I am 100% with you on that! That's why I enjoy passive perception and insight, but some feats like Observant...Observant can be great, I often say to the player he can roll perception or take passive from observant if it is higher or he feels one applies more rigorously than the other. I guess what's difficult is being on watch at night. Like, I think that I'm working towards is a better way of handling the night time watch, maybe making CON saves to stay awake?
RE: How to Make Low Perception Rolls Interesting When Your Party Travels