Have you ever stayed up all night? And what for?

[BishopFrownofStThigh]

Might have to do this tonight...

How did you manage?

May Balls at Cambridge, twice.

Having DS.

Long haul flights.

In hospital, noises, people snoring etc.

When DH died. Went to bed but was in shock all night, eyes wide open.

Oxford balls as a youngster.

Subsequently - fortunately rarely - as a barrister. In court all day, then up all night researching and producing a new note & bundle of authorities the judge has asked for, then in court all the next day. Not recommended.

Reading with interest. I never ever have. I just can't do it. I need sleep badly.

I’m genuinely surprised there are people who have never done this, I’d say I’ve done it 30+ times for various reasons. Never taken a drug in my life either!

Staying up all night isn't so much the problem as being able to function the next day!

Sometime in the 90's when I got married rhen divorced I used to stay up all night playing sonic the hedgehog and then go to college the next day. Got through that but the bus journey (45 mins) home was hell. It was busy, warm and I could never stay awake. I failed college because my work was obviously affected by the tiredness!

Party animal in my youth with chemical assistance. Sometimes more than just one night!

Oh! One time some friends and I went to a Polish restaurant (sadly now gone). We seemed to be spending a long time there but was happy talking - (not so happy that 'friend's' fag fumes were constantly aimed at me and my eyes were very sore).

We eventually left and she told me it was 6am!

Honestly, I sleep badly but have never pulled an all nighter apart when I've been on drugs when I was younger. Sorry, not much help! I just can't do it.

@Proseccoagain Mayballs a few more times than twice! Some of those definitely easier than others though - the cheese tent in the graveyard shift (4-6) was usually a great help! Sat around waiting for breakfast to be served and it being late, less so. Also one John's Ball where they had rubbish music on in that 4-6 period... Ball committee were late for the survivors photo too 🙄 (some of the crowd started up a rendition of 'we'd rather be at Oxford...' which kept us all going 🤣).

Weathergirl1, St John's and Peterhouse - back in the 1960s! Remember seeing and dancing to the Yardbirds.

Deathraystare

Millie2013 Been there too

At raves 😎

With poorly DS in hospital, on children's ward for several nights. He had breathing problems and quite regularly we'd be blue lighted to A and E when he was a toddler.

The clubbing was a lot more fun!

I absolutely had chemical assistance... These days I'm in bed by 9pm. DS has been up a few times tonight for his inhaler but he's much better than he used to be.

Not including times when I got to go to bed when I got home

• A-level coursework crisis
• Work crises (probably about 5 times in total- usually they took pity and let us leave at 2am)
• Being in Labour with both DS and DD
• Jetlag
• Trail races (couple of times a year- doing one in a few weeks that starts at 11pm and another that starts at midnight)

and, most shamefully and unnecessarily

• watching the whole of 24 in one go

Parties
Uni work
Work work
When my dad was dying
Labour
Many, many times with my son

It’s quite surprising to encounter someone who’s made it to adulthood and never done it.

The last one I can remember was a Friday night shift, followed by a conference 100 miles away, followed by an area search for a missing child, who was found at 0300. Awake for about 40 hours on that one.

For the usual reasons when I was younger (nights out/being in labour/babies and young children) but times I can think of more recently are when my favourite band played secret warm up shows in London a couple of years running before Reading and Leeds. My son, who was then in his late teens, was with me both years.

Both were announced very last minute so after each show we needed to get the first train home, as the shows finished after the last train had left, and we’d spend the night walking around London and sitting in various 24 hour McDonalds (which was a lie on their part as they all closed for a time at some point during the night) until Euston opened and it was time for the train.

Moving country with 3 children, including an 8 week old. Oldest was 3 ¼.

Oxford May Balls

Labour with first child.

Hahah, as soon as I saw the question I thought yes obviously, raving!

But now I see that’s not the context...

Yes -
Work occasionally (barrister)
Think I stayed awake after 9 11 watching news / not able to sleep. No doubt some other big news events.
Organising travel back from remote place in India at unexpected news my dad was fading quickly two continents journey away. Poor WiFi and phone to hospital kept cutting out. Nightmare. Complex. Made it.
General sleeplessness (just lost my lovely old ma) - tend now to get up and do some stuff.

Last week when I had chest pains. Eventually called 111 who sent ambulance, dispatched to A&E where I was very kindly diagnosed (thankfully!) with heartburn not heart attack. V embarrassed though told not to be as symptoms so similar apparently you can only tell which is which if the patient survives the Gaviscon

Prior to that was uni days (drinking when initially undergrad, and working to deadlines when I did my second degree whilst working full time and with a small baby). And when the kids were small.

Ex Army - Mess Dinners, champagne breakfast served at 5am

Cleaning (visitors the next day and I’d put it off until I could no longer wait)

Work (deadlines)

Big Brother (the first year, watching Craig uncover Nicks plot!)

Watching TV for various news stories

With sick child

I’m not very hardcore when it comes to drugs, but one time I took half an E at a club called Home in Sydney. Spent the night having the best time dancing to music that I would otherwise think was shite.
Got back to the hostel in the morning and used one of those phone card thingies to ring my folks and various friends (in England) on the pay phone for long conversations. Proper verbal diarrhoea. Stayed awake all day and then went out again drinking in the evening.

Other than that:

Insomnia.
Epic panic attacks.
Nights of puking due to chronic illness and my body being a bit rubbish.
Partying, bonking, etc.

A car journey down South with my then boyf (to visit his parents). At dawn we drove past a field that was lower than the road and there was a mist rising from it, it was beautiful, like nature had invited us to a secret happening.

Conversely, I ill-advisedly did two night shifts in a row (care work) and got in trouble for falling asleep! Never done one before or since, thankyouverymuch.