Modeling, insomnia and you.

[Jantrix]

It's day one on a new build. You've taken the kit down, opened it and checked all the parts. You check the instructions to look for any weird parts/mistakes/whatever. You put it all back in the box. With your idea firmly in your head, you dive into the spare parts bins and spend an enjoyable evening picking out stuff that might work out nicely on this new build. You stow it all in baggies and clean up. It's getting late so you crack a cold one, watch the news and head to bed.

You lay back, start thinking about that new kit and what plan for it, kick around ideas and eventually realize it is 2am and you are wide awake. 6am rolls around and you've maybe had three hours sleep and a miserable day is already in progress. You get home from work and you're so beat you don't even want to look at that kit you were so jazzed about a day ago.

Is this a familiar story to anyone? Man, I go through this every time. I need to keep a bottle of Unisom next to my stash.

Please tell me I'm not the only one.

[SuperStockAndy]

Early bed time man, early bed time...

Although I am guilty of sometimes building at midnight.

[Lownslow]

lol i dont even need the model to keep me up all night im truly a insomniac

[Lunajammer]

Please tell me I'm not the only one.

X2 Rob. Except for the 6am part. I can usually get a grip by 2am.

[Joker]

Card carrying Nite Owl.

[Scuderia]

I dont have to start usually until 11am my time. So commonly i'll be up 'late' i suppose. But also im up thinking of how i'm gonna do things and visualizing. It doesn't keep me up but def. i'm excited to get home and put ideas to use, even for factory stock builds

[Miatatom]

I do that too but I'm lucky enough that I just dig back in after breakfast. Being retired, you know, does have it's perks.

['08SEAL]

This always happens to me.

You get a new kit, take it home, open it up, and look through the parts. You start building, and when taking a break, you decide to try to figure out how to hook up your old game station. You figure out how to, then hook it up and play. You comepletly forget about building and play that instead of building.

Then you start playing your/your kids new game station and get so addicted you comepletly forget about building. You go out to the shed and see that old kit there laying around, getting dusty. You start building and block out video games.

Repeat.

[charlie8575]

Before I was forced to move home, I did a lot of late-night building. I don't always sleep well and having only very basic cable (not much better than broadcast, but I had no signal without a box,) there wasn't a lot on, so sometimes, I'd turn on the radio and do some kind of basic assembly or large-area painting. I knew I was usually too tired to do detail painting, and didn't want to disturb or upset the neighbors with too much spray-painting.

Since moving back home, I might do some dry-fitting, perhaps a little painting, but I do very little gluing or heavy assembly, or I'll have to listen to it with "why do I smell glue?," etc.

Worst case, I've actually considered picking up a small camping trailer so I have someplace with some piece and quiet to go build/sit/read/whatever in peace and quiet.

Charlie Larkin

[martinfan5]

Night time, late night is the only time I really have time to get any work done, even then thats not always the case, just depends on how well the baby is sleeping.

[CorvairJim]

I work from 3:00 'til 11:30 PM, so I'm just getting started around 1AM... When my attic workroom is liveable, that is. With the current heat wave(s), it isn't liveable too often. That's why I'm online at 3AM instead of upstairs with my models...

[martinfan5]

I work from 3:00 'til 11:30 PM, so I'm just getting started around 1AM... When my attic workroom is liveable, that is. With the current heat wave(s), it isn't liveable too often. That's why I'm online at 3AM instead of upstairs with my models...

If I would spend less time on the computer at night, I would get a lot more done

[CorvairJim]

Yeah, over the winter, when it's a comfortable 65 degrees or so up there due to the house's heat rising (not only is it not air conditioned up there, it's not heated either) I still tend to waste too much time online and not enough time working on my models.

(Silly me... )

[martinfan5]

I seem to do that all the time, I will say that, a lot of the times I am doing research on something I am working on, but then I get side tracked on here, or ebay, or who knows what

[Dr. Cranky]

Doctor Cranky is the poster child of insomnia and styrene. Why force sleep when you don't feel it or it doesn't want to come on? I just play with styrene all night long sometimes . . . if I have to. It really does help calm the nerves.

[Junkman]

It's day one on a new build. I've taken the kit down, opened it and checked all the parts. I checked the instructions to look for any weird parts/mistakes/whatever. I put it all back in the box. I put the kit back to where I pulled it down from. I go to bed. Good night.

[Austin T]

I used to build late into the night,like 2 or 3 in the morning.But once I started going cross-eyed while holding that exacto knife I knew it was time to stop. Now I build mostly in the afternoon or on weekends.

[crazyjim]

I pop an Ambien about 10pm and I'm gone.

[Rob Hall]

I pop an Ambien about 10pm and I'm gone.

I used to take Ambien but I've got stronger stuff now (Trazadone). Been dealing with insomnia for 20 years...

[philo426]

have done my share of midnight modeling but i don't let it keep me up.Its all about keeping things in balance.

[Jantrix]

My issue is when I'm really motivated and inspired about a model, I can't seem to shut the 'ol brain down. It makes for a really lousy work day the following morning.

[Fat Brian]

If I could find a way to never sleep it would be great. I hate to sleep, I've got things to do and watch and research. Sleep wastes valuable hobby time.

[Colin Russell]

Sometimes good ideas come to me before I snooz off,others come to me during the work day and I cant wait to get home to get stuck in...Doesn't always work that way but I like to get in at least 30 minutes early evenings after and during a decent pot of tea.

Other evenings go all wrong though,want to get home to do something special but end up getting delayed...

[Bartster]

Sleep is such a waste of creativity. l always go to sleep with plans but it seems l wake up empty headed. Except for Jenny McArthy, but she won't help me paint.

[cartpix]

I'm quite the opposite, When I'm trying to go to sleep, I think about what I'm building / want to build & it relaxes me. What keeps me up, is thinking about work! When that happens, I think about plastic cars.

Jeff