Additional Coverage:
- I want matinee concerts, matinee dinners, and matinee everything. At 46, I’m done pretending I want to stay up late. (businessinsider.com)
The Last Time I Stayed Up Late: Why Early Nights Are My New Normal
The final time I found myself out past midnight was at Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” concert in Detroit. My spouse and I arrived early, around 8 p.m., just as “Bennie and the Jets” began. Yet, even then, I was already dreading how I’d survive not only the rest of the night but the following two days.
Before that, the last time I was truly awake after midnight was during my engagement trip in Rome, where the late-night dining culture caught me off guard. Did I survive those experiences?
Absolutely. But I wasn’t exactly thrilled about it.
Early Riser, Early to Bed
I typically wake up at 5:30 a.m. without needing an alarm and rarely find myself out past 8 p.m.-let alone attending distant nighttime events. My evenings usually wind down early: dinner before 6 p.m., then by 7:30 p.m., I’m cozied up in bed with a book, my cat, a night mask, and a bite splint. With summer’s long days, the sun often outlasts me.
Sometimes, I even tease my friends with young kids about my relaxed evenings while they wrestle with bedtime routines-and thankfully, they still keep me around.
Why Late Nights Just Don’t Work for Me
Growing up, I heard the saying “Nothing good happens after midnight.” For me, it’s more like nothing good happens after 8 p.m.
At 46, I’ve embraced that nightlife no longer appeals to me. If I don’t get to bed early, I’m not just a little foggy-I’m downright dysfunctional.
I might even question whether I’m fully dressed while grocery shopping.
There are very few occasions or people worth staying up late for, and I can count those invitations on one hand. My husband understands this rhythm and generally sticks to it too.
While I cherish family, friends, and the many musicians and comedians I admire, I’ve grown to value sleep above nightlife. Ironically, as a children’s author, I delight in the idea of kids having early curfews-they need their rest, just as we all do.
So unless you’re Elton John or, amusingly enough, rapper Afroman (whose Freedom Of Speech tour I’m seeing this summer), I’m afraid you’ll have to catch me during the day. Nighttime just isn’t my scene anymore.