---
title: The Truth About Late Nights
date: 2025-11-15T00:00:00
author: Charlie M.
category: SIGNAL
---
So, last night, like, I was lying in bed, and it was stupid late, like 1:57 or something equally obscene, and I was just staring at the ceiling. Maybe expecting it to, I don't know, do something? And then I remembered this article I read about how screens before bed mess with your sleep. But here I am, phone in hand, doom scrolling for the millionth time. I guess, like, there's some study out there—I think it was from Harvard or one of those places—saying that the blue light messes with your melatonin. Is that it? But I mean, who's switching their phone to night mode at this hour anyway?
It's weird how nighttime feels like this endless scrolling vortex. Like, I know I should sleep, but here I am diving deep into Instagram rabbit holes, double-tapping on photos of cats doing... just cat things. It's embarrassing to say, but, um, I tried deleting the app once. Or maybe it was twice? But I just ended up re-downloading it every time. So what's the point, right? I don't know if it's a lack of willpower or if these apps are just really good at keeping us hooked with their dopamine hits.
And so there's this other thing I heard—some podcast, maybe?—something about how night owls, like people who stay up way too late, might actually be smarter. Or was it more creative? Which sounds great, but then there's also this other thing about how they don't live as long. Or am I mixing them up? It's kind of hard to keep track of all this info flying around. But anyway, if being a night owl has a downside, why am I still so drawn to this nocturnal chaos?
So, like, working out, they say it helps with sleep, right? But I get this weird energy burst post-gym. And, let's be real, the idea of working out at night is, uh, ambitious. Yeah, ambitious is the word. I did it once, and afterwards, I felt like I could run a marathon in my dreams. Which, surprise, made it even harder to fall asleep. So much for endorphins or whatever magic they promise.
I suppose I should try meditating or drinking chamomile tea or something. It’s supposed to be calming, right? But I also remember falling asleep to meditation apps and feeling more stressed about not meditating right than anything else. There’s probably a proper technique, but who has the time to figure that out at 2 AM? Not me, clearly.
Ultimately, I don't have this all figured out. Maybe no one does. Or maybe someone does, but they're not sharing the secret. Every night feels like this weird loop of telling myself I should sleep earlier, but then finding myself right back where I started. Are late nights bad? Are they good? Is “bad” or “good” even the point? I guess it’s hard to say. Maybe that’s just life, you know? A blurry blend of blurry nights and blurrier truths.