Go to Sleep, Little INF


January 9, 2013 by philipbullitthughes

The introverted Idealist is an unusual creature. On the surface, they might seem calm, collected—even aloof. However, if you had a special device that could open their mind and peer inside, you would see a sparkling kaleidoscope of emotion.  But not simple emotion: sad, happy, or angry. Oh no, such stale emotion is rarely felt. They feel to the highest degree. Not sad, but depressed.  Not happy, but elated. Not angry: they are furious.


Ordinary human beings, when tired, typically experience at least one of, but are not limited to, the following reactions: irritability, lethargy, and an overall sense of heightened negative emotion, also known as hypersensitivity. Not good for the already prone to melancholy INFJ and INFP. So, while the ordinary sleep deprived individual may feel cranky, the INF might feel, pardon the term, “pissed off.” Perhaps even an inexplicable urge to be violent or open the teary floodgates, both of which cause guilt. One: because un-provoked violence is frowned upon, and two: so is crying for no reason.

There is only one known cure for this hypersensitivity: sleep. Not one to five hours. Seven to ten. Easier said than done, especially if you’re an insomniac. And INFs usually have highly creative, overactive inner thoughts that keep their minds spinning to the point where falling asleep is difficult.

Thankfully, all hope is not lost. For the extra-disciplined, there is the practice of going to bed and waking up at the exact time every day. You will find that after some time, you will fall asleep and wake up with very little effort. Granted, you may see a decrease in social activity, and feel as though you may not be getting enough work done, but you can trust that this is by far the healthiest sleeping practice.

Another sleep practice that causes immense negative consequences: lying awake in bed, wishing you could fall asleep. Don’t do it. If this happens consistently, it’s because your body has trained itself to be awake in bed. Get up, go read, go back to bed and try again. Do something mind-numbingly boring. Just don’t lie there.

Unfortunately, healthy sleep practices do not cure all hypersensitivity in the INF, or any F for that matter. But it does help quite a bit. Not getting adequate sleep exacerbates any negative emotion, and adequate sleep does lead to much better moods, and better overall health. So go to sleep. You’ll be happy you did.

24 thoughts on “Go to Sleep, Little INF

  1. spottedchui says:

    And try not to use alcohol (like I sometimes do when stressed out) to induce sleep.

  2. Kitten says:

    I recommend meditation. If you put anything in your body to induce it, you probably won’t wake up happy. More like a groggy zombie… Unless you have chronic insomnia. And I’m writing this at 4 am. Lol

  3. Hannah says:

    Yoga works great. Reading just fuels the fire for me!

  4. Shaw says:

    Like it!

  5. renatembell says:

    “going to bed and waking up at the exact time every day”… has worked since childhood! 🙂 Sleep is my best medicine. (That, and Star Trek reruns. LOL)

  6. I like to write when I can’t sleep. I put all the thoughts spinning around in my head on paper. Once it’s on paper, it makes a lot more sense. It’s not spinning in my head anymore, and I am finally able to sleep. Most of the time. 🙂

  7. But going to sleep makes me feel like I’m missing out on all the fun! I don’t know why, but the later the night gets, the more my brain booms with ideas. It feels so good but so tired at the same time

  8. So simple but so true! Loll

  9. Dylan K. says:

    To whoever took the time to write this, thanks! For a while I’ve wondered if my tendency to oversleep is connected to my hypersensitivity, and as an INFJ this article makes an awful amount of sense to me. This isn’t to say the sort of oversleeping I was doing was good – it was super destructive – but now at least now I understand it better.

  10. True to form, my sleep is a required 10 hrs. As a child it was 12 hours. Yes, sleep does not come easily (INFJ). I learned at 18 years old that the more exercise (1-2 hours, depending on the type) I did, the better quality of sleep. When sleepless, television with a timer. If something is still circling the wagons in my head, I write, and sleep-in if possible. Noise is also problematic.( I can hear hair growing on the ass of a gnat!) Sleep is quite an issue. Sleeping in separate rooms, while not romantic, for me, is the best choice for my well-being.

    • I appreciate the insight. Exercise really does help! I think that goes for non-introverts as well.

      I am glad to hear you’re so in tune with your inner workings. Great to hear from someone who has learned to be so healthy in their lifestyle.

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