Famous Insomniacs

Some may know about insomnia from the Al PacinoAl Pacino movie in which a corrupt police officer can't sleep because of his sins; or perhaps from the first few opening minutes of the popular film Fight Club; or maybe simply by word of mouth, study, or personal experience.

Most of us know about insomnia by its definition, the inability to sleep or stay asleep for restful periods of time.

But for some of the most creative people in history, insomnia was more then an entry in a medical dictionary.

Though insomnia happens to people of all skills and trades, it seems the most famous insomniacs tend to be those on the creative spectrum, primarily writers, actors, and musicians.

Living with insomnia can be an immense amount of suffering, and these people, being the creative beings that they were, found strange remedies to help ease their ailments.

Apparently the poet Amy Lowell had such difficulty falling asleep that she would rent 4 hotel rooms around her room, so that there would be no one in any room to disturb her.

Marcel ProustMarcel Proust used to line his bedroom with cork to keep noises out, and when traveling he followed the method of Amy Lowell, by renting nearby rooms for silence.

The famous French novelist Alexandre Dumas used to take long strolls in order to cure his insomnia.

Comedic legend Groucho MarxGroucho Marx used to call his random people at all hours of the night, flinging insults. Apparently Groucho developed his insomnia after the great stock market crash of 1929, in which he lost a small fortune.

World famous artist Vincent Gogh suffered greatly from insomnia, and in order to fall asleep would rub camphor, a type of fragrant resin used in medicine and the production of perfumes, on his pillows and bedsheets.

Other famous insomniacs include Sir Isaac NewtonSir Isaac Newton, Charles DickensCharles Dickens, William ShakespeareShakespeare, Cary GrantCary Grant, Marilyn MonroeMarilyn Monroe, and F. Scoot Fitzgerald.