In Praise of Staying Up Late -- And Coffee

A new study suggests that night owls and earlybirds may be that way because their genetics promote it...and trying to get them to stop doing it may actually shorten their lives.

Tell that to my friends Jo, Chris and Willo, who LOVE getting up early. If I want to meet them for coffee, I have to do it their way, even if it means I Do Not Participate at first.

    Then the caffeine kicks in.

(Last week, I went to the wrong shop -- but it took me a good 20 minutes to figure that out, then where to head next.)

They just don't understand the value of staying up late.

I wrote an essay, "In Praise of Late Nights," for the Penny Thots site. See if you agree.

Friends Chris and Jo love to get up early…like 4 a.m. early, when even the robins are still snoozing. They exercise, get a shower and have breakfast, early newspaper in hand. And once a week, they drag yours truly to Starbucks at 6:15 a.m. for coffee. I trudge in, clothes tossed on and eyes bleary, then sit there like a slug for half an hour until the caffeine kicks in.

Jo and Chris find this hilarious.

I keep telling them about the benefits of staying up late, instead.

For one thing, you’re not fighting a crowd at the grocery store, if you shop later at night. Extra discounts are out on deli items, meat, produce and other goodies. Many Wal-Marts, for example, mark their rotisserie chickens sharply down after the deli closes at 9. Score!

Mail can be dropped off at the post office without standing in line. (Our local post office even has a 24-hour machine for weighing packages, buying stamps and such.) Run in a bit before the library closes, and not only grab your books on hold, but pick up a video someone just dropped off, in the rush to keep fines from accumulating. I’ve found many a popular DVD this way, returned at the last minute, that I’d have to wait weeks for, otherwise.

The rec center is a blessing in the late evenings. All those pesky screaming kids have gone home, and the pool is quiet and near-empty. No one will be jumping, cannonball-style, into the lane while you’re doing laps. Much of the equipment is open for use, and you don’t have to practically mug someone to get access to a racketball court.You’ll sleep better, anyways, after a good hard workout.

Late nights at a restaurant – after the movie, instead of before, for example — means you’ll spend less, on dessert and coffee, than for a full meal. It gives you mental permission to splurge on that basket of fries, and feel virtuous — sure, it’s junk food, but you don’t eat this way all the time. And besides, you’re saving money! Besides, holding hands late with your sweetie on a dark, rainy evening is incredibly romantic. Or take a long walk together. There’s no reason to rush home, making it a good time to get to know each other better.

If you’re a writer, late nights are a prime opportunity to get work done with few interruptions. No one calls, and your partner is busy watching TV or working on the computer (or asleep!). If your children are young, they’re safely in their beds. And if teenagers, they’re still buzzing about at parties, or online with their friends. The coast is clear for reading a book in peace, and having a chance to think without someone at your elbow, asking for something. Work more quickly, too: finish e-mail or figure out the villain in your short-story-in-progress.

I'm typing this at 2 a.m. And yes, I need to meet them for coffee this morning at 7:30 a.m. (Dumb, dumb, dumb.) They'll laugh and make fun...and I'll just sit there. For a while, at least. But I love them, anyways.

Time for bed.

Now if Benedict showed up, that would wake me up quick!