Question of the Day: When Was the Last Time You Pulled an All-Nighter?
source: obo-bobolina
If you’ve been a reader here at Organizing Your Way very long, you know that I stress the importance of getting enough sleep in order to be the most productive.
It’s a rule I live by for the most part, but last night — with personal and professional deadlines looming that have left me stressed and grumpy all week — I decided to stay up and get as much crossed off my to-do list as possible. I “only” lasted until 3:00 a.m., but I got a ton done, and I know from experience that I can usually handle lack of sleep okay for one night, so my plan is to have a fairly productive day today and turn in early.
I am in no way suggesting that you should make all-nighters part of your lifestyle, and I’m fairly certain I’m going to have to work very hard on my attitude and mood today! But I want to know if you’ve ever found yourself in a similar situation and how it turned out for you.
Have you pulled an all-nighter (or half-nighter) as an adult in order to get things done?
Did you regret it the next day, or were you just glad to have gotten things checked off your list?
What other methods do you use to catch up when you’re behind on things that have to be done on a certain timetable?
Looking forward to reading your comments!
I only pull all nighters when my husband is on night shift and only against my will. I end up laying on the couch trying to go to sleep which is next to impossible when he’s not home. So even if I do pull an all nighter, it’s not to accomplish anything on a list. I’m pretty much done for after 11:30pm. Nothing else gets done after that hour.
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I do it way too often–at least once a week. I know I need more sleep, but I just can’t resist the quiet, still house. It’s the perfect time to get things done when I know I won’t be interrupted. I have 6 kids, ages 1-15, and from early in the am until about 10 at night I am on Mom duty. I need time to think, plan, and check things off my list, and I usually don’t get that time until late at night. I don’t know how else I’d function, but I do hope that when the kids get a little older and are all in school that I won’t need to be a night owl anymore.
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We move every 3 years or so. I have been known to pack, move and unpack a 2400 square foot house full of stuff in about 5 days. I don’t sleep, but the job gets done! I don’t like the chaos of living out of boxes!
[email protected]´s last blog ..Designate A Day
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Only when I have a newborn and it’s not pretty. I am a happier more productive mom when I am rested. My trick is using small increments of time wisely. If I have a few extra minutes, I try to chip off a bit of a bigger project. Good luck today!
Elizabeth´s last blog ..I ain’t no Martha-ite
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Ah – when my husband is away and the girls are sleeping, what I can get done around the house amazes me. Not often, I wouldn’t make it. But cleaning the baseboards, dusting blinds, etc.
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I pull those half-nighters most often before we leave on a trip. The packing and prepping always takes longer than I expect it to. I find the second day after a short night is worse/harder than the day after. For some reason it takes my body two days to realize how much sleep I’ve deprived it of.
Lisa´s last blog ..Operation Christmas Child
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I hate doing it, but I pull all-nighters at least a couple times a year, and partial all-nighters (staying up til 3 or 4 am) probably monthly. At the moment, I am a part-time grad student, employed full-time, and take care of the house with my husband. I will stay up until the job is done when:
1. I have a class project or paper due the next day (in my grad program, you get zero credit for assignments turned in past the deadline).
2. I have a work project that must be done OR ELSE that I was unable to complete during the workday.
3. I am having houseguests and the house needs to be cleaned.
I am working to remedy this and make sleep my #1 priority, but it is difficult.
The cleaning stuff I am making much more of an effort to let go of … nothing horrible will happen if the house isn’t spotless, even for the in-laws. School and work are much harder to let go in favor of sleep … I have severe anxiety and am a perfectionist, and the fact is that I wouldn’t be able to sleep even if I tried, knowing that I would face negative repercussions the next day.
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My All-Nighter runs a little bit different, but here is what works for me. If I have a lot to get done, or if I am having company for dinner, such as Thanksgiving, I go to bed. I set my alarm for a couple of hours. Then I get up and feel a little refreshed. I get a lot of work done until I get tired again. Then I just go back to bed. When I get up in the morning, I am refreshed because I went back to bed and my work is done. This is especially helpful around the holidays. I always do this for Thanksgiving dinner, that way I am refreshed and I am not running around trying to finish up. There is nothing like being to pooped to party when the family gets there!
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I know how important sleeping is and if i ever forget my husband and my mood remind me.
The thing is i cannot resist staying up and knitting, sewing, reading or just watching a show when the house is quiet . It helps me stay sane and feel like i’m getting things done.
Imene´s last blog ..WIP Wednesday
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I am not as young as I used to be, when pulling an all nighter wa much more fun, and easier! Maybe once or twice a year I find myself enjoying a good book…and before I know it, it’s getting brighter outside. That’s when I realize just how long I’ve been reading…! I’m usually not fun to be around the next day.
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I’m with Lisa and Marnette,
Usually my all nighters are before we are leaving on a trip. I have my checklist of things to finish up before we load up and leave the next morning. Sometimes I let the kids stay up with me so they will sleep most of the ride the next day.
I also love to stay up and finish a good book. I’ve been known to read a book in a day if the kids let me. I tend to do more all nighter reading than anything lately.
Mandi if you get a chance to get a cat nap take it. I know that’s hard to do with all the doodle girls, hope the day goes well.
Rana´s last blog ..Two of a Kind!
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All the way through college and still now I find that if i try to pull an all-nighter, I end up getting LESS done than if I just got to bed and get up extra early and get the work done. This worries me for when I have children. I’ve already told my fiancee he will be in charge of feedings between 11:30 and 4:00!
Jd´s last blog ..Sewing Projects- The lunch box
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I tend to pull all-nighters when I am halfway through my pregnancies. I don’t know why… I guess it’s just that “nesting” instinct that kicks in and makes me want to clean.
I can also bake all day and all night if I get the urge to.
Oh, and I can’t forget about how easy it is to be sucked into the bloggy world until all hours of the night. It’s just easiest when everything is quiet.
More often than not, if I am going to pull a half-nighter, I will head to bed about 9, and then get up around 2 and start my day. These are the BEST days because I feel accomplished and productive by the time my girls get up at 7am.
Amy´s last blog ..Printable Coupons: Good Earth Tea, Rotel, Ritz, and more!
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Well, after reading all of these comments I am delighted to say that I am “normal!” LOL! It just so happens I have pulled some half-nighters in the past few weeks (recertification class for teaching). However, I use to be the “early to bed- early to rise” type of girl. Now it seems, I am the “late and later to bed- early to rise girl.” If I forsee these all-nighters/half-nighters approaching, I make a point to stock my body with lost of fruit and veggies so as to stay healthy when my body is so tired.
Whew! I better stop typing or this could turn into an ALL NIGHTER!!
Thea´s last blog ..Homebound Today
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[...] :: Mandi at Organizing Your Way.net has a great post on pulling an all-nighter. [...]
I do this fairly often… something like once a week. I have a lot of children and there is so much noise here. My children are older so they stay up late, are out late, etc. Usually after midnight, things are calm and settled enough for me to get some work done. Some of the things I need to do include: Cleaning, Research, Writing, Reading, etc. By 2 or 3 a.m. I have gotten enough accomplished to head off to sleep.
The next day, I am fine. I tend to get to bed earlier the next night though.
As for grumpiness, it doesn’t happen. I really don’t need a lot of sleep. But it does help if I have some chocolate and cherry coke!
Blessings
Mrs. White in Vermont
Mrs. White´s last blog ..Living on a Prayer
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