The Myth of the All-Nighter

I agree that many "all nighters" turn out to be just the result of poor planning... But I think there is an important exception. I have found (others too I'm sure) that trying to finish a complex problem in the space of a typical workday, filled with other obligations, interruptions, social niceties, not to mention family commitments, is quite difficult. Sometimes it takes me a good 30-60 min in the morning just to ... reboot myself into the headspace I was in when I left the problem, on the previous day. Then I am not left with much time to dive into the problem and swim around, with maximum concentration.

The all nighter is a natural solution to this. If you have a way to recover afterwards, then it is perfect. No interruptions from co-workers, family, friends, students (I am a Prof), tv shows, sports, etc (the world is asleep, at least your immediate surroundings).

For me, there are two activities I regularly engage in that require full concentration and "loading up" my brain with the full information, for me to make real progress: writing, and coding.

Others have written about similar topics before: http://www.paulgraham.com/head.html