Why Do Programmers Work at Night? (6 Owl-like Reasons)

You are probably curious, a newbie programmer or you have developer friends, and wondering why most programmers work at night instead of during the day like regular people.

 Let’s discuss these different reasons in detail.

1. No Human or Environmental Interruption

More often than not, most programmers work remotely, and if they do not live alone, they tend to be distracted by the people they live with.

Most Programmers work remotely and can be distracted by the people they live with.

It’s worst when you are married with kids in the house, they can be super energetic for no reason.

The ones that work onsite are not free from distractions as well, with colleagues intermittently calling their attention for code help or even something random or not work-related.

Things like this cut workflow and decrease productivity.

This is the reason why most programmers frequently put on headsets in their workplace even when they are not listening to music.

The idea is to create the impression of someone that busy to avoid menial side distractions from colleagues.

Speaking of environmental distraction just made me reflect on my current situation this very moment as I write this article.

Working from my dedicated office space far off in the southern side of Nigeria.

The day is still quite young, it’s 9 am and I plan on writing and editing this article, get it published and try out some pet Python projects utilizing Selenium afterward.

My colleagues often come in by 10 am but the workspace is usually quiet because the developers here really don’t know themselves.

They all work remotely including myself and people often pay for a spot like this to get off home whenever they feel like and get things done.

But does it make the atmosphere totally devoid of noise? not at all.

Stepping in with maximum vibes to tick tasks off my to-do list only to discover the church by the side have a program that started by 8 am and will most likely run throughout the day.

Praises and prayers seem to envelop the whole atmosphere with the amplifier sounds resonating at high frequency penetrating through the walls of surrounding buildings.

These are one of those few days I thank myself for always leaving for work with my headset properly tucked in my backpack.

I use an Apple AirPod Max Headset connected to my Macbook, its noise cancellation mode greatly filters off environmental sounds and also plays some pure focus ambient tones from a playlist I found on Apple Music to put me back into the desired mood for work.

I really don’t think I would have written this much without this setup considering the current environmental noise.

I just hope the noise dies down just before I get started with my Python Projects because I certainly don’t want to be on headsets throughout the day.

You see why programmers prefer to work at night when every other person is asleep with little or no background noise and environmental activities.

2. The Peacefulness of the Mind, Soul and Body

Without the noise, programmers tend to feel much more relaxed and at ease with themselves.

The peacefulness and knowledge that they have hours to themselves without interruptions alleviate the stress and time pressure they have when they work during the day, and they are able to work effectively and produce a top-notch job 

The peacefulness and thought of having quiet work hours to themselves gladdens the mind and sends jitters of joy down their spine as they write codes and resolve bug issues with innermost satisfaction.

3. Shifted circadian Rhythm caused by bright light from the computer screen

The blue light from the computer screen delays the circadian rhythm of programmers.

You might be wondering what circadian rhythm is, I’ll explain.

Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles that are part of the body’s internal clock, running in the background to carry out essential functions and processes. 

One of the most important and well-known circadian rhythms is the sleep-wake cycle.

Different systems of the body follow circadian rhythms that are synchronized with a master clock in the brain. 

This master clock is directly influenced by environmental cues, especially light, which is why circadian rhythms are tied to the cycle of day and night.

Programming involves staring at your computer screen for hours.

The bright light from these screens contains blue light that delays the stimulation of sleep-inducing hormones called melatonin.

The delayed secretion of melatonin shifts the circadian rhythm of programmers making them stay awake deep into the night.

Photo credit: OURA

4. No pressure, no time limit

At night, programmers can define their own time limit, they can also choose to code all night.

They also feel less pressured at this time of the day.

A perfect time to properly brew your coffee; sipping and staring at code blocks, well highlighted on your dark-themed IDE.

5. Situations and Lifestyle

Most programmers work at night because it’s when they can squeeze out free ample time to write codes.

Some either have other work or classes to attend during the day.

A couple more are married and can only code late at night and early morning when their kids are still asleep.

6. Faster network and server connections

At night the internet connection works faster than it does during the day. 

This is one of the reasons why some programmers prefer working at night. 

During the day, many people are connected to the internet server and if it’s not robust enough, it lags and becomes slower. 

The night comes with a faster internet connection because most users are asleep decreasing the load on the server.

Conclusion

There are many reasons why Programmers work at night. It’s mostly due to the absence of human-environmental interruption, the peacefulness of mind, delayed circadian rhythm computer screen light, lesser work pressure with no time limit, faster network connections and the current situation or lifestyle of the programmer.

How about you..

Are you also a night owl or an early bird?

Share with me in the comment section below.

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Happy Coding!