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Do Night Owls Code Better?

dev.to staff on May 08, 2024

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

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shivanshushady profile image
Shivanshu Sharma

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

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Michael Tharrington

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

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shivanshushady profile image
Shivanshu Sharma

So true 😆

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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.

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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.

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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.

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ben profile image
Ben Halpern

No, but not worse.

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Christophe Colombier

Not sure, but a least they code quieter 🤣

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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"

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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.

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Samuel Rouse

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.

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Anna Villarreal

Yessss! The focus factor. I hate being interrupted constantly.

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Salem Mohsen

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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Anna Villarreal

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.

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Sohail Nasir

I do a fair bit of my coding at night time but these are mostly side projects or things I am trying to learn, I find I can creatively code, its debatable if it is the most optimised code but I have fun writing it.

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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

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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 ...

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dawnawhsihsi

*dawnawhsihsi
Image description@dawnawhsihsi *

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heyeasley 🍓🥭

I code at anytime. No way for disturbing my intentions.