| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: Have you ever worked on a project for a few days in a row with no sleep? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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After what I read in this thread, I guess that I'm quite spoiled: I never start working before 7:30 in the morning and I never stay up later than midnight... Maybe I work non-stop all these hours, but I would never give up on my sleep. I agree with those of you who believe that working too hard compromises the quality of the translation. All work and no play makes translation bad. Besides, I find this job enjoyable, too, so I'd better not start undergoing tortures, or I'll end up hating it...
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I read a long time ago about a US-army study on how soldiers resist sleep deprivation. It was established that mental faculties are severely impaired after 36hours with no sleep: unable to read maps or understand a simple course of action, increased thinking viscosity, judgment mistakes, etc.
In other words, you're a wreck after 36 hours without sleep.
However, with a few 5-minute sleep sessions in between, it was shown that faculties remained effective for a vastly improved ... See more I read a long time ago about a US-army study on how soldiers resist sleep deprivation. It was established that mental faculties are severely impaired after 36hours with no sleep: unable to read maps or understand a simple course of action, increased thinking viscosity, judgment mistakes, etc.
In other words, you're a wreck after 36 hours without sleep.
However, with a few 5-minute sleep sessions in between, it was shown that faculties remained effective for a vastly improved period of time.
In my younger days, besides staying awake for 38 hours on a occasion unrelated to work, on another occasion I slept 26h30 solid just out of sheer accumulated fatigue.
The body's a wonderful machine, to be taken care of when it gets a bit of patina...
Good night,
Philippe
[Edited at 2008-02-07 20:58] ▲ Collapse
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It happens sometimes when a lot of work accumulates that I sleep 2-3 h and than go back to work. I don;t think I would be able to provide decent quality of work without at least some rest.
Cheers
Stanislaw
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| Yes, definitely | Feb 7, 2008 |
I try not to do it, I don't do it gladly, but I have on occasion taken jobs where I was supposed to have help, and the other translators backed out... leaving me with an impossible deadline. The worst was a 60,000 word French/English translation, due in 3 days... I did sleep, on my couch, for two hours on day 3, because I was so exhausted I could not see straight...
It was horrible, I don't recommend it, but I am used to working around the clock, used to do it when I had a brief d... See more I try not to do it, I don't do it gladly, but I have on occasion taken jobs where I was supposed to have help, and the other translators backed out... leaving me with an impossible deadline. The worst was a 60,000 word French/English translation, due in 3 days... I did sleep, on my couch, for two hours on day 3, because I was so exhausted I could not see straight...
It was horrible, I don't recommend it, but I am used to working around the clock, used to do it when I had a brief due the next morning or some type of extraordinary relief which would not wait.
I raised five children while working as a full-time lawyer, visiting clients in jail until 11 PM, doing the political activist routine, so I am used to sleeping very little... Nowadays I would probably be classified as hyperactive... ▲ Collapse
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I'm glad that so many of us feel the same way... It would be counter-productive for me to work without sleep, and the quality of my work would definitely suffer (as well as my health)!
| | | | Teri Szucs 
United States
Local time: 04:40
English to Spanish
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| If you are young enough to handle it, you are too young to know better. | Feb 8, 2008 |
Most of my work is interpreting, I am a night owl by nature, so unless I'm working night court, I'm usually sleep deprived to some degree. It's almost painful by Friday, I cannot imagine that I would ever do that to myself were I to set my own hours.
| | | | Gita Madhu (X)
Local time: 19:40
French to English
| Those were the days... | Feb 8, 2008 |
I've had two stints where a tiny bit of sleep was all one could catch. Never to be repeated, I can assure you. Although it has it's own thrills as I'm not much of a sleeper anyways.
But the majority here are right- nothing like the fresh brain to think straight and get it right.
If not sleep, then at least a short meditation. Some form or another of mediation is often more effective than many hours of comatose sleep.
Things lie sensory perception trainin... See more I've had two stints where a tiny bit of sleep was all one could catch. Never to be repeated, I can assure you. Although it has it's own thrills as I'm not much of a sleeper anyways.
But the majority here are right- nothing like the fresh brain to think straight and get it right.
If not sleep, then at least a short meditation. Some form or another of mediation is often more effective than many hours of comatose sleep.
Things lie sensory perception training, watching the breath, autogenic training or even doing the rosary aloud ( We call it Japa in India- repeating a word or prayer over and over) greatly improve productivity but such practices should only be begun when the mind are body are relaxed as this will prime the system to replicate that state. ▲ Collapse
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| I used to do it fairly often | Feb 8, 2008 |
... especially during conferences. Maybe the night shift didn't show up, and the delegates had to sign a final report or a declaration the next morning before the meeting closed and they went their separate ways. There was always a "reason," and no one ever offered us the option of saying "No." I almost got used to it.
I don't do conference work any more, and now I seldom pull two days in a row for the simple reason that my brain fogs over, When the page starts dancing in front of m... See more ... especially during conferences. Maybe the night shift didn't show up, and the delegates had to sign a final report or a declaration the next morning before the meeting closed and they went their separate ways. There was always a "reason," and no one ever offered us the option of saying "No." I almost got used to it.
I don't do conference work any more, and now I seldom pull two days in a row for the simple reason that my brain fogs over, When the page starts dancing in front of my eyes, my body makes the decision for me. I was thinking of asking a Quick Poll question along the lines of "Do you ever get brain fog? Often Sometimes Rarely What's that?" I think it's caused by a sudden drop in cortisol. So I can safely say that my body is smarter than I am. ▲ Collapse
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And I never would, for all the reasons already cited by others.
| | | | Rolf Kern
Switzerland
Local time: 13:40
English to German
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In memoriam
Once, I remember, 1 day and 1 night, delivering early morning personally.
| | | | Wil Hardman (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:40
Spanish to English
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I do not believe that anyone has managed to stay awake for three days translating... unless they are taking some kind of stimulant.
When I started out I did quite a few all-nighters, but I always needed sleep before proof reading.
As Philipe said:
'I read a long time ago about a US-army study on how soldiers resist sleep deprivation. It was established that mental faculties are severely impaired after 36hours with no sleep: unable to read maps or understand a si... See more I do not believe that anyone has managed to stay awake for three days translating... unless they are taking some kind of stimulant.
When I started out I did quite a few all-nighters, but I always needed sleep before proof reading.
As Philipe said:
'I read a long time ago about a US-army study on how soldiers resist sleep deprivation. It was established that mental faculties are severely impaired after 36hours with no sleep: unable to read maps or understand a simple course of action, increased thinking viscosity, judgment mistakes, etc.'
So how after 72 hours can you translate?!- Translating task that requires a great deal of concentration- I do not believe it is physically possible. ▲ Collapse
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Fabio Scaliti
Italy
Local time: 13:40
Member (2004)
German to Italian
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| My very first assignment was enough | Feb 8, 2008 |
Hi all,
I remember very well my absolutely first assignment from a local translation agency.
I was so excited for having being assigned my first (underpaid) project, that I didn't realize how close the deadline was.
Eventually I had to wake up at 4 a.m. the day before delivery and worked the whole day and night long till 5 a.m. of the following day fuelled by double cups of espresso every hour at least during the night.
I delivered on time and ... See more Hi all,
I remember very well my absolutely first assignment from a local translation agency.
I was so excited for having being assigned my first (underpaid) project, that I didn't realize how close the deadline was.
Eventually I had to wake up at 4 a.m. the day before delivery and worked the whole day and night long till 5 a.m. of the following day fuelled by double cups of espresso every hour at least during the night.
I delivered on time and fell asleep right afterwards. I woke up again at 2 a.m.
It took me 3-4 days to regain my normal biorhythm.
Never again.
Fabio ▲ Collapse
| | | | TextTrade
Local time: 14:40
English to French
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| what? you guys SLEEP??? | Feb 8, 2008 |
mwahahaha
| | | | | I have - but wouldn't now | Feb 11, 2008 |
I did one or two all-nighters when I first started out, for clients who begged me (I'm apparently a sucker for that ). At the time, i was desperate for money, and I thought I was being smart by not only charging extra for the rush job, but by magically "finding" an extra 8 hours in my day. By about midnight on the 2nd day, I was exhausted, tearful and couldn't see straight. I ended up sleeping right through the third day anyway, so ... See more I did one or two all-nighters when I first started out, for clients who begged me (I'm apparently a sucker for that). At the time, i was desperate for money, and I thought I was being smart by not only charging extra for the rush job, but by magically "finding" an extra 8 hours in my day. By about midnight on the 2nd day, I was exhausted, tearful and couldn't see straight. I ended up sleeping right through the third day anyway, so was probably no better off financially! I wouldn't do it again. Now I stop for a break as soon as I find my concentration starting to wander, and I don't schedule work for my "sleeping time"!
[Edited at 2008-02-11 08:49] ▲ Collapse
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