Want to live the nocturnal life under the moonlight? Curious
to see life from the perspective of such night beings as
vampires or the many nocturnal creatures? Or is it a matter
of circumstance, in that your job requires working the
"graveyard shift"? It's estimated that about 20% of the
working population in developed countries work night
shifts.[1] Whether you're exploring being a creature of the
night on purpose, or it's beyond your control, here are some
insights and tips.
!! Steps !!
Decide on meaningful reasons for becoming nocturnal. There are a lot
of reasons for going nocturnal but they will need to resonate with
who you are and the type of life you'd like to lead. The
disadvantages of going nocturnal should also be weighed when
considering it as a way of living, such as not being around when
most people are awake for work, leisure, and sharing times together,
as well as possible health impacts, such as insufficient vitamin D.
Benefits include:
* There are less people around during the night.
* It can be a creatively productive time if you're naturally a night
owl. People won't be emailing you with demands, so you won't be
interrupted in your creative flow!
* You'll be the life of the party because you'll be more refreshed
than all the people knocking off a day's work. You might even join
the ranks of the "professional night owls" who live to party in
the best nightclubs in town.
* It's a chance to connect with really interesting people also
staying up all night, including night owls, vampire fans, social
moths, and people who just can't get off the internet late at
night.
* Your house won't seem as messy. Human vision is terrible at night.
Even with the lights on, it's harder to see the dust and fluff
bunnies. You won't need to clean half as hard!
* Unless you're a party-goer, your clothing budget doesn't need to
be spectacular. You can even wear a duvet over your head if you
prefer.
* Another thing to consider is being nocturnal seasonally or for a
set period rather than all year long. This can be useful during a
special season like summertime when the nights are lovely, during
a vacation season, or during the dance season, etc.; whatever
interests happen to coincide with your need to stay up all night
for a period of time.
Consider trialing going nocturnal in a gradual way. Instead of
switching completely to a nocturnal way of life, give it a trial
first to see if it works for you.
* Stay up all night long the first night. You might need to consume
caffeinated drinks or use sugar to help you through.
* Go to bed when the sun rises.
* Set your alarm to wake up 7–8 hours later.
* Keep doing this until if feels easier and a natural rhythm
establishes itself. Reflect on whether or not this is working for
you. If not, revert back to your normal way of sleeping and
waking. If it is, try being nocturnal for a short period, to see
how it works for you in general.
Find a job or lifestyle that allows you to sleep during the day and
stay awake at night. If you plan to stay nocturnal as a long-term or
permanent change, you'll need to be able to work around the things
that are usually done during the day.
* Shift work will allow you to continue working during the night.
There are many different possibilities for shift work, including
loading and transporting goods, security and policing, monitoring
facilities, night-fill in supermarkets, hotel reception work,
fishing, cleaning, journalists, highway workers, etc. Even sport
can be played at night (although practicing or training at night's
a lot more challenging); a recent study showed that morning larks
made better morning pitchers, while night owls made better evening
pitchers.[2]
* Work from home. If you're a blogger, online marketer, eBay seller,
writer, artist, etc., who is able to work from home, establish
your own routine as befits your work.
* Studies will be harder. If you're taking an online course, you can
study this whenever you like. For university, get recordings of
lectures, or ask friends for notes. You'll have problems with
missing tutorials that require attendance for marks: try to
schedule evening tutorials.
Connect with other nocturnals or night owls. There are other people
who love the night more than the day, from geeks and gamers, to
creatives and mystics. Try to connect up with people who have the
same love of the night as you. Be aware that this is probably going
to be more likely in a large urban environment like New York, Tokyo,
or Sydney than anywhere else – cities that never sleep.
* In New York City, you can connect with other like-minded night
owls through the New York Night Owls, a weekly meet-up of
hardworking night owls which keeps the hours 10pm – 4am.[3] The
idea has also caught on in London,[4] and may be coming to a
location near you anytime soon!
* Look for cafes and other meeting places that court night owls and
don't throw you out after midnight. Again, these are more likely
to exist in large urban environments but if there isn't one near
you, consider creating a home network with fellow nocturnals so
that you can drop in on each other and have a cup of something and
brainstorm creatively together in the deep of the night.
* Use social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to
connect with other nocturnals in your area: check the location
status so that you know you're talking to a night owl and not a
lark in a city on the other side of the world!
Watch for hazards like roadworks, often performed at night Keep
safe. Things go bump in the night. Don't let that be your own self.
* Have good quality lighting on hand at home and out and about.
Purchase quality headlamps and flashlights. Use lamps over work
you're reading and writing, etc. Switch lights on when moving
around the house.
* Take extra precautions when moving around at night. Crimes happen
at night precisely because humans cannot see as well, or at all,
and criminals take advantage of the darkness to cover their
tracks. Walk and drive where it's safe to do so, know the areas
you're going to and never do anything risky. Be on the alert for
suspicious behavior at all times.
Keep healthy. Eat normal, regular meals and maintain your usual
exercise regime. Just because it's dark doesn't mean you can start
eating out of chip packets and lie on bed all night.
* Be aware that while it has been claimed recently that night owls
are more intelligent than their morning lark counterparts,[5]
being a night owl can impact your mental health negatively.[6][7]
if you find yourself experiencing mental challenges, such as
depression, you might want to reconsider your night owl behaviors,
although it's possible that genes play a part in making you both a
night owl _and_ prone to depression, according to Dr. Eric
Nofzinger, a professor of psychiatry and director of the sleep
neuroimaging research program at the University of Pittsburgh
School of Medicine.[8] Seek advice from your doctor if you're
worried.
* Be sure to get sufficient vitamin D. You'll need a little regular
sunshine daily.
Make your daytime sleep sacred. This can be difficult as you'll need
to convince people who don't necessarily understand your lifestyle
choice to leave you alone during the day. And if they're not night
owls, you might cease to cross paths, losing friendships or
relationships. Getting adequate sleep during the day is vital to
remain healthy and to ward off any potential for depression.
* Turn off the telephone ringer or switch it through to voicemail.
* Purchase decent heavy curtains to block out the daylight
(investigate "blackout blinds"). If you experience traffic noise,
invest in noise buffers such as shutters, double glazed windows,
etc.
* Tell people you're not available between the hours of X and X.
* Revert to your diurnal self. If you want to be back to
your normal diurnal self again, it's easy. Just stay up all night
and then keep yourself awake all day the next day. When the sun
comes up and lights up the sky with beautiful colors, you should
feel peaceful with that pretty moon still hanging in the sky, it
will give you a wonderful fresh, waken-up feeling for the day. The
length of time it takes to get back into the usual rhythm will
depend on your personality, activities, and how sleep deprived
you're feeling.
!! Tips !!
* Note that this will be easier if you're naturally a night owl
personality.[9]
* Give yourself a fresh start in the evening by taking a
shower, getting dressed and ready for the night, eating a hearty
waking up meal, and getting some fresh air outside by exercising -
hop on a bike or go for a jog while it's still light or twilight.
* Find the stores that keep your hours so that you can get your
usual grocery and other shopping done with ease.
* For many people, the ability to stay up late changes throughout
your life; if you're not able to do so now (because your parents
or partner say so, or because your body punishes you severely for
it), try again at some other stage in your life.
!! Warnings !!
* "Shift work malaise" is a well known condition that brings about
mood disorders, tiredness, an inability to concentrate, and broken
sleep.[10]
* Many experts contend that a nocturnal lifestyle is carcinogenic,
although this may be due to unhealthy habits that come with being
a night owl, not the sleeping habits themselves.[1] Cancer in
pilots, flight attendants, and shift workers has been shown to
have a link with disrupted circadian cycles owing to the
unconventional schedules imposed on them by work.[11]
* Disrupted circadian cycles are linked to mood disorders such as
bipolar disorder but other vulnerabilities contribute too, such as
stress.[12]
* Get sunshine regularly. Vitamin D is important for our health, as
is being exposed to light for growth and good health.
* If you're afraid of the dark, being nocturnal can be confronting.
Then again, it might just be a way to overcome such a fear.
* Doing this can cause you to lose your job or flunk your studies.
Students can get lecture notes off other students, but goodwill
only extends so far!
* Avoid caffeine unless you know you can drink it and still sleep
during the daytime. Daytime sleep is much more prone to
distractions and you're much more likely to be woken up, causing
possible sleep deprivation challenges.
* This isn't the normal pattern for humans but we have the ability
to override our usual circadian rhythm; investigate the potential
health consequences if planning to do this long-term. Shift worker
studies will probably help you.
* Other family members, spouse or partner, and friends might not
like your nocturnal habits. Keep other people's wishes in mind. If
you're single and fancy-free, being nocturnal is probably easier
than if you're married and have kids in tow, although shift work
can justify a nocturnal lifestyle.
!! Things You'll Need !!
* Soda or coffee, sugary foods for initial changeover, then return
to optimal nutrition
* Flashlights (torches), lamps, good lighting
* Mapped out safe areas to access during the night
* Shift work job listings
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Know How Much Sleep You Need
* How to Sleep During Daytime
* How to Stay Awake All Night at a Sleepover
* How to Stay Awake at Work
* How to Stay Awake in Dull Meetings
!! Sources And Citations !!
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
*
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