4 a.m. Is the Most Productive Hour • Hacker News Board

Re: 4 a.m. Is the Most Productive Hour

#61

Post by crispyambulance » Tue, Aug 23, 2016, 9:24 PM UTC

Hydraulix989 wrote: post #5

This was obviously written by a "morning person." Like most engineers and other creatives, 4 AM is when I'm just starting to get my deep sleep (which peaks at 6-7 AM). 12-2 AM is the most productive time of the day for me.

"like most engineers and other creatives"... is not the case at all. Some people do their best work in the morning and go to bed early. Yes, even "engineers and creatives".

If there's a trend at all, I'd suggest that older folks fare better in the early morning and younger ones are better at night, although I've seen counter-examples and even poly-phasic folks who do just fine.

Re: 4 a.m. Is the Most Productive Hour

#62

Post by tonyedgecombe » Tue, Aug 23, 2016, 9:25 PM UTC

johansch wrote: post #8

Who the heck gets productive within 1-2 hours of waking up? Sure, those hours are great for ingesting what has happened since the last cycle but not really for creating new value. Edit: I just realized I wrote this the wrong way. What I meant was that I can't imagine people being productive during the first 1-2 hours after waking up.

Me, if I look at my punch card on GitHub I can see my productivity kicking in about two hours after getting up.

Re: 4 a.m. Is the Most Productive Hour

#63

Post by johansch » Tue, Aug 23, 2016, 9:26 PM UTC

pluma wrote: post #31

jgdx wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It doesn't work for me, link in result still paywalled.

Make sure your browser sends a Referer header?

And maybe right-click the link and select "Open link in incognito window" to make sure the site doesn't know if you've visited them before or not.

Re: 4 a.m. Is the Most Productive Hour

#64

Post by readhn » Tue, Aug 23, 2016, 9:35 PM UTC

Research shows that on average people are most productive and focused early morning. Get your creative things done first, get most important stuff done first in the morning. Leave meetings and routine where you don't need to think much for the afternoon.

Re: 4 a.m. Is the Most Productive Hour

#65

Post by readhn » Tue, Aug 23, 2016, 9:37 PM UTC

jameslk wrote: post #34

I'm one of those unlucky types that have the hardest time waking up and getting going in the morning. Mentally I'm at 50% or less. Is there anyone else like this who's found techniques or other methods of overcoming the slow start?

What time do you go to sleep and when do you go to bed?

Re: 4 a.m. Is the Most Productive Hour

#66

Post by Broken_Hippo » Tue, Aug 23, 2016, 9:39 PM UTC

jameslk wrote: post #34

I'm one of those unlucky types that have the hardest time waking up and getting going in the morning. Mentally I'm at 50% or less. Is there anyone else like this who's found techniques or other methods of overcoming the slow start?

I'm the same way.

I have simply made peace with the fact that I just am a slow starter in the morning, and try to take advantage of natural times of production. It takes 30 minutes to 2 hours for me to "wake" properly, so I just do stuff that doesn't take much thought when I can. Instead of overcoming it, I just made peace with it and do things to help it not be such a drag.

The first 20 minutes of a too-early waking might be groggy enough that I can't manage to shower yet (I get 'sleep drunkenness' occasionally). I give myself extra time to get ready. I know certain activities take longer in the morning. If possible, I schedule low-energy activities for the morning.

Sleep maintenance seems to help me physically wake, but not with the slow start. Coffee doesn't seem to do much either way, but I do drink it. Exercise first thing in the morning? Forget it. It feels harder then.

On the other hand, I get this wonderful uptick when some others are starting to tune out, so there is that.

Re: 4 a.m. Is the Most Productive Hour

#67

Post by coldtea » Tue, Aug 23, 2016, 9:42 PM UTC

throwaway991199 wrote: post #16

Wow, remind me not to hire you for a job then. As an employer I am paying you to put my work ahead of yours. I am paying you to be productive so that with the collective production of the employees, the company can outmaneuver the competition. This lackadaisical approach and work-ethic means that, of course the mile high task list will always be there. It'll never ever get done!

>Wow, remind me not to hire you for a job then.

Who told you the parent was interested in working for you and your random company in the first place?

>As an employer I am paying you to put my work ahead of yours.

Nope, employees compensate people for doing specific work for them. Not for "putting their work ahead of their personal life/family/or whatever".

As long as they get their money's worth (and more, since they obviously pay employees less than the value they get out of them, unless the company is merely breaking even), and the job gets done, then they don't get a say in anything else about their employees personal time. Unless they are shitty employees, in which case, let their companies crash and burn.

Re: 4 a.m. Is the Most Productive Hour

#68

Post by j45 » Tue, Aug 23, 2016, 9:43 PM UTC

Use of the early morning hours as the most focused and effective are nothing new for night owls.

What makes the 4 am wake up really special is when you go to bed at 8-9 PM and get twice as much done in the middle of the night as you would when pulling an all nighter.

Being a life long night owl who has become an early(ier) morning guy... imagine your best all nighter ever, with double or triple the productivity due to having your full force of energy to solve problems with zero interruptions.

The only trade off, like a lot of things is that there is some things you can't do as a result like have late nights too often.

Re: 4 a.m. Is the Most Productive Hour

#69

Post by jharger » Tue, Aug 23, 2016, 9:43 PM UTC

riskable wrote: post #53

gingerrr wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a good indicator of your management style that you won't even publically forward your opinion without a throwaway. Nobody wants to work for a coward.

> Nobody wants to work for a coward. I dunno. There's advantages to having a boss that's a huge pushover... Boss: "We need this done by the end of the week!" Employee: "That's just not possible. These sorts of things take research and most importantly, time ." Boss: "Oh. I see. Two weeks OK?" Employee: "At least a month. Maybe two." Boss: "But that's too long!" Employee: "Nine women can't make a baby in a month!" Bos…

You don't want a complete pushover, though, otherwise nothing ever gets done while your team is busy playing video games all week. What you want is a reasonable boss!

Re: 4 a.m. Is the Most Productive Hour

#70

Post by Broken_Hippo » Tue, Aug 23, 2016, 9:43 PM UTC

johansch wrote: post #8

Who the heck gets productive within 1-2 hours of waking up? Sure, those hours are great for ingesting what has happened since the last cycle but not really for creating new value. Edit: I just realized I wrote this the wrong way. What I meant was that I can't imagine people being productive during the first 1-2 hours after waking up.

My mother and brother. Seriously. Both morning people. Wake up, have some coffee, and get started with the day. My mother would wake up early, clean house, then shower and get ready for work when she could. My brother prefers to wake up and do things as well. I'm just the opposite - I'm pretty useless the first hour I'm awake. Just getting through the morning routine feels like actual work if I start too soon.