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Night Owls

Night Owls2010-04-19T00:39:26+00:00
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  • #88360

    wolfshades
    Member
    Post count: 211

    Just wondering if anyone has shared my experience or tendency on this one. Not even sure it’s ADHD related (though I suspect it might be).

    When I’m allowed to let my mind roam freely, I find I’m very productive and can jump all over the place and have all kinds of energy. This happens typically at night (which is the core of my question to y’all). :) I don’t know why it is – whether it’s because I’m not doing my hum-drum day job, or whether it’s because everything just seems to be clearer, and sharper at night. But I can zip through hours of online stuff, writing blogs, commenting back to others, basically interacting with people. Being on the net means never staying in the same spot for long (hence the ADHD part), and that too brings its own excitement and clarity.

    What’s your experience? I’m particularly interested to see if anyone else seems to thrive better at night but has found ways to keep themselves engaged in the daytime, with work and whatever. And I’d like to know how you did that.

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    #93650

    Mica
    Member
    Post count: 11

    I know that at night all the distractions disappear and I’m allowed to hyperfocus. It’s totally soothing –until I realize that I have to get up in a few hours. If I had my way I’d get up early, nap in the middle of the day and then stay up really late. Doesn’t really work in the 9 to 5 world however. I think that it also help that some activities are just not conducive to nighttime – like vaccuming. I never feel like I should be doing housework at 2:00am!

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    #93651

    Saffron
    Member
    Post count: 140

    Against all my desire and better judgement, I too feel more alive and am more productive at night. Makes me crazy that I can’t operate the same way during the day. And believe me, I’ve tried. But like Mica says, we have to spin with the world.

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    #93652

    wolfshades
    Member
    Post count: 211

    Interesting! Mica, I just realized you’re absolutely right. During the daytime there’s just much too much going on, so it makes sense that nighttime allows for much easier focus.

    Never realized that before.

    Saffron – maybe that’s why ADHD is called the comedian’s (or actor’s) condition. In addition to enhancing creativity, those who make a living at it don’t adhere to regular 9-5 routines.

    I’m beginning to think I should focus more on getting on with my music. If I could make money at it, that could be a TOTAL night time activity. And wouldn’t that be awesome?

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    #93653

    Just Me
    Participant
    Post count: 9

    I to find myself awake late at night but for me I think it’s because by nighttime my meds have woren off. So without the stimulate to keep all the stuff in my brain in one place, I find it wandering around for hours, going over every little thing that happened in the day.

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    #93654

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    Add me to the list. (pun intended)

    I think it has something to do with sleep patterns. I’m not on any medication, but 4-5 hours of sleep somehow puts my brain into gear. A lot of nights I wake up around 3AM ready to go. I solve a lot of problems in my mind around that time. Sometimes I’ll wake up with a lot of creative ideas for work. I hash them out and write down the good ones. It might take an entire year before I get around to implementing them, but they’re usually really good ideas. No TV, no radio–just the silence and darkness.

    The weird thing is that after about 90 minutes I fall back to sleep, then struggle to get out of bed at 6:00. It’s almost like my body and mind would prefer a 20-hour day.

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    #93655

    Patte Rosebank
    Participant
    Post count: 1517

    For me, it’s a case of things being a lot quieter at night. I live in a very high-traffic area, in downtown Toronto. There’s a constant bustle of traffic and pedestrians and fire trucks and ambulances, and (most significantly) the construction of a high-rise just below my window. The construction workers start just after 7 a.m., so I’m awakened by that noise, and it continues until the start of evening rush hour. The neighbourhood doesn’t really quiet down until after 8:30 p.m.

    At night, there’s less traffic in the hallways of my building, and fewer dings from the bells on the elevators. Much fewer distractions. So I can really focus on doing things. Plus, working in a theatre, and performing in burlesque & variety shows, I have to store up my energy during the day so that I’ll have enough to do my job or my performing at night. The exception to this is the shows I do in nursing homes, which are generally in the afternoon.

    Ideally, I’d go to bed around 1 a.m., and wake up around 10 a.m. But those lovely construction workers are determined to wake me up ridiculously early, so I’m sort of in a weird limbo state, of having to force myself to go to bed early-ish so I’ll get enough sleep by the time I’m so rudely awakened.

    Wait, there’s more. Lately, the construction crew has been putting up a super-bright clump of halogen lights on the top of the building-in-progress, which is at the perfect height to shine right into my bedroom window, despite my vertical blinds. And they have some people scurrying around up there, banging around and checking on the day’s work. Last night, they were at it ’til midnight. If they keep this up, I shall file a noise complaint with the City.

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    #93656

    veronica
    Member
    Post count: 121

    Just Me

    I to find myself awake late at night but for me I think it’s because by nighttime my meds have woren off. So without the stimulate to keep all the stuff in my brain in one place, I find it wandering around for hours, going over every little thing that happened in the day.

    well, it’s not just you with this one. i am in complete agreement with your statement. as this is the same notion for myself. i personally have so much to do during the day. i am an office manager and have a lot of tasks to complete throughout the day. and when my meds have not worn off i find myself up reading, commenting, writing…. but if i do a day where i only take one dose, as soon as 4 or so rolls around i find myself all mixed up in the day to day that just happened and wonder around like a lost child trying to get myself focused on things that need to be done around the house and such.

    personally i’m a morning person… BUT only when it pertains to certain things. some examples… i workout better and feel more fulfilled with my workout in the mornings… in the evening i’m crap when it comes to “having to go workout” and i wind up staying all lazy and just sit on the compu instead. *sigh* i’m also very good at logical stuff in the morning. even without my meds, if i’ve gotten a good nights rest i’m an ace with problem solving. i tend to have more patience with myself and those around me, b/c my brain is not tired from having to “work so hard”. i tend to do way more stuff in the early part of the day and start to dwindle down after a while. so, most of my priority items get done from about 9 to 2. after that, it’s “what… did you say something?”… hahahahaha.

    now, i am much better at writing at night. i can hyperfocus on BS (non-important have to get done tasks) things at night, like blogs… or games and such.

    i am one of those that tends to feed off others energy. perhaps that’s the reason i get a lot done during those am hours at work, b/c there is always something to do and i see that everyone else is getting there stuff done, so i don’t want to feel left out.

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    #93657

    wolfshades
    Member
    Post count: 211

    Fascinating feedback everyone! Thank you!

    @Larynxa: I feel your pain and agree that you need to call in a noise complaint. I believe 11:00 is the cutoff time. Some construction folk will push the envelope sometimes – it’s happened to me.

    Since I’m a night person through and through, I’m thinking I should work out of a cottage up north, and try and focus on the music industry instead of IT. that would be a *mucH* better fit.

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    #93658

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    Night time YUM! I don’t think it is just a meds thing. I work shift work and when I am on nights, I take my meds in the late afternoon, but nights are the best time for me to be most productive. I think that it is definitely related to the chance to fall into the bliss of hyperfocus. The rest of the world finally leaves you alone and you get the opportunity to go into the ZONE. On dayshift there is so much more going on and so many more non ADHDers to contend with which causes more mental strain. I love night shift, but since being medicated I have found dayshift much easier.

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    #93659

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    I have the same night issues as most of you. I’m usually up most nights until between 1 to 3 am and then have an alarm clock that rings at 5:30am for me to begin the new day. I’m sure it’s not good for my health to log in those long hours but when the brain is ready to go, who am I to stop it? (Besides the fact that drugs are needed to make it stop)

    I’ve been doing this kind of sleep pattern since I was a preteen (mind you, back then I used to go to bed around midnight) and I used to wonder even then why I was awake so late every night. My mom used to regale and berate me about the fact that I never slept as a baby and it nearly drove her crazy! Maybe the going crazy part was more related to the fact that I have a twin and she was already tired and worn out. The fact that I didn’t sleep couldn’t have been that bad, right?

    I’ve always enjoyed the peace and quiet of the night time. No extra noise and no one coming and bothering me or interrupting me about silly things. Soooooo much easier to think clearly at night.

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    #93660

    Bettyboo
    Member
    Post count: 53

    I was always a night hawk but I’m finding the older I get (I’m only 45) i seem to value my time sleeping. I’m a basket case otherwise. Since I haven’t been well…see bad reaction sleeping has been golden. I couldn’t cut staying awake until 3 then up at 7 am. I was ugly and mean bear…and I’m normally pretty good. I would have to also question everyone on the caffiene intake before bed. I can’t drink coffee or tea or coke zero anymore after 12…as it will keep me awake longer.

    I know that our bodies need sleep at least 7hr hplus so I would say create a habit for working days and a whatever schedule for Friday and Saturday…

    I think it may be a adhd sympton but I would think that Dr. J may know best.

    I have to go to bed and it’s 10 pm…on Friday…I have no life but if I start now I may fall a sleep by 11 / 11:30 but I’m also up early as I’m going away for the weekend.

    Have a great sleep

    E

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    #93661

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    I have come to the conclusion that I can only write papers after sundown. I can waste an entire afternoon on facebook or some such drivel but as soon as night rolls around suddenly I can knuckle under and write an eight page paper overnight. I don’t know if it’s the distraction issue during the daytime, nothing changes but how dark it is. This would be absolutely fine if I was a normal university student and compensated by not having a class before ten in the morning. Brilliant over-achiever that I am; however, I work before class so I clock into work at 6:45 in the morning! This may come as a shock to some, but this is not a good combination.

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    #93662

    Patte Rosebank
    Participant
    Post count: 1517

    @JayBird, I wrote this parody of “The Last Night of the World” (from “Miss Saigon”) in 1991, when I was an undergrad. It got its first (and, to date, only) public performance two years later, at a fundraising show for the New College drama group (of which I’d been a member). Naturally, it touched such a nerve with the audience of students and alumni, that it stopped the show.

    And when we performed it, which one of us screwed up the lyrics in both choruses? Of course! The one who wrote them!

    “THE LAST NIGHT ‘TIL IT’S DUE”

    KRIS: Your bum the chair no longer can feel.

    This situation doesn’t seem real.

    Gloom surrounds you…

    Gloom surrounds you…

    KYM: The hour hand is moving too fast.

    Procrastinating’s finished at last.

    “Start now,” they told you

    Last month, they told you…

    KRIS: Our grades will change when tomorrow comes.

    KYM: Tonight, our hearts pound like distant drums.

    KRIS: And we’ll be suff’fring all right,

    Writing all night…

    BOTH: A term…paper on “Angry Francophones”.

    KRIS: I’m crazy now.

    KYM: I’m lonely now.

    BOTH: I cry, as the ordeal

    Drags on and on…

    Writing on “Angry Francophones”.

    I tell myself

    To hold on tight

    And write

    ‘Cause it’s the last night

    ‘Til it’s due.

    KRIS: Of research stuff there’s really a dearth;

    And what there is no longer has worth.

    I can’t take it!

    KYM: I’m going, too!

    KRIS: And I believe that it’s gonna be

    A great big failure, along with me.

    BOTH: Each time, we do this, and then

    We say it again:

    “No more…talking for hours on the phone.

    Our laziness

    Got us in this mess

    Again.”

    We tell ourselves

    To carry on…

    Writing on “Angry Francophones”.

    I tell myself

    To hold on tight

    And write

    ‘Cause it’s the last night

    ‘Til it’s due.

    KYM: Seems like all I ever do

    KRIS: Is scheme to ‘splain why I’m not through.

    BOTH: I’m aware

    We may be

    Doomed to fail again.

    We’re doomed…

    So pray with me;

    Turn out the light;

    No chance,

    ‘Cause it’s the last night

    ‘Til it’s due.

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    #93663

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    Just for fun I changed my schedule this morning. I was awake at 5AM anyway, so when I didn’t fall back to sleep by 5:30 I just decided to get up and jump in the shower first thing.

    Usually I ease into the day by feeding the dogs at 6:00, making coffee, reading some internet news, watching a little TV, finally showering (etc.) and wandering out of the house by 8:00. No rush, no stress.

    I think I must have shocked my system into action this morning. It seems as if one little distraction leads to dozens of others, and then I have to fight with myself to shift into “work mode”. Today none of that happened. I’ve been productive since the minute I walked into the office (taking a break right now).

    This may not work for me tomorrow, but it sure worked today. Maybe ANY unusual change in schedule would have worked? A lot of us complain about being bored and/or unable to focus until nighttime–maybe we can create the stimulation our brain needs ourselves by NOT doing the same thing two mornings in a row? Is it possible to surprise ourselves?

    Maybe we could write all the things we have to do in the morning on little bits of paper, and draw them out of a hat so that we always get a random result?

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 25 total)