Are you a night owl coder? Share your experiences with late-night programming. What advantages and challenges do you encounter compared to daytime coding?
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Top comments (19)
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…
Definitely after my lunch i feel like its night time for me 😝😴😴.
Haha! I feel you on that one. Get my tummy all filled up and I'm ready to sleep. 😆
So true 😆
[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.
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.
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.
No, but not worse.
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"
Not sure, but a least they code quieter 🤣
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.
Anything past 11pm for me usually is eyes glazed over finishing up a detail or two. The bed is a strong magnet. XD I like to go to bed before midnight if possible so I can wakeup with a functioning brain. That being said I have been known to take the occasional midday nap, which could arguably fuel a late night. If you asked me 20 years ago, 1am was prime time. Hahaha. Of course, I wasnt into coding back then to any notable degree, but staying up talking to my friends on AIM until 3am was the best.
Having A kid also makes you prioritize sleep... whenever possible! LOL.
I find that the key advantage of late night coding is the lack of interruption.
Working in an office environment can make it more difficult to focus. Headphones & music can help, especially noise cancelling headphones. With hybrid work, people may choose to be remote during intense focus. I also had one coworker who arrived early for focus time rather than stay late.
With remote work it is easier to remove interruptions by reducing your availability on messaging/communication platforms.
Overall I sometimes enjoy night owl coding, still, but I also recognize that coding tired – like being tired at anything – produces worse results.
Yessss! The focus factor. I hate being interrupted constantly.
It's the standard for me, but sometimes when I feel less productive, I change the routine for a couple of days
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