Why are you nocturnal?

[Jill]

I've tried to analyze why it is that I am completely nocturnal (I am on EST) and what I have come up with is this, and I'll do it list style like John. Today's reply comes to you in five parts:

1. Quiet, dead peaceful quiet. My house was so loud growing up, people screaming at each other all of the time, that I could never get anything done during the day, I wouldn't start actually doing anything until after my parents went to bed and then I could actually start working on home work or what ever project I was doing. During the summer when my parents woke up that was my cue to go to bed.

2. The heat. I grew up in the Caribbean so during the day it was really hot and really humid. At the night the temperatures had cooled off to a more bearable condition.

3. I am self conscious. I prefer not to have people around when ever I am working on anything. I can't type with people behind my shoulder, I can't do any sort of project or be creative at all.

4. I really am nocturnal. I have to have light to sleep, if I do sleep at night then I have to have a light on. I think I just need things to stare at to fall asleep. If you turn off the light my brain goes Oh Hai! and with an absence of things to idly stare at starts thinking. And then three hours later I'll give up on the trying to save electricity thing and turn a light back on so I can fall asleep.

5. It might just be nature. Instead of all of the reasons that Iisted (nurture) it might just be that we are people are naturally more creative at night, nocturnal people seem to be the creative nerd types. If you'll allow me to be a hippie for a moment - plants, animals and character are ripened by the sun, but minds and creativity are ripened by the moon.

Actually wait, nevermind, that sounds effing ridiculous. Scratch that last bit. Well, I'll leave it there for everyone to laugh at but, Trelawney isn't a good look for me.

So why are you nocturnal? Does anyone else have any ideas?

[Kuhi]

i definately was not nocturnal before i started to moderate chat or fall in love...
but as a child i would wake up in the middle of the night and play and then i got scared of staying up and would just sleep. My mom is also very hilterish about waking up. she needs me out of bed at 8 to have her day already and blah.
I do sleep around 1 - 2 though. cause i have to wake up at around 5:45 am in the morning, even 6 for weekends. Even then, for the last few days i've been sleeping at 3. Even though i 'retire' to bed at 12.

[Chris]

There is nothing good on TV here, until midnight (CET). So I stay up until 4 am, when I go to sleep for 2 hours and go to work. And I'm also more productive in the silent of night.

[Stevie Octopus]

I'm nocturnal because (1) there is no need for me to follow a "normal" sleeping pattern, (2) I'm homeschooled hence I don't have to get up at five in the morning to go to school nor do I have any work and (3) I'm a night owl; I always have been & I always will.

I'd just like to mention that I just got up about an hour and a half ago (it's 11:29 here), so yeah. ^_^

[Penpusher]

I think a big part of why I'm nocturnal is that I use to have huge anxiety problems. The anxiety would get worse after I went to bed and my mind didn't have anything to distract it so I'd stay up late to avoid the anxiety and then when I did go to bed the anxiety would keep me up crying and panicking until two or three, sometimes four, in the morning when I would finally just collapse and sleep out of pure exhaustion for a few hours. That went on for years.

I finally cut my schedule and my anxiety back so that I could be asleep by one if I went to bed at a reasonable time, but while I was overcoming my anxiety I also had a crush on this guy who would stay up late and we'd talk to each other online and then via texting until way past midnight.

I've also always been a reader and a gamer, so I would give up sleep to read or play video games. I still do actually. But this tied in nicely with my wanting to stay up and not be scared thing. But even before the anxiety I always stayed up late thinking. I would just go over scenarios in my head and it kept me up. I eventually started writing and now I'll stay up late because my creativity often peaks pretty late and then I want to write. I always think I'm a great writer at 2 in the morning but I'm actually not. Though the good thing about my writing at 2 in the morning is that I'm motivated and inspired, so I just put everything down and don't have to worry about getting the scene on paper any more.

And I really like being alone, I rarely have the house to myself, so being the only one awake gives me that time to feel like I have the house to myself. It's very nice.

[bloodyfranzes]

Is it weird that I feel identified with all the 5 reasons listed above?
Small hours have that something - I've read several people that commented here who might know what I mean. Focus, creativity, energy; they're all sharpened and at their best during night time. Be it because it's dark, it's quiet and peaceful and cool, because there's no one to interrupt or bother you - they're certainly all factors, but there's something else. I like it.
Personally, I can't sleep unless it's as dark as possible. I mean, I can in certain conditions (consider I'm TOTALLY EXHAUSTED and I just want to drop dead and sleep forever, I just won't care because I won't even notice how dark or lit the room is). However, I find it impossible to do so in 'normal' conditions. Before I got all insomniac, for example, I had this problem with my bedroom door (I still do, I just don't blame my lack of sleep to it anymore). One of the hinges got loose, and now the door kind of hangs, so it doesn't close like it should which results in this inevitable crack that lets in the sunlight or moonlight or any kind of light beyond my room's door. And that annoys the hell out of me. I used to swear under my breath at the poor door and turn my back to it so that I wouldn't get distracted by the freaking light. So yeah. Just picture it.
(If you're wondering why I never got the hinge repaired .. well, I don't freaking know. I've told my mother and she forgets about it as she always does. It's the kind of thing that only bothers you when you notice its existence. Do you know what I mean? Can I get a little sympathy here? Thanks.)
On another reason why I'm nocturnal, well, just like someone said, I do feel less tired when it's dark as well. All that bright sunlight seems to weigh on my shoulders al day long, but when night comes, I feel relieved. And I never figured out why either.
Besides, there's also this .. need to .. not sleep. I've no idea how to word this. I feel like sleep is overrated sometimes. Most times I don't .. feel the need to sleep. I just don't want to. I have this weird wish which basically consists of sleep being deliberate, optional, non time-consuming. I highly doubt it, but have you ever read "Ami, the child from the stars"? (Let me Google the book and find out whether it's been translated into English - I tend to believe that Latin American literature isn't welcomed outside our language borders, you know?, like I wish you could all read Julio Cortázar's stuff and be amazed and fascinated by his poetical prose just like I am every time I read one of his books .. OMG I'm so off topic, sorry! :'( ) (Oh my, "Ami" has been translated into .. wow, 12 languages. Amazing. I wonder what other-language-speaking people have felt when they've read it. Here http://www.ebarrios.com/EB-Engl/index.htm ) (I'M SORRY I'M SO OFF-TOPIC, though I must say that I'll be surprised if anyone's gotten this far into my discussion reply. Thank you, I guess.) Well, this Ami kid is an alien, just to put it simple, and his "race" can get the benefits of 8 healthy hours of sleep in only 15 seconds. Now, doesn't that just sound great? I mean, for those of us who could use some more dark hours. Mind you, I like sleeping and I do appreciate the hours I sometimes spend on it, but there are times when I feel it's just a waste. It would be truly awesome if given, say, that casualty in which you find yourself in need of little or no sleep just because you enjoy the feel of the small hours or simply need the time, and you could wrap up 8 full hours of sleep in only 15 seconds and go on with what you're doing. Just think about it. It sounds utterly incredible to me.
And I think I've already written too much XD

[Astroskylark]

The first time I had the pleasure of staying up past midnight, I discovered the novelty of being awake to experience the transition from one day to another. After hours of simultaneously listening to loud music and watching action/adventure movies, I felt a momentary exhilaration. Dragging myself from the television and stepping outside, that novel exhilaration was renewed by the breathtakingly clear sky and the cool night air. Gazing up at the stars, I was hit by a burst of creative inspiration, and my thoughts became incredibly clear. Since then, I have found that I am more creative at night, and my thoughts are clearer. Although I am only 'nocturnal' on days off, I go to sleep well past midnight on weekends and during the Summer.

[Dan Muhlenkamp]

I agree 100%

There have several occations on which I have spent my hours in the earth's shadow partying away on a sleep deprived high. Summer nights especially are a beautful sight to see and a great oppertunity nerd out on astronomy and the universe or just enjoy the peace and beauty of the night sky. Watching the Glow of the sun bleed into the morningsky is an incredible sight that we miss out on far too often. Even better when shared with a loved one.

[Dan Muhlenkamp]

Part 1 definitely applies to me. Ever since I finally got my own room with PS2 and a lap top the night has become a very peaceful time when I can just be alone and do whatever I want, so long as I don't be too loud.

Part 3 also aplies to a certian degree. I hate it when I'm doing my thing and my siblings come and stare at my monitor. Leave me alone!!! I'm trying to express my thoughts and ideas on the intrnet!!! lol.

Part 5.5 Obviously we all love creeping around the house in the dead of night like a ninja. Be it to use the restroom or to get a 2 am snack, hiding in the shadows huming our own theme music is a past time I'm sure we all enjoy. :D

[Stabby Needles]

Being Nocturnal is not always a choice. Check out this link that helped me better understand why I was.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/134115/the_truth_about_noc...

[Emily <3 Chocolate]

I'm nocturnal becuase I'm waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyy more creative, it's the only time I can go on the internet, usually I can't sleep, and plus... who wouldn't wanna be nocturnal????????????? :D