From 7 to 9 p.m., many night owls are firing on all cylinders. Take advantage your biology by reserving these hours for heavy-lifting tasks. That means taking work home, true, but it’s worth it because you’ll be more productive than if you tried to accomplish it at 10 a.m., says Elene Cafasso, founder and president of Enerpace, Inc. Executive Coaching in Chicago.
Dedicating one to two hours in the evening to tackle deep-thinking work tasks from home makes sense for a night owl—but put a limit on how late you’ll stay up. “Working after midnight when you have to be in the office by 9 a.m. is counterproductive,” says Matchock, and it leads to sleep deprivation. That increases the threat that you won’t be able to function at full throttle in the office the next day.