I have come to realize that as much as I have changed over the last five years…there is one innate factor which remains the same.
I am a Night Person.
I have never been a Day Person. I don’t think I will ever BE a ‘Day Person’.
For some reason I do my best ‘work’, my best ‘writing’, or best ‘movie editing’, between the hours of 1am and 6am. There is something about the dead of night that inspires me. That heavy silence moves me to places I might not otherwise travel. I am free and uninhibited. (Even if I am scared of the dark.)
Of course, being a Night Person conflicts with the whole having a day job schedule I am forced to live by. In the daytime, I am robotic, almost mechanical on every level. Simply going through the motions and mimicking the behavior of the others surrounding me.
[You ‘Day People’ are ruling my universe. And you are making me look bad. I see you, beaming with that fresh morning glow and coffees in hand, welcoming the day. How do you do it? I struggle every morning to violently blink my way into consciousness.]
I thought after 5 years of getting up at 6m rather than going to bed at 6am, I would get used to these hours. No such luck. I don’t know what it will take, or if I will ever be able to cross over to the land of the Day People.
[Any suggestions? Getting out of bed in the morning should not be this difficult.]
Of course, since I happen to be in the middle of working on two more movie projects, my book, trying to run two blogs, being a mother and hold a full time DAY job…I have not been to bed before 2am on any given night. But I am not complaining about that. In fact, when the clock strikes 2am, I am upset that I have to go to bed. That is usually about the same time I am just getting on a roll.
I wish there was a way to BUY more time, adding hours to the night. Or I wish I had the power to alter the universe somehow (if only for a few weeks) to have the Day People live on a Night Person’s schedule. (Yanno. Just until I finish up these projects.)
Maybe I can gather enough Night People to revolt? I would love to see the Day People try to function on OUR time. I’d like to see ya’ll struggle to keep your eyes open past 10pm. Then you might figure out how I feel at 6am.
Oh well. I am not that powerful.
For now, I will just have to find a way to deal with only having 4 hours of sleep at night in order to do all of the things I want, need and enjoy. Besides…Sundays are for sleeping right?
REVISED: Thanks to my mother for this handy article:
I have the same problem. I combated the issue by waking up 3 hours before I have to go to work. I do have to admit, I am a day person on the summer -can’t get enough of the sun. 🙂
i am exactly the opposite.. i go to bed at 7 or 8 so that i can get up at 2-3-4 and work… still very much all alone in the silence of the dark… but fresh with a strong cup of coffee well in hand!!!!
I’m with you. I am very much a night person as well. I used to hate working nights because I felt my employers got me at my absolute best and I hated that!
I guess coffee is always a possible choice!
I think night people rock. I too, will NEVER be a day person. Have I told you lately how much I hate society’s clock?
Tesco:
I love the sun, but, I work / write better in the DARKEST of night.
Paisley:
Those are some crazy hours! I would DIE without coffee.
Jillian:
I am SO glad that I dont work nights (anymore) I just wish I didn’t HAVE to work in the day time. At All.
BFF:
Fortunately, you dont have to live by societies clocks. Lucky Bitch!! xxoo
I am one of those you hate – I am a day person – I am in bed early – usually 9 and am up at 4:30 am. Do you try to wake up slowly or do you slam your body awake? Maybe waking up a little earlier and gently entering the day will make a difference. Just a thought…
Really, I don’t know how you do it!!! All that, on such little sleep?!! You’re amazing.
Beth:
I stay in bed as long as I possibly can, I hit the snooze like 15 times (easy) and then I FORCE myself to GET UP. I am sure I do need to go to bed earlier…but how will I ever finish the things I WANT to do OUTSIDE of the office? I am usually pretty good at ‘time management’ but sacrificing sleep seems to be the only solution for now! xxoo
MoMo:
And I spend AT LEAST 3-4 hours a day reading Every Other Blogger in the “Blogs I Read Every Day” blogroll.
But, I dont think I am amazing. I think I am probably CRAZY.
I feel your pain. I am a night person, but do my best work and writing as an early bird. I’d say sleep is overrated, but then I take really long naps.
You get a lot done in the time that you have and you get it all done so well. It’s awesomly inspiring. I don’t want to put more on your plate, but I think you should write a book about how you find the time to do all you do.
Mastering Time Management With Meleah: I don’t need the sun to succeed…
😉
night person here too. Always have been 🙂 I’ll join your cause!
When I first moved to a day job from bartending I handled it by taking a nap for two hours after dinner, doing my night thing, then waking at 7. Now I am on the perfect schedule: up at 10 or 11 AM and to bed at 3 or 4 AM, depending. (Sometimes i hit the sack by 2AM, just to be different)
Michael C:
Naps? I wish.
Hammer:
Yeay! Thanks for joining my cause.
Leslie:
Now those are the hours I’d LIKE to have. (waking up at 10 is a DREAM).
I try to take a nap after work, but then I am up till 5am…which doesn’t work since I have to get up at 615. (grrr)
Where do I sign up to join the revolution! I am so sick of people acting as if there is something HORRIBLY wrong with me if I’m still sleeping at 1:00 PM–excuse me, but wouldn’t MOST people still be sleeping at that time if they didn’t get into bed till 6:00 AM? I have always been a night owl and only have been able to completely live the life I want since becoming an empty-nester AND the hubby going back on swing-shift. If only the rest of the world would try to accommodate me once in awhile! 🙂
I used to be a morning person, but I seem to have lost it. However, I didn’t gain any night-owlishness in return. So I guess that just means I’m getting old.
CMK:
WHOOO HOOT! yeah baby! Thank you! and AMEN! If I could…. I would sleep till 1pm! You are sooooo lucky!! I thought I wanted Leslie’s hours….But now, I wish I was allowed to operate my life on YOUR HOURS. Those are my IDEAL hours. xxoo
Terri:
hahahahaha…aw.
Oh I hear ya!…I am NOT a morning person at all….I don’t hit my stride until around 4pm!…then I stay up WAY too late doing computer stuff (blogging has been the best/worst thing for me…) OR if I do go to bed at a decent time I wake up after about 2 hours and then can’t go back to sleep! So I am pretty much sleep-deprived all the time! I know that’s not much help…but at least you know you’re not alone! 🙂
I used to be up at 2:00 am every day. But then my doctor gave me the Flomax and took care of that problem! :0)
I’m a day person that was transformed into a night person. I miss being a day person but I think the night person in me finally won the battle. Sleep is over-rated (not really but I tell myself that)
If you ever discover the secret to being a day person, let me in on it too. It kills me to wake up every morning for work. Probably why I’m always late too.
Olga:
Blogging is so the best for fun and friend and all that jazz but the worst…if you require sleeping! Hooray for the sleep deprived!! xxoo
Lee:
Flomax? Um what is that?
Barbara:
Miss being a DAY PERSON? Really? Enlighten me…please! How can I become a DAY person? I’ve been practicing for 5 years….nothing is working for me!
Lis:
Im working on that. You will be THE FIRST person I share “the secret to being a day person” with!
I am a night owl! I LOVED my night time baking hours. I had the place to myself, I worked at a faster pace, because no one was in my way, and I could play all the tunes I wanted. I still wake up, after 7 years of being off those hours, at 12:30 and 3:30. Somerimes I worked 1 am to 7 or 4 to noon. I feel SO peaceful at those hours. I am NOT a morning person. Don’t speak too much, don’t piss me off, or not put on the outfit I choose for you.. (8 yr old), because it will set me off. No amount of coffee can get me started. Once the bus leaves, I’ll start to come out of my coma. I’, all for your revolt, as long as I’m the only one in my house that does it. No kids allowed!!!!
I’m SO pissed, because I will be in your next Area Saturday delivering fancy schmany cakes. My daughter has her final soccer tournament that afternoon, so once I set up cakes, I’ll have to rush back home…I WANTED to meet for coffee!!! Post tomorrow will state our new life…You’ll see that I’ll have more time alone on my hands, so maybe we can meet for dinner. My parents are in Plainsboro, so I can be kidless :)))))) (HUGE grin)
I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO with you and for years worked each night until 1:00, then got up at 5:00 to student teach. I still love being up late when everyone else is sleeping. It amazes me where the time goes, and I, too, am not happy that it’s time for bed. I’ve often wondered if I just stayed up, how many hours would I last (and play hookie from work, of course.) I could keep blabbing on this…And btw — your first 5 paragraphs here are fabulous writing, meleah. The rest is excellent, of course, but the way those first few flow are remarkable. WOW.
WOW..wine and blogging don’t always mix. Few mess-ups…I’m…..I will be in you are Next Saturday……it’s been a rough day…….
Fuck!…forget it…I can’t type…..I give up 🙂
see, I work nights. Have for the past 12 years. And I used to do great, sleeping the day away. Now, not so much. Something is changing, and I am not sure I like it. I am even looking for (dare I say it?) a day shift position to open.
Yep, Hell just froze over. And me without my ice skates….
Chef Mom:
hahahahaha…wine and blogging IS funny…good times good times. But, not-so-good grammar or spelling. 🙂
“No amount of coffee can get me started” ….yeah um, me EITHER!!!
Oh damn, I would have LOVED to see you too!!! But, I am down for an evening or a Plainsboro visit. That is still pretty close to me! We can shoot emails to firm up the PLANS! WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO
xxoo
KellyPea:
I love being awake, alone, in the dead of night. I hate when its ‘bed time’.
Oh Kelly thank you for noticing…THE WRITING. I knew it fell apart at the end there, but at least my WORDS are shaping back up again. I thought I had lost my MUSE for awhile…but I’ve been getting “IT” back little by little. xxoo
PS…I would LOVE to play “hookie” after being up all night ….hmm….*ideas * ideas running in my head!!
mielikki:
Hell Just Froze Over And Me Without My Skates …. HAHAHAHA 🙂
LOL I have to get up at 2:30 am every day and have been doing so for the last 10 years! It would not be so bad if I didnt have to drag the kids to the babysitter by 3 every morning and then off to work for the standard 10 to 14 hour day! only to come home feed and bathe the kids and be to bed by 8 pm every night. I try to stay awake on weekends but usually I am fading out by 10 or 11 pm and if I am really lucky I can force myself to stay up until 1 am. The only saving grace is being up and out and about all day long as I am driving the semi around. Oh and working M-F with weekends off is also nice too!
Then there is the second job I do on weekends sometimes lol.
I wish I could buy some sleep time!
Oh and a plane ticket to NJ to see my favorite woman movie machine!
🙂
You got it Meleah – Sundays are for sleeping… I hate mornings and always accomplish more at night…
Harry:
You are too sweet and way too good to me.
But um…HOW THE FUCK DO YOU DO THAT? Wow. I thought I had it bad. I have a whole new appreciation for my ‘schedule’
SHEEEESH.
Dawn:
Sleeping All Damn Day on Sunday’s from NOW ON!! 🙂
At least you can sleep 🙁
I can’t. I usually go to bed at around 1am and will automatically get up at 5am not matter what day of the week.
I so wish to have the ability to sleep from 9 or 10pm until 7am but life is full of sh$$ yanno?!
sleep well Mel Mel,
FV
confirmed night owl here too! exactly like you, love the quiet of the evening, the time flies. My choice would be go to bed at 4 or 5 a.m. and sleep until 11 or 12. On weekends, that is usually the schedule I keep when I don’t have an alarm going off. Worst part is, no matter how tired I am all day, as soon as 10 p.m. hits, I perk up! makes it hard to get to bed at a reasonable hour and even harder to wake up to that darn 6:30 a.m. alarm every weekday morning. The one thing I have learned about myself is that even though I think I can function on very little sleep, I find myself saying stupid things sometimes!
LOL LOL
Yes I agree…day people rule (and ruin) my universe!!! It’s 1:53 am right now, what can I say.
It’s 12:09AM…just checkin’ in! 😉
FV:
Yep. ALL DAY. I can sleep an entire day way and LOVE IT.
Beth:
“As soon as 10 p.m. hits, I perk up!” ME TOO!! I can be dragging ass all day and boom 10pm….I am ALIVE / ALERT and ready to go!
Drowsey:
These damn day people ruin everything.
Olga:
Hey grrl! I was on Melevision at 12am writing my American Idol post. Sorry I missed you over here! 🙁
xxo
I’m a night person too. We should start a revolution -I’m sick of existing on 3-4 hours sleep. If I didn’t have to work I’d write all night and probably go to bed about 4AM and sleep till noon. Can you imagine how blissful that would be? Maybe in my next life! hahahaha
Oh yeah, I forgot to add that there are ways to stop being a Night Owl, which is a real circadian rhythym problem, if you need to for your job. if you don’t, I wouldn’t worry about it. 🙂
http://sleepdisorders.about.com/cs/dsps/a/nightowl.htm
http://sleepdisorders.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=sleepdisorders&cdn=health&tm=48&f=00&su=p284.9.336.ip_p674.5.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.tc.cc.tx.us/%7Emstorey/thacker.html
http://www.slate.com/id/2121172/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070510120713.htm
Sitting in the only 24-hour Starbucks within walking distance, I am living the revolution! My schedule can vary from 7:00am alarms to sleeping until 2:00pm, and everywhere in between, but my creative juices flow like liquor in a bar- very rarely before Happy Hour and at their best well into the night.