# Why am I up at 3:31? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 26, 2000, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-up-at-3-31/23556 "2000-06-26T08:52:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Blunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blunt)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-up-at-3-31/23556/1 "2000-06-26T08:52:24Z")
I didn’t know if I should post this as a general question or not, so I’ll post it here because it is definitely mindless. Why do I keep staying up later and later even though I have nothing to do. School got out almost a month ago, and I still haven’t started my full-time summer job (I know I need to get off my ass and get to work, but I’ll put it off as long as I can), so I only work a few hours a week in the afternoons right now. I haven’t had to get up early for anything in a while, so I have been basically going to bed when I get tired, and sleeping untill I wake up on my own. During the school year I usually went to bed between 11pm and 12:30am, and had to get up for either a 9am or 10am class depending on the day of the week. Since I became a bum, I’ve gradually worked my way to going to bed as late as 4am, and sleeping untill 2-3pm. I don’t like sleeping this late at all and it actaully pisses me off. On Friday or Saturday nights there may be good reason for me to stay up, but on weeknights I usually am not doing anyting and would just as soon be sleeping, but I can’t sleep because I’m not tired. I guess this will all go away in a week or so when I get a job and have a clock to punch in the mornings, but for now it is really annoying to me. Does this trend of staying up/sleeping later and later happen to others, and what would the most effective way to end it be? Maybe I should just not sleep at all one night and seem if that works? ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-up-at-3-31/23556/2 "2000-06-26T08:56:27Z")
Well, at least you’ve got company, though it’s 12:50 here. No real suggestions about switching your sleeping hours around. It does take a few days to get used to any new sleep routine. I’d start sleeping closer to the hours you’ll have to keep 3 or 4 days before you start work. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-up-at-3-31/23556/3 "2000-06-26T09:03:12Z")
I’m exactly the same way. I think my natural day cycle is about 25 hours, so in absence of pressure to get up, I go to bed later and get up later. Currently, I usually fall asleep about 4 and wake up about 12-1. The only thing sticking me here is that I have to be somewhere at 2 sometimes. Otherwise, since I don’t work until 4:30, I’d be up later, guaranteed. The best way I’ve found to break this cycle is to just jar myself out of it. It doesn’t really bother me - I like being alone at night, and waking up pisses me off - but if it bugs you that much, just set your alarm even if you don’t really need to. The only other option I’ve found is to just skip a night. Stay up for about 30 hours, and you hop back on to a pretty “normal” schedule. Personally, I plan to sue for discrimination against night people. Who’s up for a class-action? ---
**Author:** ![Commander\_Fortune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Commander\_Fortune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Commander_Fortune)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-up-at-3-31/23556/4 "2000-06-26T09:24:50Z")
I’d sue with you. I love being a night person, I work graveyard shift and all is well - love the hours, but there is but **nothing** to do in this town after 11:00 on weeknights! I’m up 'til 8 A.M. or 9 A.M. at least. Sure, I can go se a film - even if I catch the latest show, I’m done with the movie by 12:30- then what? Go to Denny’s and let their coffee burn me a new ulcer until dawn? Sit on my ass on the couch and watch infomercials? I can go grocery shopping, that’ll eat up an hour or so. I can grab my pepperspray and take a walk, there’s another hour used up. I can sit on the SDMB all night, oh…wait. Let’s sue for late night access to amusement parks. ---
**Author:** ![Blunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Blunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blunt)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-up-at-3-31/23556/5 "2000-06-26T09:58:26Z")
I’ve decided that today will be the day I reset myself. I’m not sleeping untill I go to bed toinght. Since its pushing 5am it is light enough now that maybe I’ll go for a run or something. ---
**Author:** ![eggo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@eggo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eggo)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-up-at-3-31/23556/6 "2000-06-26T10:03:03Z")
DON’T just not sleep, that’s how [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=28129) happened. /me looks at watch and realizes that he didn’t sleep… nevermind.