For night owls and early birds, the 8-to-5 work day can be agonising. The exhausted night owl drags himself bleary-eyed into the office every morning, while the chipper early bird finds his energy waning well before the quitting time. But there are ways to cope. Experts offer workplace survival strategies for those with body clocks out of sync with their employers’ hours.

Nature, not nurture

Early birds and night owls don’t choose to be the way they are and shouldn’t blame themselves for their bodies’ quirks. A night owl that has difficulty getting to work on time is not lazy, and an early bird who can’t function well late in the day is not a slacker.

Empower yourself

Don’t resign yourself to working 8 to 5 if your body rebels. If your company doesn’t already have a flexible scheduling policy, approach your boss. Explain how working your preferred hours would enhance your productivity and effectiveness. Or sell your employer the idea regarding how you could offer extended hours of service at no additional cost by coming in early or staying till late. Frame your request in terms that mean something to your employer.

Be considerate

If your boss lets you start late or leave early, you’ve still got to be a team player. Don’t leave your colleagues hanging, waiting for a product they might be dependent on. Stick to deadlines and clearly inform your co-workers and manager about how they can reach you if you are not in the office during the regular business hours.

Show your worth

Overcoming the perception that you’re not dedicated or productive is one of the biggest obstacles to working different hours. The challenge is making it evident that you are contributing your full weight. In the best-case scenario, your night-owl or early-bird tendencies will mirror your boss’s. If they don’t, however, you may have to take extra steps to be visible.

For example, use email or voice mail with time and date stamps that document when you have completed your early-morning or late-night work. Hand-deliver projects to your boss’s desk to make it evident when you were in the office. If you come in early, park close to where your boss usually parks so that he can notice your early arrival.

Make exceptions

If you come to work late or leave early, don’t consider your schedule set in stone. Be flexible enough to attend the occasional 8 a.m. meeting or after-hours brainstorming sessions. Although the time of the day may not be right, with warnings, you can manage. The night owl needs to prepare the night before what he is going to say or contribute at the morning meeting, and the early bird needs to prepare that morning for a late-afternoon meeting.

Find that right job

Flexible scheduling is simply not an option at many companies. If the issue is of paramount importance to your happiness or even your health, find work that’s a better fit. Early birds generally function better than night owls in 8-to-5 jobs, but would suffer in night shifts. Night owls in general are drawn to late-afternoon, evening and overnight jobs in the service and entertainment sectors.