Everyone has been known to pull an all-nighter every once in awhile... Especially if you’re in college, it’s kind of inevitable. But what about those people who pull all-nighters every night? I’m not talking about insomniacs, because, well, they don’t really have a choice in the matter... But really those people who simply just like being awake while everyone else is asleep.
I’m one of these people, a "Night Owl" if you will... And though it doesn’t necessarily bother me, staying up all night does come with some challenges.
Here are a few pros and cons involved with loving the nighttime:
Pros
1. Quiet study time
Living in a dorm comes with a lot of blessings and curses. One curse is the distractions of activities and friends when you’re trying to cram for a test. Of course, there’s the library, but it tends to get really suffocating in there sometimes. So, sometimes I wait until everyone else has gone to bed before I crack open the books. It's quiet and I can focus better. This works out for me, personally, because I never have early classes.
2. Not being bothered by anyone
This goes for when I’m studying and when I’m just hanging out. Sometimes I just like to be alone, it’s who I am... So, what better time to get some “you" time than being up at 2AM when everyone’s already been asleep for four hours?
Also, since there are no distractions from anyone, nighttime is the perfect time to FINALLY clean out your crap-drawer, dust your room, or even take that shower you've been putting off for two days.
Epic.
3. Nighttime is beautiful
Really, what’s better than the moon? It’s beautiful to look at, never burns us, and stops us from freezing at night. Really, it’s God’s greatest creation.
In all seriousness, though, I just find the night so peaceful and beautiful... That is until I hear someone throwing up outside my window on a weekend at 3AM. Then, not so much.
Cons
1. You're constantly judged for your sleeping habits
“Oh my gosh, you just woke up? It’s one in the afternoon!”
Well, when I go to bed at 5AM it’s not that surprising that I’m not an early riser.
“You wasted the entire day!”
My day is just getting started, honestly. Breakfast is good at any time of the day!
“You’re so lazy for sleeping in so much.”
Not really, I sleep in so much because I go to bed so late... I’m lazy for other reasons.
My friends and family always like to make comments about my sleeping schedule. I know that most productive things happen during the day, and when I get a real job I’m going to have to change my sleeping habits, but right now this works for me. Moral of the story: I’m not a morning person. And no, when I wake up at one in the afternoon I don’t feel like I wasted the day because there’s still a lot left to it.
2. You oversleep for things… A lot
Now that I’m an upper classman, it’s a lot easier for me to make my schedule the way I want it. Although, when I did have early classes, I tended to miss them… A lot. Which obviously isn’t good, but I did manage to do well in them even though I missed a good percentage of the classes. You live and you learn, right?!
3. During the winter you sometimes miss the sun
It’s a known fact that depression can be seasonal. This is true for the winter months, especially. So, when I wake up late during these months, sometimes I don’t find myself going outside until dinnertime, when the sun has already set. It may sound silly to some, but the lack of sunlight and constant gloomy weather sometimes really puts a damper on my mood.
Well, there you have it! I know eventually I'll have to grow out of my sleeping habits, but as of right now, I'm perfectly content with missing out on mornings.
