The best part about being a freelance writer and copy editor who works remotely is that, for 
the first time in my working life, I am able to keep the sleep/wake cycle that is comfortable for me.
For years I’ve had to drag myself out of bed between 5 and 7 AM to be at a job between 7 and 9 AM, and get out around 4 to 6 PM, and I hated it. My body never wanted to sleep at an early enough hour to allow for me to get in a sufficient amount of sleep before my necessary wake time. I would have an overwhelming sleep deficit by Friday of each week, and would crash all weekend to make up for it. Not healthy or pleasant, that’s for sure.
I even tried second and third shift jobs, and wasn’t fond of either (In fact, I’m really just not fond of working in a corporate office, but we’ll get to that in another post).
When I was a kid, getting up for school was always a struggle. My mother put me to bed at a decent hour, but I always found myself lying awake for hours until I felt tired enough to sleep no matter what time I got up that morning. School vacations were great because I could stay up until I was tired and sleep in until late morning. I was always, ALWAYS, the last kid to fall asleep at slumber parties. All my friends are lucky that I wasn’t the practical joke-type.
When I was out of work recovering from spine surgery a few years ago, my sleep schedule drifted that same way again. When I went back to work it was a struggle, of course, to get back into the early-to-bed, early-to-rise habit.
Finally, since I have begun working from home, I have been able to make my own schedule and sleep in that early AM to late AM window that feels comfortable for me. For the very first time in my life, I am able to work, indulge my circadian rhythm, and get a consistent good night’s sleep all at the same time. To say that I’m happy with this is an understatement. I’ve never slept so well.
It’s apparently not just me either. A Canadian study done a few years back shows that people seem to fall into two categories: early risers and night owls. Us nocturnal folks apparently hit our optimum level of mental sharpness around 9 PM. That sounds about right for me. No wonder I could never get my brain to stop when I was attempting a 10 PM bed time. Now, I often choose to get work during evening, and sometimes late night, hours. It just feels better to me.
Strangely enough, I married an early riser. It’s good though, because he gets to work and have his own personal time before I get up in the morning. I get my time at night. It works perfectly for us.
And one last thing — Studies show that us night owls might actually be more intelligent than the early risers. I just wouldn’t recommend telling your boss that the next time you’re 5 minutes late for that early morning meeting, like I often was. Just know that I feel your pain, and there is hope.
