

The Myth of the All-Nighter - Alfred2
http://blog.acthompson.net/2012/11/the-myth-of-all-nighter.html

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plg
I agree that many "all nighters" turn out to be just the result of poor
planning... But I think there is an important exception. I have found (others
too I'm sure) that trying to finish a complex problem in the space of a
typical workday, filled with other obligations, interruptions, social
niceties, not to mention family commitments, is quite difficult. Sometimes it
takes me a good 30-60 min in the morning just to ... reboot myself into the
headspace I was in when I left the problem, on the previous day. Then I am not
left with much time to dive into the problem and swim around, with maximum
concentration.

The all nighter is a natural solution to this. If you have a way to recover
afterwards, then it is perfect. No interruptions from co-workers, family,
friends, students (I am a Prof), tv shows, sports, etc (the world is asleep,
at least your immediate surroundings).

For me, there are two activities I regularly engage in that require full
concentration and "loading up" my brain with the full information, for me to
make real progress: writing, and coding.

Others have written about similar topics before:
<http://www.paulgraham.com/head.html>

