Sleep deprivation among essay writers

What's the longest you've gone without sleep in the service of essay-writing? How long have you been able to keep up an insane pace?

It is strongly recommended not to go more than 3 days without sleep when working on a serious academic paper ;).

Slow and steady wins the race.

My brain often auto-hibernates in the small hours, so there is not much I can achieve by depriving myself of sleep to write a paper. A client will have to pay at least £40/page to 'motivate' me to pull an all-nighter for a very urgent assignment. Otherwise, I'm usually disinclined to sacrifice my nightly sleep for any reason (except for occasional indulgences between the sheets, of course::).

He meant to say that his small brain often hibernates during the waking hours, but his ESL scam-riddled brain came through.

Small hours? Who the hell speaks like this? You can turn off the classics channel, Antarch; its 2014 and there is no need to respond like you are fluffing a paper. This is yet another example where you string a bunch of words together into long-winded nonsense. You're not impressing anybody. Here's an idea: Try writing in the forum with a bit of candor.

Those poor, innocent goats . . . .

Yes. Candor. So, grapho, what's your experience with sleep deprivation and essays, then?

Ok, you asked:

Well, no offense to you guys and your hard work, but one of the many reasons I am here is because I need more sleep. The time requirements for a research academic are a bit much for me and my health suffered considerably from the work load (I am not whining - this is standard for all people of my kind). So when I am full-on readin', writin', researchin', and experimentin' (I have a laboratory to run) under the additional load of teaching, admin, and putting out fires, I have been able to sustain several months of 12+ hour work days, nonstop, with five to six hours of sleep per night. This includes nothing but work, sleeping, getting to and from work (including ****, shower, and shave). Eating is either done standing at my desk, while researching, or during a meeting. Fortunately, I get exercise by riding my bike to work, except for when the snow is too deep. On the short term, I can sustain about three to four months of four to five hours per night of sleep, with one or two 20-minute daily power naps. I have a bed roll in my office.

Last year, I decided to make the switch to freelance so I could work from home, work less, make more, and raise my children. I started in December with my plan, which required an insane amount of effort. I'm basically changing careers. So, I have been working full-time as a research academic in a chemistry laboratory, taught classes at a different school, wrote and published my own work, worked as an editor for several journal servicing companies, worked as an academic ghostwriter, worked for a textbook publishing companies, and worked on various other investment ventures. Along the way, I discovered that my wife is due in October, so I had to accomplish a series of goals that would ensure no lapse in income by then. I've met or exceeded all of those goals ahead of schedule. I don't know how many sleepless nights I had in the process, but I do know that after three months I was completely burned out, had gained about 15 pounds, started smoking again, and required a pot of coffee to get up and a six pack to get down. I was a mess, but I made twice as much money as I ever had up to this point.

My experience has been over the past two decades (and much research shows) that you have to pay back your sleep deficit at some point. I like academic ghostwriting the most out of all the freelance work that I have tried. I like freelancing in general because I can control my workflow more so than I was able in academe. My wife is happier and my garden has no weeds. My children are going to grow up never needing the services of people like myself. I can meet my goals and income needs without losing much sleep. And when my children start rolling in, I'll be primed to handle the workload and will get plenty of sleep.

So there's my bit of candor.

So 99Essays, what's your experience with sleep deprivation and workload-blitzkrieg?

Now that most of my work is freelance, all-nighters don't happen too often, at least not unexpectedly; when I did much more writing for essay companies, it happened fairly often. Typically, I'd be working on a much larger project due sometime the next day on one screen and short rush company orders and specific rush requests for me that I just couldn't ignore would keep popping up on my other screen all night. I'd grab those orders as they came in, bang them out, and then get back to work on the larger project. During the busy season, there were many nights that I ended up taking and completing 3 or 4 short unplanned rush papers that way and ended up having to work through the night and well into the next morning just to finish the original project that I'd have otherwise finished much earlier. There are still some nights that I end up writing all night, but that's just because I'd rather stay up as long as necessary to finish something than set an alarm clock to get up early to do (or finish) it the next day. The quality of the work isn't affected by any of this, but it can get pretty stressful on my end of things, obviously.

Rush papers at companies with open bidding are sweet.

Incredible. How do you prevent/overcome eye strain, writer's block, and overall fatigue? Seems you were born to do this. You make it look so easy.

Antarch Speaks unto us: Freelance Writer is a god among men! But seriously, I like Freelance Writer, but Antarch, no. If you can't work at that level, Antarch, then maybe you shouldn't be doing this.

Yes, I am antagonizing Antarch, but only because I am a raving maniac.

Grapho: similar to you, but without the chemistry, and a little bit less sleep -- a few two-night no-sleep stretches thrown in there. And yes, it does suck.

Eye strain isn't normally an issue for me. A few times a year my eyes bother me and I have to close them for a while, but it doesn't happen very often. Writer's block isn't really an issue: either I can do a particular topic or I can't (and with varying degrees of difficulty), but the writing itself usually isn't a problem.

Ironically, it's sometimes the easiest topics that can be a little hard to stretch out for the number of pages requested because there's just not that many pages of ideas there to squeeze out without repeating yourself. I always manage, but it can take a lot longer than I expected for a simple topic. Feeling as though I've already written just about everything there is to write on the topic is about the closest thing I ever experience to writer's block.

In my opinion, digging ditches and farming from dawn to dusk are fatiguing, not waking up at whatever time you want (usually) and sitting in front of a screen in an air-conditioned room typing words. Admittedly, some projects do force me to remind myself about that, but it's all relative. I've always written well whenever I had to write, but when I was in college (and even when I started doing this for a living), a 10-page essay seemed like a really big deal, especially on short notice. The idea of writing a 10-page essay in one night seemed incredible to me and I was amazed anytime someone said he did that in school. In fact, one of the main reasons I chose law school instead of some other graduate programs was because there was the least amount of writing involved. At least at the time, the only writing you did in any traditional law-school program was on one end-of-term in-class final in every class, one required major written project before graduation, and whatever writing there was in one required Legal Writing class. I hated the idea of multiple tests in every class and (especially) assigned essays. I specifically remember saying that I didn't want to do any graduate school that involved a lot of writing and now that's what I do for a living. Nowadays (and thousands of essays later), I can't even imagine having difficulty writing 10 or 15 pages overnight, at least not by virtue of the length alone. My writing ability hasn't really changed that much, so I guess it's more about practice and perspective.

A big Yes to that. It just hurts to get to that 15 page goal on a subject that just doesn't have a lot going for it. Looking to other authors on the subject doesn't help either because they all write about the same stuff over and over again, but configured in different ways. Some of them write entire books - I couldn't do it. Its like Mexican food; its all the same basic ingredients wrapped and fried in different ways. Then I find myself struggling to not paraphrase too closely and dance near the line of plagiarism. Ugh. I find it helps to put the paper down and work on something else for a bit.

But what about Antarch's goats?

I wonder what students do when writers work on their model research papers..

I think student members here can address this question better.

From my experience, the majority of the students who approach me for academic writing needs are the ones that are too busy in other academic activities. Many also look for help for something that doesn't seem to make sense to them at all. There can be a number of reasons behind this lack of understanding such as little help from the supervisor, working instead of doing homework, an illness, etc. I never ask.

A good number of my clients may not be sure if they can confidently get over with it.

With these types, there is a smaller percentage of those that simply want to get it done by some reliable writer for a good score. It is these people that are probably playing a video game while I write a model paper for them.

Input from other writers/students on this issue can be useful for a holistic view.

I agree that the easiest topics can be the most difficult to write about. Yesterday I had to do 10 pages on "cognitive development," with an emphasis on (of course) Piaget and Kohlberg. It was for a lower-level psych course, so I had to keep it pretty basic. Once I hit the seven-page mark I felt like a runner flagging in the home stretch. I probably spent more time on the last three pages than I did on the first seven.

When I first started writing in 2010 I used to keep all kinds of crazy hours. I didn't stick to a regular schedule at all; I worked when I had work and I slept when I didn't. If I needed to finish something in 24 hours that was going to require 24 hours of writing, I would fuel up on coffee and get it done, then crash for half a day or more.

As I got better with time management, reference acquisition, and building a client base, I gradually adopted a stricter regimen. Now I have virtually the same routine every day, which allows me to fit in all sorts of other activities and pursuits, from exercise to time with my kids to working on personal writing projects. I spent 15 years in a field that required a lot of commuting and driving; it's astonishing how much more time I have now that I don't spend 2-3 hours (or more) in the car every day.

I certainly understand why some academic writers suffer from sleep deprivation, as it took me a fair amount of time to figure out how not to live that way.

You really come out as one of those rickety and shady writers that can't imagine surviving without discrediting others. Although i am no writer, don't become the next pheelyks because i will surely destroy your little, unethical business.

Get your skull right, little white skunk because surely i'll discredit your entire operation.


As usual the forum's b.itch has nothing of value to say.
So, how're you coping after your criminal associates- WRT & Pheelyks- were exposed for what they really were?
Are your hallucinations still convincing you that you have a 'husband?'....you know, the one that makes virtual business 'trips' to Philippines?
Aren't you ashamed that you're at least 25 years older than the oldest, clueless student that intrudes into this cesspit which seethes with fraud, and deceptions and which is patronized by the most macabre of human beings?

Do you still get kicks exposing non-existent 'scammers'?


MeoCon, just STFU, ok?
You're talking like you've got dozens of clients lining up to be served by you; on the contrary, you've got no clients except the occasional, idiotic student that strays into your inbox with some $2/pp offers, which you gleefully accept obviously driven by your excruciating poverty and the desire to act out Uncle Tom to some silly, white students that cannot differentiate the sun from the moon to save their pallid skins.

Idiot.

Nope, just messing with one writer; Antarch. In fact, I have credited him. And I'll do it again: I'm certain that he can write just fine for most people. I don't think he is a scammer and his vocabulary is much better than mine. From this point forward I will never attempt to discredit anyone on this forum ever again. There, satisfied?

So I guess that I can expect you to follow me around and verbally harass me at every corner?

You might even try to expose my true identity? Go ahead. Help yourself. I'll take the wind out of your sails before you can blink twice.

You're cute. Go ahead and do your worst; I know that you will.

Love and kisses,

I had a nasty experience with a paper during my first days as a writer due to sleep deprivation and I must admit, Sleeping is vital in this industry...

especially when English isn't your strong suit. I know that when I'm tired, my non-native languages are the first to suffer. Of course, resting isn't everything... lessons and contact with native speakers are both vital!

Get some sleep buddy

I'll sleep when I'm dead.

Money first, sleep later.

English lessons first, then money. You have to pay to play and get off the chump level, don't you know? Good luck.

Sleep derivation is a large derivation among the students in the college, there are millions of people who are suffering from this sleep derivation and suffer from lack of sleep. One should hire a professional writers for completing your assignments and essay.

When I was still writing for essay companies, I used to churn out papers like a machine without rest at the start of my career. As I became better known and developed my client base, I began to cut back on the papers I would churn out per day. Eventually, I would get a 50 page order request ( I only accept requests for large order papers from clients whom I had already worked with before as I needed to be familiar with the client and vice-versa for a smoother communication and writing flow) and ask the company to stop the assignment of lower page and rush turn around papers. The cost of the request was usually worth the temporary "Stop new orders" implementation at those times. Since I normally worked on those papers at night, having other things to attend to in the daytime, I would work for about 3 hours on the development of 10 pages then call it a night. I always made it a point to clock in at 8 hours of sleep everyday, even if it was in increments throughout the day. 4 hour of sleep in the morning and then another 4 hours in the afternoon and I would be all set for a full night of writing whenever required.

One of the things that I've always appreciated the most about being able to do this for a living is (almost) never having to wake up to an alarm clock. I may end up staying up all night to make a deadline, but even if I go to bed at 7:00 AM, I can usually sleep as long as I want to. It's always up to me what hours I work and don't work as long as I get my writing done. Once in a while, I have no choice but to set an alarm clock to make sure there's enough time for me to write (or finish writing) something with a tight deadline and it always reminds me how lucky I am that I don't have to wake up to an alarm clock more often.

Same here. I may work 24-hours straight, but then I can rest and pick back up when I'm ready. Being able to set my own schedule is one of the things I love about freelancing, other than it being the perfect setting for introverts, like me.. ;)

As much as I hate to admit it, it takes me 20 minutes and a cup of coffee to be able to read. My wife recommends glasses but I'm resisting unto the end....

@ProfessorVerb your reply reminds me of a couple of times I've had an early morning issue to address pre-coffee. On occasion, a client will need something changed in a hurry (but they're all in a hurry, right), and I feel like a bumbling idiot while answering questions before my brain has been caffeinated!

Nothing happens without coffee. Not a god damn thing.

Gary Larson (Far Side creator) claims he doesn't use drugs, but after he drinks a couple of cups of coffee, "weird things begin to happen." Besides bacon, flour and beans, coffee was right up there on the American pioneers' lists too. I hope they have coffee in heaven 'cause I won't be worth a **** otherwise....


Damn. I'm jealous. Ordinarily I work at night and try to sleep during the day but it doesn't seem to matter where I live, the universe wants to wake me up. Phone calls all day long from a newspaper where I'm already a subscriber, my wife's relatives and friends, telemarketers, recorded politicians and wrong numbers (lots of these).

I've even tried living out in the middle of no-*******-where in Oklahoma so I could get some sleep, but zealots still found me trying to sell me a new religion or farmers wanting to know if I'd seen their goats (no). In fact, a nice lady from Nielsen kept coming to our house with a basket of fruit, begging us to become reviewers so she could complete her route (no). I even tried posting a sign on my front door, "Day sleeper -- do not disturb." A couple of days after I did this, my wife left to go shopping and something told me it wouldn't be prudent to go to sleep but I figured what the heck, I've got the sign. I told her before she left, though, that someone would be knocking on our door within 30 minutes after she left. I went to bed and fell asleep, only to wake up to a loud knock on our front door 30 minutes later. A visiting nurse had misread an address, chose to ignore my sign without double-checking and loudly announced that she was there to give me my physical. I was not amused, but my suspicions were confirmed. Yawn ...

Night bird as well. I can't remember when I slept through an entire night without waking up. But you get used to it. Unlike you, I've managed to balance it out quite nicely, I soundproofed my room. Also, I am such a deep sleeper that no amount of ringing or banging on the door can wake me up.

I wish ... I'm still hypervigilant from Vietnam and will probably never get over that experience. My head is on a swivel and for good reason. I can hear a whisper from two rooms away which wakes me up but I sleep through yells, screams, and explosions. I'm ****** ...

I also have learned that because most of my clients are located on the other side of the world, I have now adjusted my body clock in congruence to theirs.

I also find it utterly difficult to turn down rush orders as the pay rates are the best. Because of this, if there are more rush orders in the night time, it only means that I would not be able to sleep until I am over with all the work (which usually around 6 in the morning, however there was an instance wherein I had slept at 10 am due to multiple rushed orders at the same time).

I haven't really noticed a correspondence between clients' local time zone and when their requests come in. Sometimes, I get inquiries at 4:00 AM from clients who are in my (EST/NYC) TZ; other times, I get inquiries at 10:00 PM my time from clients whose local time is 3:00 or 4:00 AM. The volume of inquiries varies quite predictably with the calendar month, but as far as times of day that they come in, it's always been fairly random, at least in my experience.

@FreelanceWriter
This is fair enough. I was referring mostly to a general observation I had when working for marketplace-like essay writing sites. I have noticed that initial requests started pouring it at around 10:00 GMT-7. If not, a little bit later than that. It's also mostly that around 20:00 GMT-7 that there would be less orders pouring in. Perhaps because it's already nighttime - and not a lot of students prefer to spend this time working on their academics? However, upon finalizing the request on working for the order, the time that they would have space to communicate with me would become sporadic. I'm quite unsure if there's a direct correlation between time they request an order versus general interactions with clients.