6 ms·

night owls are people who are sensitive to light/noise/environment and therefore more productive in the night - when they can focus and be productive for prolon

by slt2021 2y ago

night owls are people who are sensitive to light/noise/environment and therefore more productive in the night - when they can focus and be productive for prolonged periods of time without million of distractions. when you don't have people calling, texting, slacking, zooming you, environmental noises (car, neighbours, other people, dogs), when you don't have personal life distractions (wife, kids, personal email, social media etc) - you can be in a flow state for prolonged time and be quite productive. even such a small thing as lunch break, and other snack breaks - divides your day into two killing the flow.

theshackleford 2y ago
Even when controlling for what’s noted, I’ve always been more productive of an evening and have been since a child. It’s not limited to me and there seems to be some genetic component. My mother, grandmother, aunts etc. All night owls, and all of us averaging 6-7 hours of sleep at best. Regardless of what’s occurred before hand, my brain seems to kick into some higher gear at around 9-10pm. Like there is a noticeable change in my energy/cognitive capabilities. Ironically, the only time this has ever deviated was two months I spent in Russia where for the first time in my life, I adapted almost instantly to what one might call a “normal” sleep schedule. As soon as I returned to my own time zone, it reverted back to me being a night owl again. I’ve given up attempting to work around it and simply moved to a role that can accomodate it. It’s been huge for my physical and mental health to end the 30 odd years I’ve spent fighting what seems to be a natural schedule for me.
- gexla 2y ago
  I have found that I'm most creative and productive right after waking, but it doesn't last long. My energy levels crash some hours after waking, then slowly rise as the day turns into evening hours. At that point, I'm not as energetic as I am right after waking, but that state can last well into the night until I can't stay awake any longer. Even as I'm getting tired at night, it seems different than the crash at midday. So, I think it's true you can have a higher level of productivity in the morning for a short period, but also get more done in the evening because of the extended period of "good enough" energy. Morning people and evening people are both correct. Circumstances generally determine which of those two ends are most easily exploitable. Because I work from home, I can take advantage of both.
  - Aerroon 2y ago
    I'm the same way. I wonder if it has to do with food or even the expectation of food. Maybe eating (or even drinking water) sends the body on a rollercoaster that mostly settles down by evening time.
    - KETHERCORTEX 2y ago
      Food intake makes blood go to stomach, temporarily reducing its amounts in the other parts of the body. It may cause some fatigue.
2four2 2y ago
Disagree. I'm a night owl, and I work best with bustle around. Silence is eerie and distracting. I would keep the tv on when studying late into the night and I worked best in groups.
tensor 2y ago
Nah. As a night owl myself it’s simply that I have trouble falling asleep due to an overactive mind. Add two hours or more of rolling around and instead of getting up at 7 I’m getting up at 9. And before someone chimes in with sleep advice, please don’t. I’ve tried it all. Some rings help a bit but at the end of the day nothing makes enough of a difference. I just need those two hours my feet to the point when I can sleep. Also no, going to bed before everyone else is not an option. I’m not giving up having a social life.
- YokoZar 2y ago
  A night owl who feels pressured to wake at 7 or even 9am is a genuine tragedy. I am extremely fortunate to have a career where I can sleep my natural hours of somewhere around 4:30 AM until after noon. But I had to fight for it, and set boundaries. I would encourage everyone with a late chronotype to seriously consider spending some time finding such work, as finally getting good sleep will be a major unlock for your life and happiness.
  - yuye 2y ago
    >A night owl who feels pressured to wake at 7 or even 9am is a genuine tragedy. I'm very much a night owl. My whole childhood, I've been told by people that I can't choose to get out of bed late once I start working. Their message was clear: "Quit this lazy and childish behavior." Nowadays, I sleep at 0:00-1:00 and get up at 7.30. I hate it. The world lacks empathy for us.
- The_Colonel 2y ago
  An anecdote, but I used to be a night owl. Like you, I had trouble falling asleep in the evening and then getting up in the morning. Now in my thirties, it turned around. I fall dead asleep at 9-10 PM and wake up at 4-5 AM, not being able to sleep further. The change coincides with me getting kids, but I don't think it alone can explain this.
  - PaulRobinson 2y ago
    It can definitely change over time. In my 30s I went from wanting to stay up until 2am or later, and getting up at 9-10am, to wanting to be asleep by 10pm and getting up before 6am, every day of the week, including weekends - staying out late socialising is now weirdly hard work, and I'm basically done with work by 4:30-5pm and ready to start winding down. I don't have kids, something just flipped over the course of a year or two.
baxtr 2y ago
That’s me! But instead of going to bed late, I also try to get up very early to have the silent environment you describe. So seeing the other comments disagreeing maybe what you’re describing is a different kind of night owl…
nfw2 2y ago
I personally find daylight itself to be "distracting" -- like that basic sensory input alone consumes some non-trivial amount of cognitive energy. I much prefer to think in a dark space. I've never met anyone IRL who relates to this though.
- CalRobert 2y ago
  For what it’s worth I’ve loved wfh because I get to work in a dark cave with blacked out windows.
- hombre_fatal 2y ago
  Yeah, there’s something about the day itself that’s distracting. Maybe it’s the light + some latent emotion I have from residual expectations about what I “should” be doing. Not sure. At my worst I procrastinate my whole day away at home and not enter deep work until late at night where I become feverishly productive.
- ahlCVA 2y ago
  I feel the same, but I've never actually talked to anybody about it since it felt like such a strange thing to say. Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone!
dukeofdoom 2y ago
I found that a basement is a good substitute during the day. Reduced noise, distraction and no sunlight which often changes intensity every time a cloud rolls by.
nkmnz 2y ago
Owls could have the same amount of productive focus time in the early morning before everyone else starts to distract them - the reason they chose not to do that is mostly due to chronobiology, which is determined by genes, not social constructs like "lunch time".
- LeonB 2y ago
  As Douglas Adams said “Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so.”

theshackleford 2y ago

Even when controlling for what’s noted, I’ve always been more productive of an evening and have been since a child. It’s not limited to me and there seems to be some genetic component. My mother, grandmother, aunts etc. All night owls, and all of us averaging 6-7 hours of sleep at best. Regardless of what’s occurred before hand, my brain seems to kick into some higher gear at around 9-10pm. Like there is a noticeable change in my energy/cognitive capabilities. Ironically, the only time this has ever deviated was two months I spent in Russia where for the first time in my life, I adapted almost instantly to what one might call a “normal” sleep schedule. As soon as I returned to my own time zone, it reverted back to me being a night owl again. I’ve given up attempting to work around it and simply moved to a role that can accomodate it. It’s been huge for my physical and mental health to end the 30 odd years I’ve spent fighting what seems to be a natural schedule for me.

gexla 2y ago
I have found that I'm most creative and productive right after waking, but it doesn't last long. My energy levels crash some hours after waking, then slowly rise as the day turns into evening hours. At that point, I'm not as energetic as I am right after waking, but that state can last well into the night until I can't stay awake any longer. Even as I'm getting tired at night, it seems different than the crash at midday. So, I think it's true you can have a higher level of productivity in the morning for a short period, but also get more done in the evening because of the extended period of "good enough" energy. Morning people and evening people are both correct. Circumstances generally determine which of those two ends are most easily exploitable. Because I work from home, I can take advantage of both.
- Aerroon 2y ago
  I'm the same way. I wonder if it has to do with food or even the expectation of food. Maybe eating (or even drinking water) sends the body on a rollercoaster that mostly settles down by evening time.
  - KETHERCORTEX 2y ago
    Food intake makes blood go to stomach, temporarily reducing its amounts in the other parts of the body. It may cause some fatigue.

2four2 2y ago

Disagree. I'm a night owl, and I work best with bustle around. Silence is eerie and distracting. I would keep the tv on when studying late into the night and I worked best in groups.

tensor 2y ago

Nah. As a night owl myself it’s simply that I have trouble falling asleep due to an overactive mind. Add two hours or more of rolling around and instead of getting up at 7 I’m getting up at 9. And before someone chimes in with sleep advice, please don’t. I’ve tried it all. Some rings help a bit but at the end of the day nothing makes enough of a difference. I just need those two hours my feet to the point when I can sleep. Also no, going to bed before everyone else is not an option. I’m not giving up having a social life.

YokoZar 2y ago
A night owl who feels pressured to wake at 7 or even 9am is a genuine tragedy. I am extremely fortunate to have a career where I can sleep my natural hours of somewhere around 4:30 AM until after noon. But I had to fight for it, and set boundaries. I would encourage everyone with a late chronotype to seriously consider spending some time finding such work, as finally getting good sleep will be a major unlock for your life and happiness.
- yuye 2y ago
  >A night owl who feels pressured to wake at 7 or even 9am is a genuine tragedy. I'm very much a night owl. My whole childhood, I've been told by people that I can't choose to get out of bed late once I start working. Their message was clear: "Quit this lazy and childish behavior." Nowadays, I sleep at 0:00-1:00 and get up at 7.30. I hate it. The world lacks empathy for us.
The_Colonel 2y ago
An anecdote, but I used to be a night owl. Like you, I had trouble falling asleep in the evening and then getting up in the morning. Now in my thirties, it turned around. I fall dead asleep at 9-10 PM and wake up at 4-5 AM, not being able to sleep further. The change coincides with me getting kids, but I don't think it alone can explain this.
- PaulRobinson 2y ago
  It can definitely change over time. In my 30s I went from wanting to stay up until 2am or later, and getting up at 9-10am, to wanting to be asleep by 10pm and getting up before 6am, every day of the week, including weekends - staying out late socialising is now weirdly hard work, and I'm basically done with work by 4:30-5pm and ready to start winding down. I don't have kids, something just flipped over the course of a year or two.

baxtr 2y ago

That’s me! But instead of going to bed late, I also try to get up very early to have the silent environment you describe. So seeing the other comments disagreeing maybe what you’re describing is a different kind of night owl…

nfw2 2y ago

I personally find daylight itself to be "distracting" -- like that basic sensory input alone consumes some non-trivial amount of cognitive energy. I much prefer to think in a dark space. I've never met anyone IRL who relates to this though.

CalRobert 2y ago
For what it’s worth I’ve loved wfh because I get to work in a dark cave with blacked out windows.
hombre_fatal 2y ago
Yeah, there’s something about the day itself that’s distracting. Maybe it’s the light + some latent emotion I have from residual expectations about what I “should” be doing. Not sure. At my worst I procrastinate my whole day away at home and not enter deep work until late at night where I become feverishly productive.
ahlCVA 2y ago
I feel the same, but I've never actually talked to anybody about it since it felt like such a strange thing to say. Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone!

dukeofdoom 2y ago

I found that a basement is a good substitute during the day. Reduced noise, distraction and no sunlight which often changes intensity every time a cloud rolls by.

nkmnz 2y ago

Owls could have the same amount of productive focus time in the early morning before everyone else starts to distract them - the reason they chose not to do that is mostly due to chronobiology, which is determined by genes, not social constructs like "lunch time".

LeonB 2y ago
As Douglas Adams said “Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so.”