Comment by dave1619 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by dave1619 | Hacker News Reader

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I would imagine one of the weaknesses of this kind of schedule is the variations that occur when you have an evening function that you just need to go to, ie., birthday party of your best friend. And what happens when you have a few evening functions you need to go to in a week? I would imagine that would mess up one's rhythm. Sure, you could try to get back to your schedule with diligence and effort, but I can't imagine it's that simple. Over time, that might become draining. But it seems like you get so much stuff done from midnight to 8am, maybe it's worth skipping the evening functions altogether or if you need to go just re-adjusting to your schedule (even being a bit groggy) because of the huge productivity gains you're seeing.

One of the interesting things from the blog post was how it's easier to concentrate when the Internet slows down. I find that 9am to 5pm on weekdays there's just so much content being published everywhere, and so much of that content is interesting, that I find myself easily distracted during the day. I've had to hack my own system of focused goals, pomodoro work sessions, and other homemade hacks to get the productivity I need during the day. So, I can totally see how someone can get tons of stuff done during the middle of the night while everyone else is sleeping.

Btw, Kevin - how long have you been doing this schedule?

I agree, this sleep schedule is not very sustainable due to can't-miss evening functions. But it is working out very well for me for now because it is late in my school quarter. I spend a lot of time studying and working, and I haven't had any things come up during the evening. Since I'm in school, my rhythm gets messed up easily regardless.

Another productivity hack, I use LeechBlock during the day so I limit my Internet breaks. I find myself compulsively visiting distracting websites. There's self-control, but why not delegate it to the browser.

I have only been doing it for a week and continue to keep it up for at least the next week. I think I plan on tweaking it towards something slightly more normal, like 8pm-4am.

I was also thinking it might be difficult to keep up a 5pm sleep time during the summer months when the sun sets later. But if you had a sound-proof bedroom that was pitch dark (some crazy shades that blocked all light), then I would imagine that would help a lot.

An 8pm-4am sleep time sounds more manageable... although the 5pm-midnight sleep schedule is such a talking point. :)

You've only been doing it a week... going to bed at 5pm when it is sunset is well and good in February. Come summer time trying to tell your body to sleep when the Sun is high in the sky might be a big problem. Certainly not impossible but it might not feel so great for you. I fell into a very natural (seeming) sleep pattern from 8am - 3pm which worked for me at the time. That was a lifetime ago though and it simply isn't practical for me now.

Speaking as someone who grew up in the South-East of Norway, where there's very short dark parts of the night during the summer, it is certainly harder to go to bed when it's light outside, but it is still manageable. Heat was a much bigger issue for me in terms of getting sleep. Dark blinds, and a strict bedtime ritual to calm down and prepare for sleep helps. you get used to it. Up North there are substantial parts (though sparsely populated) of Norway where it doesn't get dark during the night in summer and people still manage.

I mention that I do not plan on keeping this schedule up for a few weeks or couple months. My schedule is working for me for now, but one day it will soon also become impractical.

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