How to tell your boss you're a night owl

"For generations, we've been taught that early equals disciplined and late equals lazy. But that's not biology-it's a moral story disguised as science. As an expert in applied chronobiology, I've spent more than 20 years studying how biological rhythms shape work and wellbeing. It turns out that about 30% of people are early chronotypes (morning types), 30% are intermediates, and 40% are late chronotypes (evening types). Yet most workplaces still run on early-riser time -rewarding visibility over value, and hours over outcomes."

"When we align our schedules with our internal clocks, performance and motivation rise-but it takes courage to be honest about what that looks like. The people most disadvantaged in our contemporary workplaces are night owls (like myself), whose performance peaks much later in the day. If you also aren't at your best in the morning, here's how to talk with your manager about your circadian rhythm in a way that earns trust, not judgment."

"When you talk to your boss about your chronotype, make it about performance, not preference. Leadership coach, author, and former McKinsey partner Caroline Webb-best known for her book How to Have a Good Day-is a self-described "extreme night owl." Early mornings were always difficult: "At university, I skipped the 9 a.m. lectures and relied on self-study instead," she told me. "It wasn't about laziness-it was about working when my brain was actually awake.""

About 30% of people are morning chronotypes, 30% are intermediate, and 40% are evening chronotypes. Most workplaces operate on early-riser schedules that prioritize visible presence and hours over outcomes. Aligning work schedules with internal circadian clocks increases performance and motivation. Night owls perform best later in the day and often face disadvantage in contemporary workplaces. When discussing circadian needs with managers, frame requests around measurable results rather than personal preference. Choose moments after demonstrated strong performance or during scheduled performance reviews. Framing later-start schedules as productivity advantages can turn biological differences into organizational strengths.

Read at Fast Company