Benefits of Working in the Morning Studies suggest that working in the morning is better for productivity because, in general, we tend to wake up in better spirits than later on in the day. The morning is the best time to follow routines and stick to schedules because there are fewer distractions.
If we look at the evidence, we can be doing the right work, at the right time.” According to Pink, for larks, the morning is the best time to do analytical work that requires focus, and more administrative or routine work should be done later in the day. The reverse is true for night owls.
We cannot deny that some people are predisposed to be more efficient at night—even research backs that up. That is why you need to understand what your chronotype is. This way, you won't have to force yourself to work during early mornings in the hopes of reaping its benefits.
At the end of each day, make a list of the most critical three tasks you need to work on the next day. Then work on those tasks first, and don't do anything else until you've completed them. Although it's a general rule that most people are the most productive between 8am – 11am, that isn't true for all of us.
It appears that our brains are actually bigger at the time we wake up. Also, because during sleep our brain receives more body fluid, the first hours after waking up are the most optimal for doing productive work.
According to research, the most productive moment of the day is 10:26 am. The trough begins about 7 hours after waking – typically early to mid-afternoon – and lasts for a few hours. The most unproductive moment of the day falls in the trough at 2:55 pm.
For some, it's simply because there are fewer distractions and they can focus more easily. Others find that they're more productive when they have uninterrupted time to work. And still others find that they do their best thinking when it's quiet and they can think more creatively.
When is your brain most productive? Your mental performance is faster and more accurate during optimal times of your circadian rhythm, which usually happens in the mid-morning and late afternoon or early evening. During your afternoon dip in energy, you may be more productive on creative tasks, however.
An extensive study in the U.S. found that the most productive age in human life is between 60-70 years of age.
By around 10am we've hit our peak concentration levels that ride out until a natural post-lunch energy dip between 1-3pm. In the afternoon, our energy levels rise again until falling off again sometime between 9–11pm when most of us go to bed.
For many people, nighttime is usually associated with fewer disturbances. This makes it an ideal time to get things done, especially for those with ADHD who may naturally have a hard time focusing.
The night shift has its challenges, but many people love it
Changing to a night shift position requires an adjustment period. Everyone can expect challenging moments, but you'll soon get accustomed to your new workday.
Schedule Advantages
Some workers choose the night shift because the schedule fits better with their needs. Nine-to-fivers typically have some free time during the afternoon and evening, but night-shift workers get this time in the morning or during the day.
Early birds (or morning larks) are people who wake up with the morning sun and find that they do their best work in the morning. They tend to reach their peak productivity in the early hours of the day and see it slowly decline in the afternoon and evening.
Some people can work at night without issue, while others experience sleep deprivation and fatigue. This is because humans are designed to sleep at nighttime. The body is controlled by an internal body clock, or circadian pacemaker, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus.
Believe it or not, nighttime can be an incredibly productive time of day if you know how to use it the right way. The typical 9 to 5 life isn't for everyone and successful business owners know that increased efficiency and success can come from working on their own time - even when the rest of us are fast asleep!
Does your productivity slump in the afternoon? Well you're not alone – researchers have pinpointed the least-productive time of day: 2:17pm. Research by Pro Plus found more than a third of workers start to experience a drowsy feeling at this time.
Reports have shown that individuals can focus better, make better decisions, and accomplish more tasks efficiently toward the start of their day. On the other hand, the least productive hours are typically in the late afternoon, between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm, according to 23.9% of respondents.
It's arguably the most productive time of the day, according to The Wall Street Journal, because it allows you to tackle tasks before distractions arise.
What age is your mind the sharpest? The human brain attains peak processing power and memory around age 18. After studying how intelligence changes over time, scientists found that participants in their late teens had the highest performance.
Our memory is most functional between 10 am to 2 pm and from 4 pm to 10 pm. At these times, the brain is in acquisition mode, so it will be most active in remembering things. On the contrary, the least adequate learning time is between 4 am and 7 am.
Neuroscientists say they are biologically predisposed to go to sleep around midnight and not feel fully awake and engaged until between 9am and 10am. Their body clock remains in this state until the age of around 21 for males, and 19 for females.
A night owl personality tends to have creative bursts and extra energy late at night. Many night owls report that they do their best thinking and working late at night. Most night owls tend to believe they are almost nocturnal — like an owl.
If you're a night owl, some behaviors, such as consistently eating late dinners or exposing yourself to bright non-ambient light in the evening, may have helped train your internal clock to shift a bit later than normal. But, being a night owl may also just be in your genes.
A Cortisol Imbalance Can Give You Too Much Energy at Night
People with mid-afternoon fatigue often either take naps or drink caffeinated beverages late in the day to try to perk up, further skewing their cortisol rhythm and worsening their sleep-wake cycle imbalance.