The phrase "burning the candle at both ends" means exhausting yourself by doing too much, especially by staying up late and rising early.

The imagery comes from a candle lit at both ends, which burns out much faster than one lit normally. This vivid metaphor captures the idea of depleting energy or resources quickly by trying to do too much at once.

The expression was influenced by the French phrase brûler la chandelle par les deux bouts, which described wastefulness or reckless living.

In English, the phrase became popular in the early 20th century, thanks in part to poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. In her 1918 poem First Fig she wrote:

My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends,
It gives a lovely light!