First published 24 October 2024

Embracing the Night Owl

A Guide to Thriving on your own Schedule

Have you ever been called lazy for having a lie-in?  Or felt judged for wanting to work late into the night (so much for losing the ‘bed time’ when you become an adult!)?

I came across an article talking about chronotypes and chronobiology earlier this week titled “Extreme Night Owls” and found that it resonated with me more than I expected.  It might even explain why this is hitting your mailbox so late 😉.

The article delves into the scientific basis for why some of us thrive more at night than in the morning.

Does this now finally give me permission to embrace not being a morning person and not feeling bad about it? 

I’ve read the books and watched/listened to the podcasts where someone who thrives in the morning waxes lyrical about getting up at ‘silly o’clock’ when they then go to the gym or do their housework or write their morning pages… 

But, that’s just not me!  (and I tried to do those morning pages – strangely enough, I found them easier to do just before bed!)

Having struggled (not so quietly) to fit into the morning person mould even though I do my best work later in the day.  I don’t subscribe to a 9 pm bedtime!   So, why should I feel judged for my preference for working late into the night and then getting up at a more reasonable (for me) hour?

It’s not Lazy, it’s Biology!

Thanks to this reminder of chronobiology, I can comfortably state there is a scientific explanation for my preference for late nights (and later mornings!).

My internal clock just doesn’t subscribe to the “standard” one – and better yet, I am not alone!  Many successful individuals, from creatives to entrepreneurs have, and do thrive when they embrace their night owl nature. 

The Stigma…

So, here we go again with the battle against stigmas!

The factory or farming model of ‘rise and grind’ doesn’t work for everyone.

If we take the time to understand our own chronotype, we can create work schedules and routines that optimise our productivity and well-being.

Here’s what I plan to do to work with my own needs:

• Communicate:  I’m going to talk about it (or write about it!), thankfully I already work for myself so on the main part I get to set my schedule to suit me.  Where that isn’t possible, I will be a little more vocal about it.  And I will call people out when they call me lazy or judge me for still being in bed when they have already achieved loads!
• Optimise Sleep: I will continue to prioritise sleep, making sure that I keep up with good quality sleep – even if that is going to bed at 2am and sleeping until 10am – and I am going to stop feeling guilty or judging myself by other people’s standards.
• Embrace the Night:  I’m going to leverage those later hours.  If I feel productive or creative later in the evening I will do something about it and get more stuff done.

If this resonates for you, what can you do to help live more to your type than you already do?  Where can you make changes?  Or do you think you may work on shifting your clock as mentioned in the article?

I for one feel that the world could benefit from a more flexible approach to work schedules.  By embracing what works best for us, we can unlock a new level of productivity and well-being.

So, fellow night owls, let’s rewrite the narrative, and redefine success on our own terms, one productive late night at a time.

And, if you are an early bird who loves early nights and even earlier mornings – continue being you and embracing what works best for you.  I would just like to add a plea to not judge people based on how you operate, I would hope that you don’t intend to make us feel judged and guilty for not ‘conforming’?

So, let’s embrace our differences and utilise them to get the best out of everyone.

Please do share your experiences whether you are most productive early or late in the day.  I’d love to hear your tips or insights.