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4 a.m. Is the Most Productive Hour

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

#161

Post by crazypyro »

sbuttgereit wrote: post #99
riskable wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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…

Right... then later when "the Boss" talks to his boss... Big Boss: "Why haven't you delivered the product yet? I was expecting it midweek?" Boss: "Well, uh, the team you see... well, they don't think they can deliver... and... " Big Boss: "If your team can't get this done on the timeline this company needs, get a new team. If you can't do that, then I guess I need a new manager." Boss: "Yes sir, I see your point." [L…

Yup, this is exactly what happens. Basically the same as the "make whoever is in front of you happy until the big boss puts his foot down" anti-management pattern. It can work for periods if the big boss knows what hes doing and respects the employees, but otherwise, destined for disaster.

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

#162

Post by neya »

In the context of this article, I recommend my fellow HN community members to read a wonderful book on the same topic:

https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Morning-Not-So-Obvious-Guaran... (NOT a referral link)

Before, here's me trying to plan something, usually stuck on a petty issue, that is dependent on something else, and this task would be put aside for so long. My body is used to talking to clients late night and waking up late. The only thing I became in this process is tired, obese and lost self-confidence (though personal, I am willing to share this openly).

Once I started practicing waking up early on, I realized everything is very clear. My mind knows exactly what to be done and if there's a problem, how I can solve it efficiently. I could easily grasp new concepts, plan for my future more clearly and efficiently get tasks done.

I use a pomodoro timer and I noticed that tasks that would take 2 hours in the night would take just 45 minutes or less early in the morning. At least for me, it just feels like my brain has access to all the information it needs so quickly. Combining this with another book "30 days of discipline by Victor Pride" I was able to reduce my body weight, finish an Saas prototype and finally live a structured life and gain back my confidence.

Posting this hoping it will benefit someone. Cheers.

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

#163

Post by grahamburger »

cortesoft wrote: post #154
_asummers wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does this manifest itself in practice? What hours do you generally keep? If they're odd, has it affected social/family life?

Yeah, this only really works if you are single with a very flexible job. Parents can't just sleep when they are tired, and a majority of jobs require you to be there at least a few specific hours.

I have two kids and do basically this. I usually work from 11 am or so until 5-6 pm, then from 11 or midnight until sometime between 2 and 4 am. If one of the kids needs before 4am I usually handle it, after 4am my wife usually takes it. Kids are usually up between 9 and 10 am (I guess we're all late risers - not sure if it's genetic or learned) but if they're up earlier my lovely wife lets me sleep.

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

#164

Post by wott »

mwfunk wrote: post #129
nostrademons wrote: post #96

Here I thought I'd be getting some validation for being a night owl. 4 AM is my most productive hour. It's just that I haven't gone to bed yet then. What's this "up before the sun rises" stuff? It's productive because the day is just coming to a close.

Same here. I assumed the article would be about someone who discovered the joys of being a night owl. I tend to head to bed around 1 or 2am, but if other life constraints allowed me to stay up later I almost certainly would. Once when I was in my early 20s I had a magical period of 2-3 months where there was no work, no school, and not really even social or family obligations. I would go bed when I was tired and wake…

Exact same here for all your paragraphs. Perhaps even closer to 26 hours. And during the same time of a couple of months without any obligation at all that you described, I found out that I should skip one 'night' (if I may call it so, let's rather say a sleeping period) every 7-10 days, to 'resynchronise' a bit with the classical day. Because you sometimes have to go shopping, see someone, do a bit of gardening work in the daylight, etc. :-)

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

#165

Post by wott »

cfallin wrote: post #136
nostrademons wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Very likely true. There've been a few cave studies where they shield the experimental subjects from all natural light, and then time how long their "biological" day is. It usually ranges from about 23.5 hours to around 28, with an average of about 25. It varies significantly by person, but was not at all unusual for someone's cycle to be longer than 24 hours. (Personally, my natural sleep cycle seems to be about 25-2…

I wonder if there's some control-theory reason why one's unsynchronized circadian rhythm is on average slightly longer than a day? Intuitively it seems that one might actually have more consistent synchronization with the solar cycle if upward pressure from a natural setpoint is balanced by downward pressure from end-of-day environmental signals (light levels, etc). Or in other words, the body has evolved a slight ma…

That proves we come from another planet which revolves more slowly :-)

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

#166

Post by wott »

jff wrote: post #44

Only tangentially related, while I don't like having to wake up at 4, being out and about in town at 4 a.m. is a pretty enjoyable experience, especially on say a Sunday morning. I love driving through foggy streets as dawn is just starting to break, and the only other people around are gas station attendants and the occasional extra-early rising farmer.

Let me tell your experience would be totally different in a big city and you wouldn't meet the same kind of people (or what's left of us^Wthem) at that time of the night !

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

#167

Post by wott »

readhn wrote: post #64

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.

Yeah, if you are average.

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

#168

Post by cortesoft »

grahamburger wrote: post #163
cortesoft wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, this only really works if you are single with a very flexible job. Parents can't just sleep when they are tired, and a majority of jobs require you to be there at least a few specific hours.

I have two kids and do basically this. I usually work from 11 am or so until 5-6 pm, then from 11 or midnight until sometime between 2 and 4 am. If one of the kids needs before 4am I usually handle it, after 4am my wife usually takes it. Kids are usually up between 9 and 10 am (I guess we're all late risers - not sure if it's genetic or learned) but if they're up earlier my lovely wife lets me sleep.

That sounds like you have a fairly consistent schedule though; the person I was commenting about made it sound like their sleep varied completely (they just stayed up until they were tired and then slept until they were rested).

Of course, many schedules will work for families - my point was that you need to have one if you are going to function in a multi-person family.

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

#169

Post by k_sh »

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 was like this until I had sinus surgery.

Turns out I had a deviated septum and chronic sinus infection that made my breathing pretty shitty while I slept.

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

#170

Post by tomjakubowski »

freehunter wrote: post #142
jessedhillon wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You guys are going to be really surprised by this, but I swear it's true: the answer to life is different for each person

Deep Thought told me it was 42.

Watson told me it was 420. Must mean it's a 10x AI ;)
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