Best Time to Write: Morning or Night?

A cozy nighttime workspace with a laptop illuminated by a desk lamp, ready for late-night productivity.

When do you find yourself most inspired to write? Are you a morning writer? Are you a night owl like me? I’d love to know. Personally, I do my best writing in the darkest part of the evening, when everyone is asleep. 

There are no distractions other than the TV, and I have easy access to anything on the internet. Sadly, against my better judgment—and my therapist's recommendations—I am currently awake and writing past 10 p.m. I try not to make it a regular thing; however, it seems to be the only time my brain can find that flow state. 

Ironically enough, a study found that performance varies depending on your chronotype. For those who may not know, a chronotype is a person’s natural predisposition for when they are most active and when they sleep best. I read an article titled “Find your best time to think; MIND HEALING.” It referenced a study conducted by Mareike Wieth and Rose Zacks at Albion College. In 2011, they asked two groups to solve problems during their peak and non-peak performance periods. 

They found that during peak periods, participants were able to tackle analytical tasks, while creative thinking often improved during non-peak periods. So, for those like me who get more creative as the night goes on, it might be a sign to start writing at night.

Don’t get me wrong—the suggested sleep schedule is biphasic, meaning sleep is split into two periods. Go to bed around “8-9 pm and set an alarm for two hours later” to get two hours of work done, so you not only get the best rest but also a solid creative period to complete your work.  

I have not adopted this method, but I may give it a solid try soon and share my feedback. However, for the time being, I feel that I will continue to write in the cracks of time. After all, it has brought me the most success thus far.

—Destany