Don't come by our house when sunlight is spreading its golden glory. Don't look for us in the park, at the mall, or swimming at the Y. Don't even think about calling before midnight. Our family has become nocturnal.
Up until now it's been just our teenager that takes back the night. Every year after school let out he would start sleeping later and later until finally he was getting up just in time for dinner. From May to August he became a virtual recluse, a shadowy, shirtless figure glanced out of the corner of the eye during late night bathroom runs, a suburban myth who lives on canned ravioli and navigates via sonar and reflected television light.
By the second month his skin would be nearly translucent. The jeans he'd been wearing since graduation gradually hardened into a tough, protective shell. Over time the deposits of blankets and fast food wrappers in his bedroom would become a teenager-shaped cocoon from which he could strain nutrients while he stared at his computer monitor. He no longer needed to blink. Legends said he could only be killed by the rays of the sun.
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I have been very nocternal as well lately. I stay up most nights until at least 2 usually later but I usually get up before 9 with the kids. Just last night I was out shooting pool with my neigbors untill 3:00 and didn't fall asleep untill after watching episode 10 of the Sapranos, which are being played from the begining on HBO on demand (This is an awesome thing because I only just got HBO and haven't seen any of them and can watch from the start now and I'm already hooked)
Posts: 1294 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Great article as usual. I almost fell off my chair from laughing so hard. I can totally relate. The rest of my family (mom, dad, and brother) live by the early to bed early to rise lifestyle. I, on the other hand, have always been a night owl. The school year schedule of waking up early in the morning takes so much out of me that I long desperately for the summer. Now that it is the summer I have averaged bedtime at 2 in the morning and waketime just before lunch.
I feel so much healthier with this schedule, but the rest of the family hates it. Too bad! They can't make me face the day! Posts: 84 | Registered: Feb 2003
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Sounds like me. I hate direct sunlight... But I get forced awake at 7 or something no matter how late I go to bed. So unfair... If I had my way, I'd only come out at night all summer or I'd turn into a fish.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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There's a day and a night time? *giggle* I hardly notice anymore with an hour on, two hours sleep repeated throughout the day/night.
Posts: 1777 | Registered: Jan 2003
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Shan, my 10 year old is frequently allowed to stay up late and read (not this week, she's been complaining about being tired and having trouble getting up in the mornings -- what's up with that?). In her bed, and it's HER job to remember to turn out the light at the agreed-upon time.
She gets to read, I get to have Ha-- err, quiet time.
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Oh. My God. Banna, I am exactly the same way! I can't ever stay on a fixed sleeping cycle! And I sleep ten hours, too! You don't know how happy it makes me to learn that I am not the only deviant that is afflicted with this problem. Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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I've always been nocturnal. Discovered reading under the covers with a flashlight by age five or six. Take after my mom that way. When I was in elementary school and my dad worked out of town a lot, my mom would stay up all night, get me off to school, and then sleep until about time for me to come home.
Now that I'm not working, I'm back on the night schedule - I rarely go to sleep before 2 a.m. I like that so much better than when I was working and going to school and having to get up at 5 or 6 a.m. every day. There seemed so little point. Even though I was theoretically awake, up and walking around, anything resembling normal brain function didn't kick in until sometime after noon.
Oddly, though, I once had a night job, didn't go in until midnight. That didn't work at all.
Posts: 2454 | Registered: Jan 2003
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I am a fan of the nocturnal life style as well. If I ever win the lotto my normal sleep schedule will be 3:00am-11:00am
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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Now that it's summer, I sleep at four and wake at twelve. During the school year, I would sleep as early as possible and wake up at four. I like the summer schedule better.
I never actually commented before, but I have read a number of your articles you've posted here and enjoyed every single one. Posts: 181 | Registered: Aug 2001
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