Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: How to stop working until daybreak?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

1–8 of 8 posts

Ask HN: How to stop working until daybreak?

#1

Post by jamesknelson »

Hi HN,

I, like a lot of other freelance hackers, invariably end up working myself until the sun comes up. Even after a I manage to reset my schedule to a point where I'm going to bed at a reasonable hour, my finish time will get later and later, until I'm working until morning again.

Has anybody managed to beat this pattern? Do you have any tips on how to start working normal hours again - and stick to them? One of the problems I've encountered is I find it fairly easy to go to bed later than the night before, but nigh impossible to hit the sack earlier.

I'd be really grateful for any response - I'm pretty sure my schedule is not helping my health, and I'd like to do something about it.

Re: Ask HN: How to stop working until daybreak?

#2

Post by sdkaufman »

I'm also struggling with this problem as my day job has pretty flexible hours and I'm always hacking late into the night after gf goes to bed. Just slept past an important meeting this morning.

Would love to hear some ideas.

On the other hand, I see that we're in the company of great men: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2592725/Memorising-B...

Re: Ask HN: How to stop working until daybreak?

#3

Post by mcbroomjoshuac »

Well, there's some scientific basis for it... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circadian_rhythm_sleep_disorder

I know I'm kinda in the same boat... my natural "bed-time" is 5a or 6a, but I'm forced to compromise and go to bed by 3a or 4a in order to get up functioning at 7a.

If there's no reason to stick to a "normal" schedule, do what feels natural for you; that's the healthiest thing to do, in general; listen to your body.

Re: Ask HN: How to stop working until daybreak?

#4

Post by mcbroomjoshuac »

sdkaufman wrote: post #2

I'm also struggling with this problem as my day job has pretty flexible hours and I'm always hacking late into the night after gf goes to bed. Just slept past an important meeting this morning. Would love to hear some ideas. On the other hand, I see that we're in the company of great men: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2592725/Memorising-B...

For important events, I'd recommend putting your alarm across the room, so you have to actually get up out of bed to turn it off.

If you wake up hours later, stretched out on your bedroom floor, come back here, and we'll try something else. =)

Re: Ask HN: How to stop working until daybreak?

#6

Post by coconut12 »

sdkaufman wrote: post #2

I'm also struggling with this problem as my day job has pretty flexible hours and I'm always hacking late into the night after gf goes to bed. Just slept past an important meeting this morning. Would love to hear some ideas. On the other hand, I see that we're in the company of great men: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2592725/Memorising-B...

The original hackers.

Re: Ask HN: How to stop working until daybreak?

#7

Post by jamesknelson »

chaddeshon wrote: post #5

Decide what time you want to wake up. And then get up at that time no matter what. After a few days your bed time will work itself out. Steve Pavlina was the first place I heard of this method. http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-ea...

The idea sounds reasonable, although I think I'd struggle with the whole "actually getting up when the alarm goes off" problem.

I found a linked article on his page which addresses this problem, with a solution I'm going to have to try:

> This is going to sound really stupid, but it works. Practice getting up as soon as your alarm goes off. That’s right — practice. But don’t do it in the morning. Do it during the day when you’re wide awake.

Post reply on HN