Working According to Our Circadian Rhythms

Here’s a work schedule I might like: Wake up at 6:30 a.m., and start reading the news while having a cup of coffee. Shower and dress by 8:30 a.m. to get on the train and arrive to the office by 9:30 a.m. Work diligently until 3 p.m. Take an afternoon break. Work from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. In bed by 11 p.m.

The reality is that I’m usually at the office straight through until 8 p.m., with flagging levels of productivity once the late afternoon hits. As it turns out, my ideal work schedule isn’t exactly unique: Christopher M. Barnes writes in the Harvard Business Review that our work schedule should be determined by our internal circadian rhythms.

Employees may want to be their best at all hours, but their natural circadian rhythms will not always align with this desire. On average, after the workday begins, employees take a few hours to reach their peak levels of alertness and energy — and that peak does not last long. Not long after lunch, those levels begin to decline, hitting a low at around 3pm. We often blame this on lunch, but in reality this is just a natural part of the circadian process. After the 3pm dip, alertness tends to increase again until hitting a second peak at approximately 6pm. Following this, alertness tends to then decline for the rest of the evening and throughout the early morning hours until hitting the very lowest point at approximately 3:30am.

Barnes goes on to say that we should do as the Spaniards do and take naps in the afternoon when our energy levels decline. Theoretically, my job is flexible is enough that I could do precisely this; it just feels strange to do it when you’re so used to a 9-to-5 schedule. The Spaniards, after all, thought it might be better for their economy if they got rid of their naps and switched to a work schedule that was more in line with the European Union.

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