So we had to go out there. I couldn’t sleep

[GoodTaste]

I understand "So we had to go out there. I couldn’t sleep" as "So we had to intervene to avoid making the situation worse. I couldn't sleep soundly without taking positive actions." Well, not sure I've got it correctly..

What does it mean?


==========================
Pierre Noah, a businessman and friend of Hutchinson’s, said of the incident: “It would have turned out really bad because someone’s life would have been taken and you know what would have happened. Straight away – black boys have killed somebody, and they’ve killed a white man – it’s just going to be worse. So we had to go out there. I couldn’t sleep.”

Source: The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ut-after-carrying-counter-protester-to-safety

 

[Tarheel]

So we had to go out there - We had to intervene to keep the situation from getting worse.
I couldn't sleep - I couldn't stop thinking about it, and that was keeping me awake.

 

[GoesStation]

I understand the passage as you do, except that you have to change your second sentence: I wouldn't have been able to sleep [if I'd done nothing].