Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with night

what changes in everyday life where there's no solstice?

5Q7 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:13:45 -0800

Latitude Filter: So, today is the Solstice (shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere; longest in the Southern), with all its cultural significance, which got me thinking about what's it's like living near the equator, where the days are all (more or less) the same length throughout the year? After reading this piece:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/12/091221-winter-solstice-2009-first-day-winter-shortest-day-year.html

which details some of the long-standing cultural associations in places, mostly Europe and North America, where the Solstice occurs, I started thinking about the ways that the seasons and their changes affect my daily routines and attitudes.

But, recently, I learned/realized that in the Tropics the days would be of equal length all year round. (Wikipedia claims that in Singapore, near the Equator, the days stay within a few seconds of 12 hours consistently.) Living in the northern USA, I suppose I always associated nice warm weather, as in summer time, with *long* days, but then, I'm realizing in the parts of world that have the most summer-like weather, the nights are consistently "longer" than what we'd have during summer in Temperate climate. And before anyone jumps in, I know, the totals for day and night add up to the same wherever you are - in the Polar region weeks and months of near total darkness followed later by long periods of day light add up to same totals as in the Tropics, where each day is divided evenly between 12 hours of light and dark - still, the effect on human perception and culture is obviously different, which leads to my questions:

- In what ways does having nights and days of pretty much equal length influence the culture and lifestyle of communities near the equator?

- How are everyday routines different for people living in places that don't experience the Solstices?

The image I keep having is of people in the Tropics sitting around the camp fire at night for long periods and thus inventing/telling stories to pass the time. Also, with 12 hours of night, the role of spirits, ghosts, and other mysteries that defy the "light of day" would seem to be accentuated. But these are just the examples that came to mind.

Anyway, I know this is an odd topic, but I find myself fascinated to realize that what for me is a common pattern of life/culture, the shifting length of day/night throughout the year, doesn't happen in large areas of the world near the equator.

Night Meows

jrchaplin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:55:32 -0800

New cat meows all night. Sleep much disturbed ... I adopted a cat this past Friday. Filbert is about 16-18 months old. He was a stray, fed for 3 months or so by a very nice couple who wanted to bring him indoors and adopt him, but couldn't do so or reasons that will become obvious.
Last week, they captured him & brought him to the vet, got him neutered, brought him up-to-date on his shots, de-worming, etc. But the vet discovered Filbert was FIV/FL positive, which precluded this couple from adopting him (they have 3 other cats without FIV).
Long story short: I decided to adopt Filbert.
Since Friday, he's been more or less hiding, which is fine; gotta give him time to get accustomed to his new digs. But he is eating, using the litter box, and occasionally, gracing me with his presence, even spending some time curled up with me on the bed last night.
But every night, starting at around 11 or midnight, he wanders the house, meowing loudly, jumping up on windowsills as if he wants out. Given he was a stray, I suppose this is quite normal, as he's lived most of his recent life outdoors.
I loathe the idea of letting him out. One, his feline leukemia is contagious to other cats (and there are several other outdoor cats in my neighborhood). Two, I live on a very busy road and lost a cat 4 years ago to its traffic.
So ... any way to reduce his night meows, short of letting him out?

Honolulu off the beaten path?

ldenneau — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 11:13:15 -0800

So kid has a babysitter and the wife and I have a date night tonight in Honolulu. Lived here for five years, looking for something different to experience. We're not looking for tourist/Waikiki stuff or loud, crowded Chinatown clubs. Any suggestions? Mahalo!

Why do I always get so hungry late at night?

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:32:35 -0800

Why do I always get so hungry late at night? I tend to go to bed around 12:30-1 am, though it usually takes me a long time to fall asleep. I always get hungry around 11-12, and if I stay up later than usual I get especially hungry. I usually eat something, but even then I don't feel full. I've been this way for several years, if not forever; I don't remember ever not being like this.

Maybe-relevant info: I'm 23 and male. I don't have any relevant health problems except a tendency to fall asleep late and wake up late (for which I take melatonin). I eat pretty nutritiously, mostly vegetarian. (I may lack some protein, but I try to get it from legumes; I might also lack some kind of vitamin, but I'd have no idea how to tell). I don't exercise much, though I think I had the same problem back when I did exercise more. I tend to consume a lot of caffeine, mostly tea (which I usually avoid drinking after 8 pm unless it's decaf).

Does this happen to anyone else? It seems like everyone else I know eats dinner somewhere between 6 and 8 and then doesn't eat anything after that until falling asleep, so it seems pretty weird! It's supposedly unhealthy to eat late at night, so is there anything I can do about it?

Anonymous just because I included a lot of identifying information.

Someplace to read, write, work alone at night in NYC

laptolain — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:29:54 -0800

Someplace to read, write, relax alone at night in NYC. I'm looking for somewhere to go where I can unwind alone. I live in Maspeth, Queens where it's mostly residential and after 8PM almost everything is closed. Any place in Queens, Manhattan or Brooklyn would be fine, I don't mind long train rides.

The perfect establishment is very dark inside but all the tables have sufficient lighting for reading/writing. There might be music playing or some kind of live band but it's not a club or frat hang out. I like all kinds of jazz so that would be a bonus. The train station should be a reasonable distance since it's getting pretty cold now. It's open till 3AM or later, never very busy and at no point will I be expected to get up and leave for new customers. I don't want to sit at the bar.

Beer, liquor, coffee and food are all fine but none of them are priority over the atmosphere. As cheap as possible is probably second to atmosphere. I'm looking for a place that's the opposite of where people go to get seen.

I found a few older, similar posts but they seemed focused on Manhattan.

Thanks :)

What might one see hiking in the woods at night that looks like glowing eyes?

weston — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:31:52 -0800

What might one see hiking in the woods at night that looks like glowing eyes? A couple of years ago I was part of a hiking party of three to some hot springs in Utah (Diamond Fork). We started late and took a trail we didn't know well. Two hours into the hike, not only were we not finding our destination, but the woods were getting denser and darker, blocking the moonlight, and we were getting progressively more spooked. About 1 am, we stopped to discuss turning around and giving up. This was when a random flashlight probe into the nearby trees revealed... two spark-ish points light that looked for all the world like eyes.

We held the beam there for a moment and asked amongst ourselves to see if everybody thought the same thing. Each of us confirmed this.

Now, at this point, we were pretty much thinking/hoping it might be reflections of dew, or maybe some woodland creature like an owl or a deer. When we moved the flashlight beam away for a bit to test the reflection theory... the points of light remained.

We moved the beam back. The points were still there. We stared for a bit and again asked each other for visual confirmation, getting increasingly nervous. Then they were gone.

We decided to get back as quickly as possible.

Any ideas what we might have seen?

(While I appreciate the fact that the human mind has a large capacity to play tricks on itself, I'm particularly interested in other explanations.)

Hungry baby at night

Blackwatch — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:09:40 -0800

Why is my baby still waking up hungry twice a night? Our baby boy is nearly six months old and wonderful in every respect, except one - sleeping.

He goes to bed at 7.30pm as part of a well-established bedtime routine: bath, feed, story, bed.

He goes to sleep without much fuss, but invariably wakes up around 12.30 pm and 5 am. He appears to be hungry. He's always screaming (he hardly ever does that unless he's hungry) and always drains 8oz of formula both times.

He's a big boy for his age, and we've started him on solid foods - baby rice, pureed carrots, broccoli - that kind of stuff.

As he approaches six months, we think it's about time he slept through the night.

Should we start reducing the volume of his night feeds to get him out of the habit?

Any suggestions gratefully received!

My dog just attacked a large rodent-like creature, should I be worried?

AZNsupermarket — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:23:01 -0800

My dog just attacked a large rodent-like creature, should I be worried? I was walking my dog (A soft-coated wheaten terrier) at night in Closter NJ, when he ran off to chase a large rodent-like creature. He bit it and attacked it, and the creature fought back, but no skin was broken that I could see, and there was no blood. Eventually the creature got away. My dog seems to be okay, and is all up to date on all his shots - he got a whole bunch about a month ago (including kennel cough and distemper). This event has left me a little shaken. Is there any possibility that my dog may be hurt without me realizing it or contracted a disease from the creature? Should I take him to see a vet?

Any advice will be appreciated.

Nighttime worrying

yersinia — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:36:31 -0800

Why does life always seem so much gloomier, and problems more formidable, when you're thinking them over in the middle of the night vs. during normal waking hours? And which perspective is more accurate-- the rosy daytime view, or the pessimistic nighttime one? As the veteran of a few extended late-night worry-fests, I'm kind of freaked out by how different the same problems can seem when viewed at different times in the day. I can honestly go from thinking that Bad Thing X is very likely to happen, and would be completely terrible if it did (3AM) to feeling sure that X is fairly unlikely to happen, and would be not especially problematic if it did (11 AM the next day).

Clearly, either 3-AM-me or 11-AM-me is wrong, and in the interests of rational decision-making, it'd be handy to know which one. Thing is, I've never really been able to find any obvious flaws in either my daytime or my nighttime logic. So whom should I trust-- is it that daytime and distraction causes us to (ahem) misunderestimate the magnitude of our problems, or that creepy darkness magnifies issues that aren't really so bad? Anyone have ideas about the physiological/hormonal/psychological factors that might be causing this sort of circadian perspective switch?

I'm too old for this $#!&

the NATURAL — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:30:47 -0800

My bedroom creeps me the #%^* out. What can I do to alleviate my (somewhat) irrational fears? (hacks, consumer products, etc.) I'm 9 months into living in an old, ollllld house -- one with lots of creaks and cracks. Add that to my incessantly hyperactive and paranoid imagination, and I have a lot of trouble sleeping.

For a while at first, I was sleeping with the light on. Then, I ended up taking care of my cousin's dog, and things got a lot better. However, I still have a flagrantly hyperactive imagination. After I saw The Ring and The Grudge in fits of self-masochism, I had trouble sleeping for weeks. Even now, I don't even need to see the previews of movies like Paranormal Activity for me to start getting creeped out. Right now, the dog is sound asleep on the bed, but here I am typing (and jumpy)...

As such, it's not really burglars/criminals/etc. that I worry about (humans, I can deal with), but the imaginary (and not-so imaginary) hibbidyjibby creepers. When I used to live in urban Philly, the ambient street noise at night was an excellent lullaby. Now, in suburban Honolulu, the quiet just accentuates the bumps.

I've read a little into the previous MeFi posts on this topic, and while they're somewhat useful I still can't seem to dispel the feelings of vulnerability and fear that I feel when I turn the lights out. For me, that period between lights out and sleep is one of the most stressful times of my day.

What can I do/buy/try to make me feel better?

What's the real story with Elvis Costello and SNL?

DecemberBoy — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:57:11 -0800

Does anyone know the real story behind Elvis Costello's performance of "Radio Radio" on Saturday Night Live, specifically the real reason he wasn't invited back for so long? OK, so I've always heard that the reason Lorne Michaels was so upset with him was one of two reasons, or a bit of both. Everything one could find with, say, a Google search for "elvis costello snl" will tell one of these two stories, without quoting anyone or citing any sources, so I'm hoping for actual quotes from people involved, etc.

1. "Radio Radio" has very anti-media, anti-corporate lyrics, and the network had specifically refused to allow Costello to play it for that reason, he agreed to do "Less Than Zero" instead, then played it anyway. This got Michaels heat from above. The problem with this story is while "Radio Radio" is certainly something that 1970s network exec types might balk at, SNL was doing far more controversial stuff than that, and it doesn't seem like that big a deal compared to all the blatant drug references, etc. that they got away with every week.

2. Costello had done "Less Than Zero" at all the dress rehearsals, etc. and the show's format, which has to be accurate down to the second, had planned for "Less Than Zero", then he played a completely different song and fucked up the whole show. The problem with this story is that I have Season 3 on DVD, and in the episode with Costello (hosted by Miskel Spillman), "Radio Radio" is the second song he does (after "Watching The Detectives"), and it's done right before the closing credits. The only thing it could have screwed up is cutting the closing "I'd like to thank...", etc. scene's time. Now, it could be that the DVD version of the episode is edited from what originally aired, but the musical guests on SNL did play their second song right before the end of the show quite often.

If anything, given the hip, countercultural image that SNL tried to cultivate in the 70s, you'd think that everyone would have been happy. It's certainly one of the show's most celebrated moments. So why was Costello blackballed for over 10 years? Is the whole "he wasn't invited back" story even true at all? Maybe he just didn't happen to play on SNL for that long.

Strange Light in Sky

dearleader — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:02:07 -0800

Strange one here... but just looking out my Brooklyn window, saw light in eastern-ish sky, very bright, almost as if a spotlight was coming down, then the source of it seem to dissipate, and then the "cloud" itself dissipated shortly thereafter. Any astronomy news tonight of any sort? Or something else? Or did anyone else happen to see anything?

Make a little birdhouse in your soul

anastasiav — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 13:53:21 -0800

I'm looking for a nightlight that could fit the description of the nightlight in the song Birdhouse in your Soul by They Might Be Giants. Ideas? Blue canary, "in the outlet by the light switch" (ie: that plugs directly into the wall). All I can find are stained glass ones, but I want something that is styled for a child's room.

Searching for a long-exposure airbourne picture of a shuttle launch... at night!

Mrevilbreakfast — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 06:11:54 -0800

About 12 months ago I saw what looked like a long-exposure shot of a shuttle launch, at night, from a high vantage point (possibly a helecopter). My efforts to find it since have not since located this stunning shot, despite searches of the usual, common-sense general and subject specific sites. Would the hive mind be able to help with this?

How to get my baby to sleep all night?

zardoz — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:32:20 -0800

My five-month-old son has suddenly started crying in the middle of the night every hour or two, just as he did as a newborn. What gives? The boy is breastfed and has had no medical problems at all. For the first two or so months after he was born, he did the usual crying every two or three hours to be fed, and that pattern was day and night. At about the three month mark, though, he started sleeping longer and longer, and by five months was sleeping a full seven or 8 hours and waking up only once, or twice when his diaper was wet.

In the past week that seems to have suddenly changed. We always give him a bath around 8-8:30, and he's ususally asleep around 9-9:30. Now he'll sleep for a couple of hours and wake up and scream. And I mean scream. His eyes are open and looking around and he frankly looks terrified. My wife or I will cuddle and rock him for a while, and he'll go to sleep only to wake up an hour or two later with the same terrified screams. A few times we've taken him to the living room, turned on the lights because we think he might simply be attaining his first fear of the dark (the bedroom he's in is dark, but not completely; there are outside streetlights that keep the room in some ambient light, especially when your eyes adjust to the dark).

We've heard anecdotally that that's what this is, a new fear of the dark, maybe seeing monsters or whatever it is little babies can see/imagine. A friend told us that this went on with her kid for months. We've didn't expect sleepless nights to be completely over, but we also didn't imagine the little guy would revert back to his newborn crying. Any experience with this by you mefi parents?

I've read this thread and it's very helpful, but I was wondering if there's any more advice out there. Also, my son is at 5 months, much younger than the other babies discussed, who all seem to be around 8 months to 1 year old. Why would he start this so soon?

What is a camera with a good nighttime mode?

linzenoonoo — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:06:29 -0800

I'm looking for an affordable, but still good quality camera to use for nighttime shots. My current camera is a Canon SD1000, which has an incredibly good macro mode, and takes decent pictures otherwise, but the nighttime mode leaves much to be desired. Living in St.Louis, I have lots of opportunities for nighttime photos, but I don't have the camera to take good advantage of these. I'm looking for a camera with a good nighttime mode, preferably in the hundreds of dollars range, as I'm too young for a job and don't get an allowance. Thanks!

Romance on a budget

Alpenglow — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:43:16 -0800

Dating on a budget. What are your fabulous, creative & romantic ideas for a 30-something couple to do that cost little or nothing? Newish couple. Very outdoorsy, active, love music & art. Also up for new experiences. Looking for things to do mostly in the evenings. Live in Atlanta. Suggestions? Would love to hear your favorite date night ideas!

Slowdancing through two decades of tunes...

Sully — Fri, 01 May 2009 09:25:19 -0800

I run a Slowdance Night every few months, complete with dancecards, a mirrorball, and designated dancers (for the wallflowers). It's a fabulous time, but here's my problem. The music that hooks my nostalgia ends in the late 80's, early 90's. After that, for some reason, I kind of stopped listening to music. Thus, my playlist climaxes with a lot of 80's songs. But I've been noticing the demographic has been skewing younger the past couple of dances. Could you suggest some slowdance songs and ballads from the last two decades that I might dovetail into my established set? Thanks.

What the heck do we do now?

Becko — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:25:03 -0800

Night in San Francisco, now what? My husband and I are in San Francisco for the weekend and we are unsure what to do for the rest of the night.

Neither of us drink and my husband has sprained his ankle, so it can't be anything too taxing. But he's a trooper.

We are just finishing up dinner in North Beach and have no idea where to go from here. Bonus points if it extra fun for nerdy folks who would turn to Metafilter for something like this.

Peak vs Off Peak Electricity Hours

Black_Umbrella — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:10:10 -0800

How much can I save by using off peak electricity in the US? How does this compare to those in Europe? I realize that not many utilities in the states offer off peak hours but i know some do. What percent do some of you save by using this option?

My google fu has failed and i am only getting really skimpy results.

Can anyone find the how much free energy we are loosing (hydro/wind/thermal) because it is being produced but not used?

Boogey Nights

scruss — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:11:24 -0800

Nocturnal nose-picking: how to stop something I'm not even aware of doing? [slightly gross details follow] From the number of, um, magic nose goblins around the bed in the morning, it is evident that I pick my nose in my sleep. The quantity of nostril shrapnel evinced nightly is alarming, and ms scruss finds it unattractive.

I've tried to cut down on dairy products before bed, to little effect. Sprays help a little, but have strict limits on how often you can use them. Any other suggestions, short of hypnotism or a Dremel tool?

Avantgarde Operatics in London

0bvious — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 02:11:48 -0800

Avantgarde London: I want to take my girlfriend out to a biggish music/sound performance/event. I want it to be avantgarde, unexpected and unique - the kind of night that would send most music lovers screaming into the distance. I am thinking maybe opera, but I know NOTHING about it. And, as I said, I want avantgarde opera in London. Where do I start? My girlfriend is an experimental performance poet. She likes it weird. It's her birthday (soon). Can you help?

Please help me find a proper sleep position.

Vandal — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:02:34 -0800

I need a proper sleep position! I don't know which one I sleep to, because I keep tossing and turning till sleep overtakes and I fall asleep. It's really weird. I get to bed, my mattress is a good comfortable one. I think my pillows need changing, but other than that I'm a frequent tosser and turner. Right when I get in bed, I toss and turn to find a good position, and I don't.. I keep going at it till somehow I fall asleep.
Again, around 3am or so.. all the way upto 6am or so, the TnT begins.

This has been happening on and off for months. Somebody please help! Please don't say there is no proper way of sleeping.. but some suggestions wouldn't hurt.

YO IT'S LIKE EVERY DOG IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS BARKING AT THE SAME TIME

defmute — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 01:59:46 -0800

It's 3:48 AM on December 28th 2008 in suburban California (Fullerton). I can hear the sound of about 11 dogs barking simultaneously from around a 1/2 mile away. What is happening? Is this what suburban dogs do at night? I don't know a lot about animal behavior. I am in a so mystified like.

P.S. This question is to be taken literally.

eight night ocho noche huit nuit acht nacht otto notte oito noite

KingoftheWhales — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:20:31 -0800

LanguageFilter: I see some connection between the words 'eight' & 'night' in a number of languages. Is there some reason for this? For example
English: eight night
Spanish: ocho noche
French: huit nuit
German: acht nacht
Italian: otto notte
Portuguese: oito noite