Staying Up Late

[Sensi Star]

Since I don't have a job, I like to stay up really late almost every day. Like, deep into the night, 5, 6 in the morning. Watching TV, surfing the web, household tasks, etc. I find something appealing about my mental state in these hours. Like my mind that is normally racing is much more controlled and less erratic.

My theory about this is that people in general, buy I in particular, can sense the energy of the environment. During the day, I can feel the energy of my city, the hustle and bustle, collective stresses of other people.

At night, there is a stark calmness, a tranquil stillness from the lack of this energy when most people are asleep. I love this late night vibe.

Do you like to stay up late? How do your motives/experiences in doing so compare to mine?

 

[psion]

I tend to stay up quite late as well, I find that I am less able to do logical mental tasks during these hours but more likely to be creative or feel an emotional response to something. I generally just attribute it to being more tired than at other times, as my brain seems to stop chucking ideas at me like an automatic tennis ball launcher.

That is an interesting idea about being able to sense the state of the people around us. It could have some truth to it and is worth considering.

 

[kora]

I think exactly the same, I find that my thoughts at night are far more in depth than during the day, it's also the only time i can be sure I won't be interrupted. I think the night is when I'm creative, when I wake up I can deal with the technical details of them.

 

[Moocow]

I prefer to paint and work on music between the hours of 10 PM and 5 AM. Unfortunately the music doesn't happen much because I wouldn't torment my housemates or neighbors by trying to record the same riff 500 times in the early hours.

Music is definitely easier to enjoy too. The city goes silent, my mind slows down, and the lamp lighting all around me gives everything a focused and calm atmosphere.

 

[Vrecknidj]

I would love to do that, but my first job in the morning starts early enough that I have to get up around 6:30, and, I require about 7 hours of sleep, so, I'm almost always in bed by 11:30.

But, yes, I had similar experiences with the stillness of the night-time world, and preferred it.

 

[Czech Yes or No]

YES! The night is relaxing, peaceful and tranquil. It leads to an independence of thought and feeling that cannot be matched among the hurried and despotic hours of the day.

 

[eagor]

i stay up late because im an insomniac...but yes i see your point the night time is indeed the right time, that's why i work the graveyard shift.

 

[Puffy]

I prefer to be solidly nocturnal where possible. It has done me well for the last 3 years as a humanities student - I have minimal contact hours/ work night-shifts - I'm not looking forward to coming back to the day this Summer though, due to work.

In addition to what has been said already, I like to be in a position to watch the sun set and rise; I find it is this twilight time of day that I am at my most creative and that my surroundings are at their most beautiful.

 

[MizKodomo]

I'm a lot like eagor and stay awake mainly because I have insomnia, but I've grown to appreciate the peace of late evening/early morning where I'm at

I remember though, going to New York and having a hotel very close by to the city itself. It sucked because the group I went with complained the entire trip (the trip itself was still awesome, I just wish I didn't have to deal with other people). I remember just laying there listening to how awake everything was even at 1:30 in the morning. It was astounding. Suffice to say I never wanted to leave

There's a different kind of peace you find in larger cities. I think it's because everyone is so stressed during the day, and at night, it's like the city as a whole experiences a moment of catharsis as people do different things to unwind. It's not dead and silent like in the suburbs, country, or sudo-city- but it's still lovely

 

[Darby]

I usually like the night for many of the reasons described, I also feel more emotionally in tune (as described above). However, if things haven't been going well, or life just seems to stagnate, my brain becomes a mess, I get overloaded by my own thoughts and just kind of freak out. paranoia and just a general sense of failure and worthlessness washes over me. This is also associated heavily with mid-late winter, after the holidays are over and there's nothing to look forward to for 2 months.

 

[pernoctator]

pernocto = Latin verb, "to spend the night"; pernoctator = someone who stays up all night

So, yeah. It's 5 AM right now.

By the way, anyone who does this should try out this program: f.lux

f.lux makes your computer screen look like the room you're in, all the time. When the sun sets, it makes your computer look like your indoor lights. In the morning, it makes things look like sunlight again.

It takes a while to get used to. I eventually stopped using it, but you might like it.

 

[Darby]

pernocto = Latin verb, "to spend the night"; pernoctator = someone who stays up all night

So, yeah. It's 5 AM right now.

By the way, anyone who does this should try out this program: f.lux

It takes a while to get used to. I eventually stopped using it, but you might like it.

GAH! everything turned a tone of brown. This will be interesting...only 2 am and it's making me sleepy...

 

[The Gopher]

I don't stay up late I stay up early.

 

[nedenom]

I like to stay up late too, often way too late even when I have to get up early for work. I always thought of this as a biological clock thing, but perhaps it is related to procrastination. Maybe xxxP are night creatures while xxxJ are early birds? I'm not sure of the equivalent in other countries, but in mine we call them A or B persons (http://www.b-society.org/node/14).

 

[pernoctator]

I like to stay up late too, often way too late even when I have to get up early for work. I always thought of this as a biological clock thing, but perhaps it is related to procrastination. Maybe xxxP are night creatures while xxxJ are early birds? I'm not sure of the equivalent in other countries, but in mine we call them A or B persons (http://www.b-society.org/node/14).

Maybe it's a side effect of introversion, being focused internally and not paying attention to external cues (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeitgeber).

 

[Architect]

I prefer getting up early - between 3-4 AM and going to bed at 8PM, I do it every day as it's habit forming. That way you wipe away the previous day and start fresh, before any crap from the new day happens.

 

[Cosmic]

i stay up late because i always have stuff i need to or want to do before the day ends. and then if i have the ability to sleep in, there's no way in hell i won't as much as i'll tell myself otherwise. due to my habits, being free during the day is a luxury for me, and i get caught up in the euphoria of being productive with errands or enjoying the atmosphere and/or water at the lake. despite this, i love the night. i "work out" (i.e. bike/walk/jog) at night because it's more reflective. i do diddly shit at night because there's no pressure. i study at night because there aren't outside distractions.

basically: both are nice, and my habits make me believe i'm partial to nighttime, but i'm not 100% sure as my sleeping habits are due to lack of discipline

 

[Dr. Freeman]

I make a point of not doing this during the week. I need to get up around 5:08 and I don't function anywhere as well when I am tired.

 

[rangelife]

I happen to be a night owl as well. I have trouble sleeping occasionally (over-thinking can do that).

 

[MEDICaustik]

The night is the best. I wake up early for work, and all I can do is wait for 6pm. Sometimes I even stay at work until 8 or 9pm because I get so much more done once everyone else is gone.

No interruptions, I can blast my music, walk around without shoes, rock out my air guitar in the glass between offices, creep on other people's offices, and just do whatever I want.

Isn't that what all INTPs want? They just want to be left alone to do what they want, when they want, how they want without having to explain why they want to.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtWo-2QMD0k

 

[MissQuote]

Isn't that what all INTPs want? They just want to be left alone to do what they want, when they want, how they want without having to explain why they want to.

Good summary.

I prefer the night.

Also, this is interesting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome

 

[Darby]

Good summary.

I prefer the night.

Also, this is interesting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome

This sounds exactly like me. Even on days where I get up 8~10am I find I still can't sleep till 2~3am.

 

[Reluctantly]

Do you like to stay up late?

Yeah.

How do your motives/experiences in doing so compare to mine?

It's the best escape from other people (because they are sleeping or too tired to care about anything going on); it's fun to go to the park, beach, pool, etc. at night. It's also kind of romantic, which is fun. If you have a 'friend' with you, you can do things in public you wouldn't normally get away with during the day. }:-)

 

[EyeSeeCold]

It's the best escape from other people (because they are sleeping or too tired to care about anything going on)

I'm pretty sure this is the underlying psychological/physiological reason for myself.

 

[Moocow]

I've been going to sleep at 7 AM and waking up at 4 PM for the past week.

Pros:
-Lots of quiet time.
-I have the campus to myself
-I'm synced better with friends on the other side of the earth that I talk to online.
-Different mindset.
-Sleep through all the noisy hassle of the daytime.
-Better for painting without the glare of direct sunlight. I can control my lighting better.

Cons:
-Stores are all closed.
-I might get mugged if I really go anywhere.
-Confined to my apartment for the above reasons.
-Starting to feel like shit.
-When I have to start my final semester it's going to be awful.

 

[Panopticon]

I'm pretty sure this is the underlying psychological/physiological reason for myself.

I know for a fact this is my reason as well.

 

[individuo]

I love it. There's no one bothering, it's quite inspiring and it boosts creativity. It's so much easier to be in Flow...

Unfortunately I have a normal job now and can't do it anymore

Society imposes a 'normal' daily schedule and we all love normal right?

 

[shortbuss]

I never really thought about it, surprisingly, but the tranquility of nighttime contrasted by that sense you describe of the daytime rat races during normal waking hours really is something to cherish.

I also don't have a job, and enjoy staying up and searching the internet, reading, listening to music, watching tv and movies and just relaxing. People think I'm just lazy, and there is a grain of truth to that, but it's also about when my energy is peeked. I have always felt more lively at night, and it is hard for me to just lie down and force myself to sleep when I feel so energized. My thoughts are hard to ignore and can be incessant, even painfully so, and so after hours tossing and turning with no success I just give up and admit defeat and decide to enjoy my forced consciousness.

I quite enjoy taking drugs by myself. I'm fond of adderall with marijuana and alcohol, and if I'm lucky enough, some opiates and the best music I have on my computer. Oh god, it's a euphoric reverie! I love the night, and I prefer the moon to the sun.

 

[scorpiomover]

Same. Used to have insomnia, and then sleep in till noon. Since I started exercising morning and night, am getting up every day. I just don't go out much.

I did go out the other day. Went with my mother and sister to the local mall. But all the emotions of the other people started really getting to me, and I was infuriated for hours. That left, pretty much as soon as I got home.

I like to stay up late too, often way too late even when I have to get up early for work. I always thought of this as a biological clock thing, but perhaps it is related to procrastination. Maybe xxxP are night creatures while xxxJ are early birds? I'm not sure of the equivalent in other countries, but in mine we call them A or B persons (http://www.b-society.org/node/14).

Holy shite! This is so me! I even figured out a few years ago, that I have a rhythm of about 25-27 hours, because my sleep patterns used to roll on an hour or two each night. I would cycle round from getting to sleep at 8pm in the night, to not going to bed until 8am in the morning, over a 2-week period.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. (3 times for major emphasis)

 

[HDINTP]

I am supposed to study aren't i?:smiley_emoticons_mr but
yes i like staying up late because i think i got much more energy at night.

 

[pjoa09]

@scorpiomover I don't really think sleeping at noon is insomnia. Just pointing out the obvious.

It's just computers and endless entertainment from them. Then the proceeding fuck up of routine.

 

[scorpiomover]

@scorpiomover I don't really think sleeping at noon is insomnia. Just pointing out the obvious.

You are right there. Not being able to sleep all night, falling asleep only at 3am, 4am, or even not until 8am in the morning, and then sleeping till noon, or even later, is insomnia.

 

[Sensi Star]

I quite enjoy taking drugs by myself. I'm fond of adderall with marijuana and alcohol, and if I'm lucky enough, some opiates and the best music I have on my computer. Oh god, it's a euphoric reverie! I love the night, and I prefer the moon to the sun.

I can't stand alcohol or physically tolerate it, but I agree that some MJ and especially nice opiates make this night experience purely heaven. I've so many fond memories of my "virgin days" of falling in/out of the warm, heavy nods of Opana (very top of the opi "mountain") late into the evening; tucked cozily in my soft blanket (on top of the "virtual" blanket of warmth), watching (every 3rd minute of) awesome series like Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, Dexter, Burn Notice, etc. No one bothering me while I'm in my own little world where my problems melt and everything is alright.

I'd also be free from the usual crippling mental chatter, and temporarily as productive as a strong-J type. Repeated every week or 2 until tolerance rose and it simply cannot happen anymore without the price of a week's worth of coldness, depression, and really bizarre dreams. Yep, those were the days, and it's horrible that it can't be experienced again without inevitable misery.

 

[Triginta Septem]

I do all my best thinking at night. And even for an INTP, a "thinker", my Ti is extremely high, so I hardly sleep at all. There's just so much to think about! I usually plan on doing something with these thoughts, but then my alarm clock goes off... ^^'

 

[lungs]

"why night owls are more intelligent"

http://personal.lse.ac.uk/kanazawa/pdfs/paid2009.pdf

i stay up later than i should. i just dislike sleep though, it seems like a waste of time.

 

[pjoa09]

I prefer getting up early - between 3-4 AM and going to bed at 8PM, I do it every day as it's habit forming. That way you wipe away the previous day and start fresh, before any crap from the new day happens.

That is bad ass.

I wish I did that.

I arrive home at around 8 p.m, I'd have to drop dead everyday at the door of my house to do that.

At night there is only the burden to sleep and that last Youtube video.

 

[pjoa09]

You are right there. Not being able to sleep all night, falling asleep only at 3am, 4am, or even not until 8am in the morning, and then sleeping till noon, or even later, is insomnia.

You work out?

Tried that before?

Well I don't know your case but for me it's just a matter of making sure that I have done all I want to do, working out a bit during the day, and making sure that no source of entertainment is within my reach while I am on the bed.

Worst comes to worst I put on a favorite song and use it as a lullaby.

Once I even get a little internet it's damn well 8 am and I am screwed.

 

[Architect]

There have been some articles on this recently, with the usual crop of CEO pukes as shining examples unfortunately

http://www.businessinsider.com/successful-early-risers-2012-1

http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/want-success-fix-mornings-124459953.html

I like the William Blake quote in there ...

"Think in the morning, act in the noon, read in the evening, and sleep at night."

This is exactly what I do. I came upon this as an ideal way to live by experiment. Recently I've been on a hot project (perhaps the ideal INTP project as well) and have been going to sleep by 8PM and waking up at 2AM to start working. Sometimes I take a nap after lunch, which is the one meal I eat a day. Love it. I get most of my work done before the sun comes up, if I didn't do this I wouldn't get anything done as during the day there's always somebody trying to bother me, or some obligation to perform.

 

[intpz]

This is exactly what I do. I came upon this as an ideal way to live by experiment. Recently I've been on a hot project (perhaps the ideal INTP project as well) and have been going to sleep by 8PM and waking up at 2AM to start working. Sometimes I take a nap after lunch, which is the one meal I eat a day. Love it. I get most of my work done before the sun comes up, if I didn't do this I wouldn't get anything done as during the day there's always somebody trying to bother me, or some obligation to perform.

That's awesome. I probably am going to try to "convert" myself when I'll have a job and live alone. Currently I just stay up until 3-10AM, lately mostly until 6-8AM. Then sleep until 12-4PM... I find it interesting that all the INTPs around here like staying up late.

 

[Jaffa]

I can definitely relate to alot of this.

I find that going to bed early is a lost battle,I find that my mind is still racing with thoughts and ideas and I need something to stimulate my imagination before bed. Computer games are usually helpful.

Recently I've discovered both Ephedrine and Tramadol. I find that Tramadol really helps me to switch off and relax. Instead of my mind continuously firing wild thoughts and idea's I mellow into a relaxed state. Ephedrine does the opposite but I find that if I take it early in the day, by 10PM I'm usually tired out.

 

[scorpiomover]

You work out?

Tried that before?

2.5 hours a day, and I get into a natural rhythm of not being able to stay awake past 10, maybe 11 at the most, and then I wake up at 8am, and can't go back to sleep, no matter that everyone else is still sleeping. 1.5 hours of exercise a day doesn't cut it.

Well I don't know your case but for me it's just a matter of making sure that I have done all I want to do, working out a bit during the day, and making sure that no source of entertainment is within my reach while I am on the bed.

Worst comes to worst I put on a favorite song and use it as a lullaby.

Once I even get a little internet it's damn well 8 am and I am screwed.

Had it since I was a child. Worrying about anything, can kill my sleep patterns. When I'm really worried, I get maybe 1 hour of sleep, and then can't think straight the whole day, even if it's just someone's post. If it's something important that I am worried about, I get very dysfunctional. I'm very avoidant.

I've also found out that it's light that bothers me the most. On fluorescent lights, I don't ever feel tired. On incandescent lights, I just naturally start feeling sleepy sometime in the night.

I do have my computer and TV near my bed. I'm in a studio flat at the moment. I suppose that I could move everything around. However, then I'd really have to totally change my lifestyle, as I'd end up treating my computer and my TV, like it was in a workplace. I've done that before. I just kept going out of the house, and going to the pub for something to do at night.

But what you say, has merit, and it's certainly something to consider.

There have been some articles on this recently, with the usual crop of CEO pukes as shining examples unfortunately

http://www.businessinsider.com/successful-early-risers-2012-1

http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/want-success-fix-mornings-124459953.html

I like the William Blake quote in there ...

"Think in the morning, act in the noon, read in the evening, and sleep at night."

This is exactly what I do. I came upon this as an ideal way to live by experiment. Recently I've been on a hot project (perhaps the ideal INTP project as well) and have been going to sleep by 8PM and waking up at 2AM to start working. Sometimes I take a nap after lunch, which is the one meal I eat a day. Love it. I get most of my work done before the sun comes up, if I didn't do this I wouldn't get anything done as during the day there's always somebody trying to bother me, or some obligation to perform.

My brain doesn't wake up until the afternoon. Always get my best stuff done then. I seem to have a time lag. When I wake up, my brain is awake, but my motivation is low. I can deal with mental challenges, like internet forum threads, or things like that. But my motivation only kicks in several hours later. I could probably live like you do, if I woke up at 10pm, got things done between 2am and 10am, and then went to sleep at around 2pm in the afternoon.

I also have to deal with the fact that my body clock is about 25-26 hours. My sleep patterns tend to shift 2 hours forwards, every few days, and so do my work patterns.

 

[Darby]

2.5 hours a day, and I get into a natural rhythm of not being able to stay awake past 10, maybe 11 at the most, and then I wake up at 8am, and can't go back to sleep, no matter that everyone else is still sleeping. 1.5 hours of exercise a day doesn't cut it.

Had it since I was a child. Worrying about anything, can kill my sleep patterns. When I'm really worried, I get maybe 1 hour of sleep, and then can't think straight the whole day, even if it's just someone's post. If it's something important that I am worried about, I get very dysfunctional. I'm very avoidant.

I've also found out that it's light that bothers me the most. On fluorescent lights, I don't ever feel tired. On incandescent lights, I just naturally start feeling sleepy sometime in the night.

I do have my computer and TV near my bed. I'm in a studio flat at the moment. I suppose that I could move everything around. However, then I'd really have to totally change my lifestyle, as I'd end up treating my computer and my TV, like it was in a workplace. I've done that before. I just kept going out of the house, and going to the pub for something to do at night.

But what you say, has merit, and it's certainly something to consider.

My brain doesn't wake up until the afternoon. Always get my best stuff done then. I seem to have a time lag. When I wake up, my brain is awake, but my motivation is low. I can deal with mental challenges, like internet forum threads, or things like that. But my motivation only kicks in several hours later. I could probably live like you do, if I woke up at 10pm, got things done between 2am and 10am, and then went to sleep at around 2pm in the afternoon.

I also have to deal with the fact that my body clock is about 25-26 hours. My sleep patterns tend to shift 2 hours forwards, every few days, and so do my work patterns.

So you still work out? because some of the stuff you are talking about sounds like you have a "normal" sleep schedule, and some of it sounds like you have an awful sleep schedule. Your awful sleep schedule sounds a lot like mine, with the 25-26 hour internal clock, and not being fully awake/motivated 'til about early/mid afternoon. I usually do the closing shift for work because of this reason.

 

[pjoa09]

@Architect I guess it's a person to person thing. I can't sleep early.

@scorpiomover I think I am getting that insomniac issue too. I have recently started to obsess over certain things and I'd agree that shit doesn't let you sleep! Need resolutions.

 

[redbaron]

I prefer earlier starts and nights. Bed by 9pm or so and up no later than 5am.

Maybe because I like to either go for a swim or a run at the start of my day, and early morning is the least chaotic time to do this. A cup of black coffee and a couple pieces of dry toast and I'm out the door. A good 45 minutes of high intensity exercise keeps me both mentally and physically invigorated.

Something about just going totally all-out and pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion just works for me. I couldn't imagine going to bed late and doing the same thing at 10am. I like the deadness of the swimming pool/streets at 6am.

Tried running at a local park during the day once, couldn't stand it.

 

[xeno_girl]

Wow this is very intriguing... I am quite curious how many INTPs are night owls. I am utterly miserable trying to work regular 8 - 5 jobs. My circadian rhythms are just wired to sleep between 3 or 4 am to 11 or noon. I even had a sleep study done, and they couldn't give me any answers. So now I do freelance work and some online teaching, and am MUCH happier not having to set an alarm. People tend to be judgmental about my sleep schedule and assume I am lazy, even though I sleep the exact same number of hours they do. But whatever... I don't care. I think part of why I love the night is because I can concentrate for hours and hours without ANY interruptions. I go fully into my Ti-Ne zone... bliss. So nice to learn I am not alone in this peculiarity!

 

[skip]

I like the William Blake quote in there ...

"Think in the morning, act in the noon, read in the evening, and sleep at night."

My brain doesn't wake up until 1:00 or 2:00 P.M. I always felt bad when I had an office job that required me to be sitting in a chair at 8:00 A.M. I'd sit there and waste five or six hours before I could be productive. They would have gotten their money's worth out of me if I could have worked 2:00 - 10:00 P.M.

 

[Manic]

I'm a definite night owl and stay up very late most nights even though I have to get up early most days. For a lot of the same reasons already mentioned: insomnia, think better, best quiet alone time. I love the atmosphere of the middle of the night in a way that I can't quite describe.

 

[RedN]

im more of a night person really. i hate the sun for one... and its romantic at night.

if im gonna have fun id do it at night time. so yeah sometimes i stay up late too.

 

[Tetr]

I hate going to bed at night, there is always something more to do. I also prefer being up at night when it's calm, though I rarely have trouble sleeping. I'm going to try out Architect's rythm as it fits well with my obligations.