Why Developers Love to Program at Night?

Hello, friends. If you ask most developers when they prefer to work, many will tell you that their most productive hours are at night. This may be especially true for open source contributors who work on projects alongside their day jobs (though hopefully within healthy limits to avoid burnout).

Some like to start in the evening and work into the wee hours of the morning, while others get up very early - say, at 4am - to get most of the programming work done before the daily grind starts. Today, however, we'll see why most developers like to program at night and how it can help them.

1. The Peaceful Rest

When the background noise of various activities (e.g., office chatter, road traffic) is largely absent at night or in the early morning hours, many programmers experience a sense of relaxation. This allows them to be more creative and productive - especially when tackling mentally stimulating tasks like programming.

The solitude and quiet, as well as the knowledge that they can work undisturbed for a few hours, often takes the stress and time pressure associated with a day's work schedule off their shoulders and allows them to produce higher quality work.

Not to mention, there's nothing better than indulging in your favorite midnight snacks after you've solved a thorny problem!

2. Communication

Developers working on open source projects may have a different communication rhythm than a programmer working internally at a company. Most open source communication happens asynchronously through channels like mailing lists or GitHub comments. Often, other programmers are in different countries and time zones, so real-time communication often requires developers to be night owls.

3. The Drowsy Brain

It may sound counterintuitive, but as the day progresses, the brain becomes so tired that it can only focus on a single task. This essentially eliminates multitasking, which is a major hurdle to staying focused and productive. But with a tired brain, you can't afford not to stay focused!

Also, many developers often make the most progress when they go to sleep thinking about the problem they're trying to solve. The subconscious mind gets to work and the answers often come in the early hours of the morning when they are still half asleep.

This is not surprising as sleep boosts brain function and helps us process new information and think more creatively. When solutions present themselves in the wee hours of the morning, these developers simply get up and get to work without missing a beat.

4. Think Flexibly and Creatively

Many programmers experience a surge of creativity at night. The prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain associated with the ability to concentrate, becomes tired at the end of the day. This seems to clear the way for more flexible and creative thinking in some people.

According to Brant Hasler, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, "With less of this top-down control and 'cognitive inhibition,' the brain could be freed up for divergent thinking, allowing one to make new associations between different concepts more easily." Combined with the positive mood enabled by a more relaxed environment, developers can come up with innovative ideas more easily.

With no distractions and the space to focus for several hours, you can also "get in the zone." This helps you better focus on a project and get into the flow without worrying about what's going on around you.

5. Bright Computer Screens

The sleep cycle of many programmers is delayed because they look at bright screens all day. The blue light from computer screens disrupts our circadian rhythms by delaying the release of sleep-inducing melatonin, increasing alertness, and resetting the body's internal clock to a later time. As a result, developers tend to go to bed later and later.

6. Influences from the Past

In the past, most developers worked at night out of necessity because shared servers didn't have the processing power to support programming work while everyone else in the company used the servers during the day. Developers had to wait late into the night to perform tasks that weren't feasible during the day, such as testing projects, running extensive code compile-run-debug cycles, and deploying new code. Even though servers are more powerful now and most can support demand, the trend of working at night continues to be part of the culture.

7. Conclusion

While there are many reasons why developers prefer to work at night, keep in mind that being a night owl doesn't mean you should skimp on sleep. Lack of sleep leads to stress and restlessness and eventually burnout.

Getting enough quality sleep is key to maintaining good physical health and brain function. For example, it helps you integrate new information, consolidate memories, think creatively, remove accumulated toxins, regulate your appetite, and prevent premature aging.

Whatever your schedule, make sure you give your brain the rest it needs so you can be as productive as possible - all day, every day!