Night Owl and Early Bird

People always ask, “Are you an early bird or a night owl?” For the longest time, I felt the pressure to pick a side, because let’s be honest, saying “both” sounded a bit weird. But here I am, fully owning it: I’m both. Yep! I stay up late and wake up early. Before you roll your eyes, hear me out.

I wasn’t born this way. I evolved into it.

Let’s go back to Agege, Lagos. If you know, you know. Agege is that city with raw energy, a perfect mix of “rugged” and “soft life,” depending on the street you find yourself on. I wasn’t a nepo baby by any chance. No silver spoon, just grit. Back then, I had just started my backpack business. I needed to post content on social media to get traction, but data was very expensive! I had just scraped together enough to buy a secondhand BlackBerry Torch for ₦8,000 (around $7), and even that felt like a flex. Monthly data plans were out of reach; they cost about ₦3,000. I was just fresh out of high school!

But then came the saving grace, MTN’s Midnight Bundle. For just ₦25 (not even $1), I’d get 250MB, enough to post my work, binge YouTube tutorials on bag-making, and dive into random rabbit holes of research, all from midnight to 4 AM. Then I’d crash for a few hours and wake up by 7 or 8 AM to fulfil orders. That was my life, day in and day out. My sister tried the midnight hustle once and tapped out immediately. “How do you do this?” she asked. I just laughed.

Things didn’t slow down when I got into the Maritime Academy either. As a junior cadet, sleep was a luxury; we were always running errands for senior officers until late at night. Then, up again at dawn. When I finally became a senior cadet (shout-out to small freedoms and a bit more data money), I could afford proper internet, but by then, the habit was locked in. My body had adapted to the chaos.

As if that wasn’t enough, my best friend (now my partner) moved to Canada. The only time we could talk was between midnight and 3 AM. So, I’d chat with her, then jump up to muster by 4:30 AM for Physical Training. And yes, my school was fully regimental; uniforms, parades, drills, the whole shenanigans.

This lifestyle went on for years. My sleep pattern was no longer a pattern; it was a lifestyle. And now, even when I travel or switch time zones, people still get confused. “How are you online when I wake up, and still online when I’m going to bed?”

Simple answer: this is just how I’m wired now.

But don’t feel sorry for me, seriously, don’t. I’m good. I take power naps like a pro, fall asleep in seconds, and my vitals are on point. Somehow, I’ve managed to make this dual life work.

So yeah, that’s how I became both a night owl and an early bird. Weird? Maybe. But it works for me. But I wouldn’t advise anyone to do this.