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Comment by brl | Hacker News Reader

Night security at some office building sounds like a dream job to me. I would do it for free and maybe I would even pay to do it since I would get more (computer) work done there than working out of my apartment.

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It sounds neat, but don't underestimate the long-term dangers of sleep-deprivation. You really would need to sleep during the day. Before trying something like this, spend some time at home during work hours to make sure that you haven't been missing out on annoying neighbours and noises while you're away.

I lived in a condo once, next to a construction site. The noise started at 8 am and finished at 4pm. I ran into a woman in the elevator, crying because she couldn't sleep and she worked a night shift.

I've done night work and found it easy to sleep during the day. People who have problems almost always make the same mistake: Reverting to a night-sleep schedule on the weekend.

Its pretty hellish on your social life though...

In the U.K. we don't have air-con. It can be hard to sleep during the summer days.

This is what Bill James did when he wrote his Baseball Abstracts way back when. I wouldn't generally recommend it as a lifestyle choice, but there's 1) a desk and 2) a general lack of interruptions.

My dad retired but is a night-time security guard in a calm midwestern town. He basically reads all night without interruption. Payment for doing what you'd be doing leisurely anyway. :)

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