How much of your time do you spend submerged in fiction vs reality?

It really is essential you get some decent sleep. Lack of sleep dulls the brain, which dulls the creativity -- not to mention you have children and a business that need you to be alert. Try some herbal remedies to help you fall asleep, or go to bed before you get to that 'overtired' stage. If you still can't sleep, try to shut your mind off. People 'count sheep' for a reason. Just start counting in your head -- block all other thought. If that doesn't work, look into some meditation exercises. Anything to get you more than 4 hours of sleep a night.

Don't read so much. One book every 36 hours can be cut down to one book every three or four days, which gives you extra time to rest. You're not in a competition to read the most books in your lifetime.

Take a break. Catch up on rest. The body can only sustain itself for so long before the immune system weakens -- then you're sick for two weeks. Better to get the rest now before that happens.

I'm not trying to sound mean, but it sounds to me like you're putting your body under unnecessary stress. Just... go easier on it.

ETA: I imagine the reason why you go through cycles -- reading/writing non-stop, followed by weeks of nothing -- is because you're burning yourself out. If you get in the 'zone', so to speak, try not to go so overboard.

I agree that it's important to pace yourself. Not only does creativity suffer when you're under severe physical stress, but you also run the risk of drying out your writing -- it's hard work, yes, but when it gets to the level of drudgery, there's no way you're doing you're absolute best work. For now, try to rest more. You will probably find that if you are more energized, less writing time might equal more progress.

Um, there's a real world?

Okay, I know there is...but I only spend as much time as I have to there. What's inside my head is waaaay more fun.

If your body wants to read, or write, or do other stuff, just let it.

I'm a great believer in listening to my body - when it comes to meal times for instance, I eat when I'm hungry, not just because "the little hand's on the..."

I've not read a book in over a month and I feel embarrassed about that. Still, I've written more in the past few months than I ever have before, so there's a pay-off.

When it comes to sleep, I grab what I can, when I can.

Yes, you have to look after yourself but speaking as a manic depressive, when I'm manic, hell, I just enjoy the productivity. When I'm depressed there's time enough for sleep then.

scarletpeaches said:

I'm a great believer in listening to my body - when it comes to meal times for instance, I eat when I'm hungry, not just because "the little hand's on the..."

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This is how I live, too. It serves me well.

To the OP:

But understand also that I don't have a family etc. and so my time is my own right now.

When it comes to sleep, I don't need a lot. Most nights I get about 3-4 hours. But I'll catch up on the weekends and take a few naps.

As for writing, the story slow-churns in the background most of the time. But for the most part I can tune it out when I want/need to. I have other interests. But I often think about my writing projects when I'm running, showering, or performing otherwise mundane tasks.

One thing that helps one of my best friends is melatonin. She was having trouble falling asleep at a decent hour. Melatonin helped regulate her sleeping patterns.

scarletpeaches said:

but speaking as a manic depressive, when I'm manic, hell, I just enjoy the productivity. When I'm depressed there's time enough for sleep then.

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This is me too.

In the past few months I've read

Running with scissors
Girl Interrupted
The Camera my mother gave me
A River runs through it.
and Deadeye Dick.

I'm starting to drift over to nonfiction. I love deadeye dick, Vonnegut mocks writers, I want to hug and strangle him at the same time. I do love memoir though. To me a true story has to be told a certain way to make it interesting. I love Susana Kaysen's way with words, and I've only recently read A River runs through it, the man is a poet. I love a good mix of poetry and prose. Norman Maclean does it well.

We need a balance?

I'm unbalanced though.

I try to strike a balance between controlled obsession and uncontrolled obsession. In other words, dung happens. I finished the fifth novel of a series of which the sixth is still in the oven, so I'm editing like a sonofagun and I'll be back to writing toot sweet. As for reality, I'll have none of that, thank you.