Help understanding long cooks and temperature controllers

I've been smoking for maybe 15 years but still consider myself an amateur as I only do it three or four times a year. I started with a cheapie Brinkman and upgraded to a WSM 22 about 7 years ago. I have a request for all of you that use the site. Would it be possible for those responding to new threads to let us newbies know whether or not you're using an ATC? I'm really interested in those answers that mention smoking overnight. I tried it once and never got any sleep. Worrying about the temp kept me awake. Thanks folks and keep on smokin'.

I uses a heatermeter....and loves it.
Its ez, no trouble. Just simplicity
I also have extended coal basket and can run 20+ hrs on single load at 250 easily.

Theres two points in long cooks that are problems

When ash builds up and fire starts to go down....needs shaking

When coals run low

These still occur with ATC to some extent, unless addressed. More coals helps. I go about 11 hrs before temp starts oscillating from ash. Poke coals a bit, lines out.

Rather than responding to new threads I'll offer my feedback here. First, I've only been smoking 3 1/2 years and have done fewer than a handful of full-blown overnight smokes; I'm simply not serving meat at a time that necessitates overnighters for me. So I'm saying that I'm not an experienced bedtime smoker. I've tried it both ways and can recall getting up with and without an ATC. But keep this in mind if you don't already have one: you can get a WiFi or Bluetooth thermo with remote capability and you can set temp alarms. So you could go to bed and let the alarms wake you if the smoker requires human intervention so long as you have confidence in your wireless connection.

I don't use an ATC. I do set alarms on my remote thermometer. Right now I use the Smoke for overnight cooks and I find it pretty reliable. I usually do have to get up a few times if I didn't get my temp dialed in.

I don't use an ATC but I do have a remote thermometer that I use to set temp alarms. I can usually get the smoker set up around 10 pm and not need to touch it until after 6 am. Even then it just normally needs a shake to knock the ash off the coals and maybe open the vents a little.