DEV Community

Cover image for Do Night Owls Code Better?
dev.to staff for The DEV Team

Posted on

Do Night Owls Code Better?

Are you a night owl coder? Share your experiences with late-night programming. What advantages and challenges do you encounter compared to daytime coding?


Follow the DEVteam for more discussions and online camaraderie!

Top comments (19)

Collapse
 
fyodorio profile image
Fyodor

PROs: silence around, deep focus (including visual if you turn off the lights)

CONs: lack of mind clarity, coffee-induced anxiety, weaker memorizing, lost next day

SUMMARY: only in extreme cases, as the pros are technically achievable during daylight time and the cons are really hard to overcome

But maybe I’m just old…

Collapse
 
shivanshushady profile image
Shivanshu Sharma

Definitely after my lunch i feel like its night time for me 😝😴😴.

Collapse
 
michaeltharrington profile image
Michael Tharrington

Haha! I feel you on that one. Get my tummy all filled up and I'm ready to sleep. 😆

Collapse
 
shivanshushady profile image
Shivanshu Sharma

So true 😆

Collapse
 
calinzbaenen profile image
Calin Baenen • Edited

[See third block for my response.]

There is no evidenxe to suggest that night-owls are any better at programming than anyone elsw.

@fyodorio suggests a lack ov mental clarity; however, that may not apply to everyone, as some people naturally wake up (and function better) at night.

Vitamin D from the sun makes people calmer, more awake, and alert, whoch may suggest "day-birds" are better at programming; however, this doesn't consider whether or not the night-owl gets vitamin D.

Over all, without extensive research, ee can not conclusively say whether night-owls or day-birds are better at programming.

Collapse
 
fyodorio profile image
Fyodor

Yea, agreed, I was mostly responding to the "What advantages and challenges do you encounter compared to daytime coding?" part and from the personal point of view, definitely. In general, some folks are much more productive by night and some just... fall asleep 😅 So no right answer to the title question. It's just too personal.

Collapse
 
calinzbaenen profile image
Calin Baenen

"What advantages and challenges do you encounter compared to daytime coding?"

Well, that's a very different question to what was posed in the title, which is misleading.    [CC: @ben]
The title's question was the one I was intending to answer.

Collapse
 
ben profile image
Ben Halpern

No, but not worse.

Collapse
 
ccoveille profile image
Christophe Colombier

Not sure, but a least they code quieter 🤣

Collapse
 
renancferro profile image
Renan Ferro

I'd like to be more of a night programmer, but during the day I'm really busy and sometimes at night I get really tired. But, coding in the dark/night is really different, in my opinion I can be more productive and more, I don't know, something like: "I'm relaxing and basically I code naturally and everything goes really well"

Collapse
 
learntolabs profile image
LearnToLabs

NOTE: This is just based on what I've observed about MYSELF

I've noticed I code way better at night. Maybe it's the peace and quiet, or how my brain gets all creative when I'm a bit tired. No phone calls, no meetings, just me and my system.

I get in the zone easier, and time kinda loses meaning. Before I know it, I've solved problems that held me up all day.

Collapse
 
salemelatar profile image
Salem Mohsen

It's the standard for me, but sometimes when I feel less productive, I change the routine for a couple of days

Collapse
 
mcondon profile image
Micah Condon

Find the time that works for your personal rhythm, and use it wisely! Also, early birds are way better and more productive than night owls ...

Collapse
 
fedingo profile image
Sreeram

I have coded in both mornings and late nights. Since coding is an intensely mental activity, I focus on the state of mind instead of time or surrounding. Generally I code when I am not too sleepy nor hungry nor too full :) whichever time of the day it is.

Also before I code I generally spend a couple of minutes trying to generate love for what I am doing by self-talk, etc. If you find your code boring, you will fall asleep no matter when you code :D

Some comments may only be visible to logged-in visitors. Sign in to view all comments.