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Poll: How often do you sacrifice sleep to finish a translation project?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Jun 30

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How often do you sacrifice sleep to finish a translation project?".

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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 12:07
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other Jun 30

Early on in my career, I often deprived myself of rest and sleep in order to meet a deadline, but I eventually realised that not only was this a mistake, but it was also putting my health at risk. I haven’t done it since; I stopped taking on more than I can chew, and I’m extremely organised when it comes to my work.

WolfgangS
texjax DDS PhD
Gyöngyi Tanácsi
Philip Lees
 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 13:07
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Rarely Jun 30

I am a night owl anyway, and I used to sit up until 4 am rather than try to start early to meet a deadline at say 10 am. I gradually found that it was not worth it as a rule. I needed to sleep it off the next day, and if it triggered a migraine attack, then I lost an extra day's work as well.

But sacrificing TV or rearranging other activities is a different matter! I can work right until bedtime if necessary.

Now I am far less pressed with work than I used to be, and I ... See more
I am a night owl anyway, and I used to sit up until 4 am rather than try to start early to meet a deadline at say 10 am. I gradually found that it was not worth it as a rule. I needed to sleep it off the next day, and if it triggered a migraine attack, then I lost an extra day's work as well.

But sacrificing TV or rearranging other activities is a different matter! I can work right until bedtime if necessary.

Now I am far less pressed with work than I used to be, and I try to organise myself out of working late, but it is a selling point that I can do a quick turnaround if that is what the client needs.

[Edited at 2026-06-30 09:11 GMT] ▲ Collapse
 
Josephine Cassar
Josephine Cassar  Identity Verified
Malta
Local time: 13:07
Member (2012)
English to Maltese
+ ...
Rarely. Jun 30

Rarely, I just don't function past a certain hour.I'm definitely out by a certain hour whether I've been translating or not. I then make a lot of mistakes I would otherwise not have made and fail to understand the source text properly. It's best that I go to rest and then start working in the morning.

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 13:07
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Other Jun 30

Whenever the deadline requires it. However, I try to avoid it as often as possible.
 
Alex Lichanow
Alex Lichanow
Germany
Local time: 13:07
English to German
+ ...
Never Jul 1

1) My mental and physical health is more important than deadlines.
2) I choose my jobs carefully so I don't get into any trouble meeting deadlines.
3) My mental and physical health is more important than deadlines.
4) I don't produce good translations when I'm tired and overworked.
5) Did I mention that my mental and physical health is more important than deadlines?

martini
Iulia Parvu
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Laura Curzi
Ghislaine Longwo Doho N
 
Ricardo Aries
Ricardo Aries  Identity Verified
Indonesia
Local time: 18:07
Member (2020)
English to Indonesian
+ ...
Almost Every Day Jul 2

When I was a young, naive lad, I would work from morning until late at night and get only 3-4 hours of sleep each day. Decades later, this habit severely ruined my health. So, the experience was worth it, but at the expense of my own health.
 
WolfgangS
WolfgangS
France
Local time: 13:07
English to German
+ ...
It rarely happened Jul 2

during my 40+y career.
And thinking of it, we often sacrifice our weekends, our holidays, but I will definitely not sacrifice my sleep.
 
Michael Newton
Michael Newton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 07:07
Japanese to English
+ ...
Sacrifice sleep Jul 5

My marathon translation project was some years ago. I was up for some 50 hours. I had to finish it by a certain time, then catch a plane to Paris and from Paris to Vienna. I was functioning on automatic pilot. It has not been unusual for me to work for 24 hours straight. Afterwards I reward myself with something Japanese or Indian, then fall asleep listening to Bach or Vivaldi.
 


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Poll: How often do you sacrifice sleep to finish a translation project?






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