INFJ Introvert: On Introverted Problems and Insomnia

INFJ Introvert: On Introverted Problems and Insomnia openphotonet_barn-owl-226x300 Introverts Popular Posts For some time now I’ve been thinking about my sleeping patterns and ways that I would like to improve them. From what I heard from other introverts it seems like introverted people are more night owl kind of types then extroverts. We tend to want to stay awake later and wake up later in the morning. As an introvert I feel it’s pretty understandable since night is the time of the day with the least noise and distractions since most other people are sleeping. It is a time of the day where you can relax and wind down without other people disturbing you. Since we get our energy from alone time, it’s perfect for introverts.

Extroverts tend to rise up earlier in the morning which also makes a lot of sense since they get their energy from interacting and being around other people. Daytime is of course the best time for this and rising up early gives you a head start. There are some articles online saying that early risers are the most productive. I think there is some truth to this but I would also  say that it mostly has to do with how productive you are in general and how you manage your time. The nice thing about rising up early is that your energy deposits are at their peak level. But as an introvert and from other introverts I know, we tend to be people that are slow started in the morning. It takes some time until we really ‘awake’ and are in our most functioning state. Hence maybe nighttime is a more suitable time of the day for some of us to do our best work.

Being slow started in the morning is one of the things I always wanted to change. Usually on normal working days it takes me until after lunch before I feel ‘fresh’ and at my peak energy level. The hours following waking up in the morning, I feel slow and tired and in the past I turned to coffee as my savior. I don’t think it’s connected to my sleeping patterns since they are consistent of 7-8 hours sleep each day, maybe this is just part of the introverted nature. As a side note to being slow in the morning the last couple of months I found this amazing medicinal herb called Ashwagandha which has helped me with this tremendously. I now take a teaspoon of the herb before going to bed every night and wake up full of energy, it also makes me fall asleep quicker in the evening. You can read more about it on these links:

I buy this brand of Ashwagandha:

Introverts do seem to need more sleep then most extroverts to function. If I sleep less then 6 hours, I can’t function like normally and it affects my mood a lot. Most of my extroverted friends doesn’t seem to be affected by lack of sleep  to the same degree, and same with hangovers. My theory is that since we introverts collect our energy from inside, and sleep deprivation affects our body and mind, lack of sleep will have a biggest effect on us. Extroverts collect their energy from the external world so it’s much easier for them to keep up a good mood and motivation even though they feel bad.

The last year I’ve been changing my pre sleep rituals to more suit my personality and it has greatly improved my life. I no longer use the computer or watch tv before going to bed. No electronic devices 2 hours before bed has worked to get me relaxed in the evening. Not only does the decrease in stimulation work, but also because most modern led screens imitate a light similar to that of the sun, which prevents Melantonin to be released in the body. Melantonin is the body’s natural sleep hormone and it is released when it starts to get dark. I now read books instead the last few hours a day and these two things has literally cured most of the insomnia I suffered from.

Insomnia seems like a common things for introverts and especially INFx types and HSPs (Highly Sensitive People). We are easy stimulated and even the smallest things can keep us awake at night. Like sounds, watching to much tv before bed, having a lot to do the next day or other things that are bothering us which we can’t stop thinking about. Overtime at work has been my biggest contributor to my insomnia because when I work late my mind is racing from overwork, and then it usually takes a couple of hours for it to cool down. The problem arises when you don’t get home until late and have to get up early the next day.

I plan on trying to become an early riser to see if it might help with my insomnia issues, making me more tired in the evening. I’ll update with a post at a later time concerning the results from my experiments. I think waking up early can be a good thing for some people but for introverts I’m not yet convinced. I’ll leave you guys for now with this great article:

Early Riser or Night Owl: Why It Doesn’t Really Matter

Comments

  1. Yva says

    Agreed. As an INFJ I thought that it was my negative attitude but now I really understand. I guess when I start working it has to be in the afternoon.

  2. Lu says

    INTJ here. Very good read,I thought I was the only one who had these type of sleeping patterns,I can totally relate.

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