All-nighters : Is this normal and how do you recover?
I like to pull an all-nighter about once a month. It's a great time to catch up on code, processes, and work at a nice pace. In the late evening, my family is home and asleep, and Slack/Email is quiet. I think it's a magical time for progress! The next day I try to wake up after about a 4 hour sleep/nap (I typically go to sleep around 4-5AM) and carry on with a normal day but have a hard-stop around my normal log-off time (5-6PM). I normally drink a bit more coffee and have something super carb like Pizza :P but for the most part I don't leave the house and just keep it slow.
Do people do this too? If so, what are some recharge/recovery that you all do after an all-nighter?
** NOTE: For the most part, I've moved away from the constant 12 hr/day hustle mentality and just work a normal 8 hr/day (family + health first mentality). I occasionally work on the weekends or pull 60/weeks when I have a large push but that's kind of rare now. I'm learning rest is important. :) **
I usually feel really bad and unproductive for a day or two after any serious late-night work or all-nighters. The only thing I can do to recover is to do very little work and have enough sleep on the following days. Long walks and jogging helps but it's difficult to make myself work out if I don't feel well already.
I, therefore, try to avoid all-nighters as they don't really pay off.
I definitely prefer avoiding all-nighters and I only do them once a month. I totally feel you, the exercise is the hardest thing to do after a late night. A few months ago I purchased some resistance bands for like $20 to get a little workout in without heading to the gym. That's been a game changer for me, even on days I don't feel like going to the gym or run outside.
No, but I truly envy people who can hustle like this. For consistent progress, I HAVE to have a routine. This involves scheduling everything and making time for work as well as sleep and the gym. When I’m out of my routine I feel so ungrounded and out of whack, everything just ends up a mess. Occasionally there are moments where I’m up late and grind all day, but they’re not sustainable for more than a few days for me.
I totally agree, routine is key to happiness. For most of the month I have my set hours of work and then not work (8 hour work days + weekends off). The hardest item to schedule for me is when I eat. I'm all over the board with eating due to meetings or other events that happen (or forget to eat...).
I've been in a transition away from that hustle lifestyle for few years now and I think (I hope) I've found a good balance of work-life that fits me.
I used to work for a sleep health company, and I just don’t think all nighters are a good idea, and neither is skimping on sleep.
If you look up data on this stuff all the studies say that a) people need sleep and not getting it causes health issues (although how much is very much personal) and b) sleep debt must be paid for, so you’re really making any net gains.
Not sleeping for a night causes sleep debt, and debt comes with interest rate. It takes 4 to 5 days to recover from an all-nighter, and you will less productive during the recovery period.
Not worth it.