It’s always seemed really onerous the idea that you are only a “good” person if you get up
early.
Though I don’t have a strong circadian rhythm and prefer to sleep in 2-3 hour cycles throughout the day (yes, I know I am weird), I am by very far the most productive between midnight and 4 am.
Always have been. Always will be. It’s why most of the posts here are written about that time.
From an early age, we’re taught that getting up early is good for us. Sayings like The early bird catches the worm and Early to bed and early to rise makes and man healthy, wealthy and wise are part of the culture and have a certain moralizing force. People who go to bed early and get up early are upstanding and productive. People who go to bed later and wake up later are degenerate and lazy.
Nowadays, however, there’s a growing body of thought to say this is not only wrong, but also counterproductive.
Most jobs that I have, if possible, while I do work at work, I am most productive at night in the hours I mentioned above.
So in one hour between say 1 am and 2 am, I tend to get as much done as I do in 3-4 hours during the official workday. That’s why I usually work at night even when I have a “day” job.
Of course, no company (usually run by Type A early-rise extroverts) ever sees it that way, so I can never work a sane (to me) schedule – so I have to work extra, but it also means that I tend to be far more productive than other people if I do this.
I’m wondering if that kind of circadian rhythm would even be sustainable without plentiful and cheap artificial light. Those sayings originated in the time of candles. What did night owls even do when lighting was expensive?
I’m definitely not an extreme lark or an extreme owl. Mid-morning to noon is my most productive time. I’m not up past 1 am generally. Being awake before 6 am (aka ass-o-clock) turns me into murderous Homer Simpson even if i make myself sleep for 8 hours.
I can only guess that people in charge of companies value other things more than productivity. Staggering work times would decrease rush hour traffic and accidents as well. Most jobs I’ve seen that require people to be awake between midnight-4 am lack autonomy so maybe your employers project that onto their official working hours?
“I’m wondering if that kind of circadian rhythm would even be sustainable without plentiful and cheap artificial light.”
I hope to never find out! But I’ve been that way since the earliest I can remember, about 3, much to the consternation of my family.
Most of the jobs I’ve held in the last decade really could be done at any time, especially the design and major network alteration work, but companies are wedded to the 9-5 mentality and see anyone not working that schedule (or telecommuting) as shirking work, I’ve found.
What did you do when you were three and up at three am? I wasn’t able to do any of the things I’d do now if I was awake at three am when I was three. Plus my brother would have been an annoying tantrum buzzkill who’d wake my parents if he heard me get out of bed.
Wouldn’t design and major network alteration be better done in the wee hours of the night precisely because most people are asleep? That’s some very strong presenteeism bias right there.
Without plentiful and cheap artificial light I’d probably turn into a lazy farmer. :p I’m sensitive to light so I’ve installed F.lux on my computers at home and I use a night mask to sleep.
“What did you do when you were three and up at three am?”
Ha, mostly things that annoyed and scared my parents. For instance, I’d get up and go outside and wander around or turn on the TV, or one time I remember getting in trouble for eating some cereal around midnight. I remember it not because that is so egregious, but because it was probably one of the first times I did something like that and thus got in a lot of trouble for it.
When I learned how to read, I did that instead (pre-K for me, so I wasn’t reading at 3, but was by age 4).
You’re right about the major network alteration and design even (because it’s quieter) being done in the middle of the night.
The last company I worked full-time for, they had a policy of butts in desks between 8-5 and no working from home, period. Very disappointing because it was actually a pretty good place to work despite some regressive policies like that from a few higher-ups.
By the way, on sleeping with a mask how did you get used to that? Did it take long? I can’t stand anything touching my face when I’m sleeping.
I use a light breathable eye mask, but it generally falls off my face by morning. That takes maybe two days to get used to. Once I’m in deep sleep, I don’t care. Otherwise I hear every footfall, creak, and rumble and I see every sliver of light. I’m able to hear the ticking of a watch in a drawer across the room. I dream of a blind system rigged to a timer.
Earplugs work better if you have to deal with loud snorers and they take a only a couple of days to get used to. Again, those tend to fall out of my ears halfway through the night. If hearing your own heartbeat distracts you more than extraneous noise, I don’t recommend earplugs.