Finding Your Optimal Work Hours: What Science Says
Discover the simple way to work when your body and mind feel most alive
Hello everyone,
In our last edition we looked at the pull of procrastination and shared gentle ways to take charge. Many of you wrote back with one more big question. You asked, When is the best time to do the work that matters most? Today we will explore that question with help from sleep science, psychology and a little self study.
1. Listen to your inner clock
Each of us follows a daily rhythm that guides our energy. Some people feel sharp at dawn. Others come alive in late evening. Scientists call this pattern your chronotype (Facer Childs 2018). A quick test:
• Think of a day when no alarm woke you.
• Note the time you opened your eyes.
• If that time was before seven in the morning you likely lean early. After eight thirty you lean late. Most of us sit somewhere in between.
Try this. Place your hardest task inside the first four hours after your natural wake up time. Notice how focus feels.
2. Protect your sleep bank
Hard work without true rest cuts next day output. Records from factory work show that seven long workdays in a row produced less than the same hours spread across six days (Pencavel 2016). Guard seven hours of steady sleep each night if you can. Keep the schedule steady too. A rested brain lights up faster and forgets slower.
3. Breaks that renew
Many people use the Pomodoro timer which breaks work into twenty five minute blocks. Others prefer longer flow sessions. A recent student study found no single rule that fits everyone (Smits 2025). What mattered most was acting when the first sign of heavy fatigue appeared.
Build a tiny log
• Every half hour rate your tiredness as low medium or high.
• When tiredness reaches high stand up and move for five to ten minutes.
• Note how quick your focus returns.
Soon you will see a natural work to rest rhythm.
4. Shape the space around you
Light
Ten minutes of bright sunlight early in the morning helps the body clock start on time. Dim warm light at night guards sleep (Potter 2020).
Fuel
A meal rich in protein in the morning supports alertness. Save heavier carbs for dinner so sleep feels easier.
Caffeine
One strong cup can sharpen attention yet it stays in the blood for hours. Stop at least seven hours before bed (Potter 2020).
Movement
Short walks between seated work blocks raise both mood and energy (Giurgiu 2021).
5. A five day self test
Day 1 Record sleep and wake times
Day 2 Mark energy level every hour
Day 3 Match task types with energy level
Day 4 Track time and length of each break
Day 5 Shift your next week calendar so the hardest work meets your top two energy peaks
Use any journal or choose the Memory Matrix template if you like a ready digital space.
Bringing it all together
• Find your chronotype.
• Place deep work in your first natural energy wave.
• Defend sleep and mindful breaks.
• Use light food caffeine and movement as simple levers.
• Review each week and fine tune.
Quick Poll for Our Builders
Freelancers and early-stage founders, please share one thing that hurts most in cold outreach.
A. Facing a blank page
B. Pressing Send
C. Hearing only silence afterward
If you have a few minutes to space, tap the quick survey here: Survey
Your answers will help me test a new tool.
Before you go
I would love to hear about the hour when you felt most alive today. Reply and share your story. It helps me learn and serve you better.
If you plan to run the five day test you can use the code SWEETSPOT for twenty percent off the Memory Matrix template this week.
Please pass this letter to a friend who needs a kinder work rhythm.
Thank you for reading. Keep building systems that care for you.
References
Facer-Childs, E. R., Boiling, S., & Balanos, G. M. (2018). The effects of time of day and chronotype on cognitive and physical performance in healthy volunteers. Sports Medicine – Open, 4, Article 47. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-018-0162-z
Giurgiu, M., Nissen, R., Müller, G., Ebner-Priemer, U. W., Reichert, M., & Clark, B. (2021). Drivers of productivity: Being physically active increases yet sedentary bouts and lack of sleep decrease work ability. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 31(10), 1921–1931. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14005
Pencavel, J. H. (2016). Recovery from work and the productivity of working hours. Economica, 83(332), 545–563. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecca.12206
Potter, G. D. M., & Wood, T. R. (2020). The future of shift work: Circadian biology meets personalised medicine and behavioural science. Frontiers in Nutrition, 7, 116. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2020.00116
Smits, E. J. C., Wenzel, N., & de Bruin, A. (2025). Investigating the effectiveness of self-regulated, Pomodoro, and Flowtime break-taking techniques among students. Behavioral Sciences, 15(7), Article 861. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15070861