Maybe it’s too much caffeine late at night or an unfortunate event in the last hours of the day. Whatever leads you to insomnia, how do you use those hours? For a while I kept a dream journal but it interfered with my sleep. Okay, not funny. Seriously, does anyone keep a noctuary journal? Whether it’s dreams, thoughts, or midnight memories it could lead to interesting stories.
WittBits 
I’ve never thought about keeping a noctuary journal. My dreams are way too weird to want to write down. LOL
~Ninja Minion Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author
I do keep paper and pencil close by, because I become brilliant right before falling asleep. I always think I’ll be able to remember, but never can if I wait until morning. If i write it down, I can at least decide in the morning if it was really brilliant or not… @DietzShirley from I Just Have to Say
I always have a pen and pad on my bedside table. Quite often I’ll wake in the night with an idea or just something I need to do. If I write it down, I can then get back to sleep.
If I’m not feeling tired, I read for a while. A few weeks ago, I read that Robert Louis Stevenson suggested thinking about a scene or storyline before going to sleep to let your subconscious write the story for you. I think your idea of writing down ideas before sleep would work the same way.
Gail’s 2016 April A to Z Challenge
Theme: The Fun in Writing #212