantages and its connections to creativity through human history.
I was particularly awed by the amount of scientific research that's gone into this work.
The feminist streak permeating the whole book was just the icing on the cake for me.
The only thing I felt was missing was something about insomnia in the neurodivergent community: that would have made the book truly complete!
My favourite quote is: "The legacies of the dead can never be predicted."
It's the first time in my life I find a book about insomnia (especially bereavement-related insomnia) that doesn't actually demonise the condition, but rather highlights its advantages and its connections to creativity through human history.
I was particularly awed by the amount of scientific research that's gone into this work.
The feminist streak permeating the whole book was just the icing on the cake for me.
The only thing I felt was missing was something about insomnia in the neurodivergent community: that would have made the book truly complete!
My favourite quote is: "The legacies of the dead can never be predicted."
December 7, 2025
Essendo insonne il titolo mi ha catturata, ero convinta fosse un romanzo invece è un saggio! Mi è piaciuto, ci sono molte chicche perché esplora l’insonnia di tante personalità che hanno deciso come viversi la notte. Non avendo accanto a me persone insonni spesso non mi sento capita quando ne parlo, cosa che invece mi è successa con questo libro, specialmente nel primo capitolo. Ho amato anche l’ultimo
“Ricordo la sensazione vivida di essere trattenuta dall'oscurità. Il buio non mi schiacciava: mi tratteneva e basta. Non faceva domande, non avanzava pretese. Mi regalava spazio e segretezza, silenzio e anonimato. Eppure era come una presenza che pulsava e respirava accanto a me, un compagno dormiente che faceva in modo che non mi sentissi mai sola.”
“Ricordo la sensazione vivida di essere trattenuta dall'oscurità. Il buio non mi schiacciava: mi tratteneva e basta. Non faceva domande, non avanzava pretese. Mi regalava spazio e segretezza, silenzio e anonimato. Eppure era come una presenza che pulsava e respirava accanto a me, un compagno dormiente che faceva in modo che non mi sentissi mai sola.”
June 29, 2025
This was a really interesting read especially if you struggle with insomnia. There are so many women throughout history that have struggled with sleep and have used that time to create beautiful things, people like Emily Dickenson and Sylvia Plath. They were able to create at night without the restrictions that were placed on them during the day (running the household and taking care of the kids).
I especially loved this book because I was able to accept my sleep struggles and that my brain is “on” at night :)
I especially loved this book because I was able to accept my sleep struggles and that my brain is “on” at night :)
April 25, 2024
As someone who has over a decade of sleep issues, I’ve never thought of night or darkness in such an intimate, artistic, and meaningful way. I’m thankful for Annabel Abbs-Streets for compiling science, biology, grief, poetry, memories, art, photography, personal stories of experiences of sleep deprivation, and motivation into one tiny book. Above all, I appreciate her reaching a hand out to all women to normalize and empower.
June 13, 2024
I loved this book, and always looked forward to picking it up. It was beautifully written and full of stories of women who did cool things at night, including art, writing, astronomy and even just walking around. It made me think about our Night Selves and how differently we feel after dark. It’s also refreshing to read a book centred around sleep that doesn’t tell you how much you need! I imagine this would feel like a balm if you were indeed feeling sleepless.
September 18, 2024
If you struggle to sleep I highly recommend this book. I liked it because it spoke to a problem I have but doesn’t read like a usual self help book that aims to fix your problem. Instead it goes through historical figures and how they dealt with the problem and really just looks at not sleeping through the exploration of your “night self”. It also goes through how your brain actually works different at night time. Overall super engaging and interesting.
July 6, 2025
oh my. I dont know what I expected but certainly not reading someone's research paper. was interesting at times when author actually focused on relating her own experiences (fathers soul a bird aside....) but reading through thousands of trivia and detailed biographies punctuated by citations is just not for me. completely took away from the topic itself which I, having lost sleep grieving, can more than relate to. was excruciating trying to finish this book without falling asleep!
December 16, 2025
Un libro un po’ mari e monti. Sembra un romanzo ma non è un romanzo. Si comporta da memoir ma lo è solo in parte rivelandosi in più punti un saggio. Questa particolarità rende un tema interessante davvero noioso da leggere. Non sono riuscita a empatizzare con la scrittrice né a imparare qualcosa di nuovo come avrei potuto fare con un saggio. È curiosa l’idea di riscoprire la notte e vedere come lo hanno fatto grandissime donne prima di noi, quindi peccato.
April 23, 2024
This wasn't quite what I'd hoped for from the title, but made for interesting reading all the same. Science mixed with biography and an exploration of both the night itself and our night selves, whose brain chemistry is different from our day self.
June 14, 2024
The book I needed more than any other about sleep. This book steps out into the darkness and discovers blue black inky truths about life that we would never see in the light. So grateful for the shifts in my thinking this book has created. 🌚
July 10, 2025
some of my most authentic, creative, bold ideas came out of nighttime, so this was a fascinating memoir/history mashup to stumble across at the bookstore. historical references got repetitive at times but still enjoyed!
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