B-Society - a society that also supports late risers

09/12/2025

Thrilled to share my new Fast Company article: “How to tell your boss you’re a night owl.”

For too long, we’ve treated early hours as a badge of discipline and late hours as a flaw. But biology tells another story. Many employees are most productive later in the day, yet our schedules are still shaped by the outdated 9–5 workday. This schedule no longer fits a knowledge-driven workplace.

Here are three takeaways from the article:

1. Frame your rhythm as a performance advantage.
When you talk to your manager about your chronotype, make it a performance conversation. Show how aligning your work with your peak cognitive hours leads to sharper thinking and stronger outcomes.

It’s not about comfort. It’s about unlocking potential.

2. Use science to normalize the conversation.
Chronotypes are biological variation, not personal preference—and leaders respond well when requests are grounded in data.

3. Choose your moment strategically.
Bring it up after strong results. When the conversation centers on sustaining performance, it becomes easier to align work with when you’re at your best.

Future-ready organizations will treat chronodiversity as a strategic advantage—one that boosts performance, wellbeing, and retention across the entire workforce.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-tell-your-boss-youre-night-owl-fast-company-dw2le/

02/10/2025

“For many of us the traditional working day just doesn’t suit our circadian rhythms. We’re called into a meeting or slumped over a desk at 8am but hyper-focused as we’re about to leave the office and head home. What if work took our biological clocks into account?

In this episode, I am joined by Camilla Kring, author of ChronoLeadership. We talk about the costs of rigidity in work patterns, and what it takes to develop smarter, more flexible arrangements.

Camilla’s ideas are revolutionary: she talks about taking the bias away from the 5am club and creating better conditions in the workplace for all. Surely that is something we would all want to get behind. So, when do you perform at your best during the day?

You’ll hear about:

How circadian rhythms dictate our natural sleep and wake cycles
Why understanding your chronotype can enhance productivity
The fact most people are not morning persons, yet workplaces favour early risers
How living out of sync with your internal clock can harm health
Flexibility in work hours can lead to higher productivity and well-being
Trust in employees being crucial for implementing flexible work schedules
Why synchronising work and family rhythms can improve life quality
How creating early wins can help establish momentum in a new role
Why organisations must adapt to operate effectively within ecosystems”

https://davidlancefield.com/podcast/camilla-kring-how-to-work-better-with-our-rhythms/

26/09/2025

Why later school start times protect our REM sleep.

In August, I had the privilege of participating in the European Biological Rhythms Congress in Lübeck, Germany, together with more than 400 chronobiologists from all over the world.

At the gala dinner, I had the chance to sit next to Professor Charlotte von Gall (Germany), who shared with me her recent study on sleep in young healthy adults. The focus was on REM sleep, the stage of sleep most important for memory, creativity, and emotional balance.

Her findings were striking:

· On workdays, people lose sleep due to alarm clocks and early schedules.

· This creates social jetlag — a mismatch between biological time and social time.

· The result is fragmented REM sleep and a weaker circadian rhythm of REM.

· Even on free days, many woke up tired, showing that their REM sleep had already been disrupted.

This means it’s not only about how long we sleep, but also about how well we sleep. And REM sleep is the first to suffer when we cut sleep short.

That is why later school start times matter. They don’t just give students more sleep — they give them better REM sleep, which improves learning, mood, and long-term wellbeing. This is also why I have been working for later school start times since 2006: to give young people the conditions to thrive, not just survive, in their everyday lives.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor or a professor in chronobiology. What I share here are insights from the European Biological Rhythms Congress and conversations with leading researchers. If you are affected by sleep or health issues, I recommend exploring their work for professional guidance. My role is to translate and connect this knowledge to everyday life and work.

My name is Camilla Kring. I work with applied chronobiology as the founder of Super Navigators, PhD, and author of six books including Chronoleadership. I create flexible work cultures that support different chronotypes and family structures. I combine research on work-life balance with circadian rhythm science — what I call Work-life Rhythms. When you find your rhythm, you perform better and live better. Since 2006, when I founded B-Society, I have been advocating for later school start times.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37891848/

In modern society, the time and duration of sleep on workdays are primarily determined by external factors, e.g., the alarm clock. This can lead to a misalignment of the intrinsically determined sleep timing, which is dependent on the individual chronotype, resulting in reduced sleep quality. Althou...

25/09/2025

Asthma… it’s about time.”

In August, I had the privilege of participating in the European Biological Rhythms Congress in Lübeck, Germany, together with more than 400 chronobiologists from all over the world.

In the President’s Symposium — one of the highlights of the congress — Professor Hannah Durrington (Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, UK) gave a lecture titled: “Asthma… it’s about time.”

Her research focuses on the impact of the body clock in asthma.

· Around 1 in 12 adults in the UK live with asthma.

· Many patients wake up at 4 a.m. with symptoms — a reflection of the circadian system that regulates lung function.

· The diagnosis test in the morning will be more accurate than in the rest of the day.

· But treatment works best when given in the afternoon.

Durrington explained that the optimal time to take inhaled corticosteroids is around 4 p.m. At this time of day, the body’s rhythms align to maximize the effect of treatment.

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Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor or a professor in chronobiology. What I share here are insights from the European Biological Rhythms Congress. If you are affected by asthma or other conditions, I recommend exploring the research of the scientists mentioned for professional guidance. My role is to translate and connect this knowledge to everyday life and work.
.

My name is Camilla Kring. I work with applied chronobiology as the founder of Super Navigators, PhD, and author of six books including Chronoleadership. I create flexible work cultures that support different chronotypes and family structures. I combine research on work-life balance with circadian rhythm science — what I call Work-life Rhythms. When you find your rhythm, you perform better and live better. Since 2006, when I founded B-Society, I have been advocating for later school start times.

Photography from Arbejdsglædekonferencen.

24/09/2025

Don’t eat within four hours before sleep.

In August, I had the privilege of participating in the European Biological Rhythms Congress in Lübeck, Germany, together with more than 400 chronobiologists from all over the world.

The opening lectures was delivered by Frank A. J. L. Scheer, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Medical Chronobiology Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Scheer is internationally recognized for his pioneering studies on how circadian rhythms interact with behaviors such as meal timing, sleep, and shift work – showing that when we eat can be just as important as what we eat. While researchers such as Satchin Panda have also made chrononutrition widely known, Scheer’s work is particularly focused on its medical implications for metabolism and cardiovascular health.

A key message from his talk:

“Eating when melatonin concentrations are high impairs glucose tolerance and pancreatic beta-cell function, especially in MTNR1B risk carriers.”

In practice, this means that avoiding food within the four hours before sleep can help protect metabolic health.

This opens a fascinating perspective: meal timing as a countermeasure against the health risks of circadian misalignment and shift work.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor or a professor in chronobiology. What I share here are insights from the European Biological Rhythms Congress. My role is to translate and connect this knowledge to everyday life and work.

My name is Camilla Kring. I work with applied chronobiology as the founder of Super Navigators, PhD, and author of six books including Chronoleadership. I create flexible work cultures that support different chronotypes and family structures. I combine research on work-life balance with circadian rhythm science - what I call Work-life Rhythms. When you find your rhythm, you perform better and live better.
Since 2006, when I founded B-Society, I have been advocating for later school start times.

Photography by Nicolas Cosedis.

23/09/2025

"The researchers analyzed the results of over 100,000 oral exams conducted at an Italian university and found a clear bell curve in pass rates that peaked at noon, regardless of the test taker’s chronotype... Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. is the sweet spot."

https://www.fastcompany.com/91407628/scientists-just-discovered-the-time-of-day-when-youre-smarter-more-focused-and-at-tour-cognitive-best

Young or old, night owl or morning person, research reveals our peak cognitive window.

23/09/2025

Cancer treatment is not only about what therapy you get - but also when you get it.

In August, I had the privilege of participating in the European Biological Rhythms Congress in Lübeck, Germany, together with more than 400 chronobiologists from all over the world.

In the President’s Symposium - one of the highlights of the congress - Professor Christoph Scheiermann (University of Geneva, Switzerland) presented his research on how circadian rhythms shape anti-tumor immune responses. His key message: immunotherapy may work best in the morning, when T-cells are naturally most active. Aligning cancer treatment with the immune system’s daily rhythms could improve outcomes in ways we are only beginning to understand.

Later in the congress, Professor Horst-Werner Korf (Germany) — recipient of the prestigious Kappers Medal in 2017 - gave a talk titled: “Can translational studies help to determine the optimal time point for cancer therapy in humans?” His conclusion was equally striking: for a specific type of tumor, radiation therapy appeared to be most effective at 5 p.m. At that time of day, healthy cells are better equipped to repair DNA damage, while tumor cells are more vulnerable.

I had the privilege of sitting across from Horst-Werner and his wife at the gala dinner - a reminder that behind decades of pioneering chronobiology stands a warm and dedicated human being.

Taken together, their work highlights a profound insight:

- Radiation therapy might work best in the late afternoon.

- Immunotherapy might work best in the morning.

If you, or someone you know, ever face cancer treatment, it may be worth keeping an eye on this emerging research. In the future, cancer medicine may not only be personalized to the patient - but also synchronized with the body’s inner clock.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor or a professor in chronobiology. What I share here are insights from the European Biological Rhythms Congress. If you are affected by cancer or other conditions, I recommend exploring the research of the scientists mentioned for professional guidance. My role is to translate and connect this knowledge to everyday life and work.

My name is Camilla Kring. I work with applied chronobiology as the founder of Super Navigators, PhD, and author of six books including Chronoleadership. I create flexible work cultures that support different chronotypes and family structures. I combine research on work-life balance with circadian rhythm science - what I call Work-life Rhythms. When you find your rhythm, you perform better and live better.

Since 2006, when I founded B-Society, I have been advocating for later school start times.

22/09/2025

From cancer treatment to school start times - timing really matters.

In August, I had the privilege of participating in the European Biological Rhythms Congress in Lübeck, Germany, together with more than 400 chronobiologists from all over the world.

I came home with many reflections.
One of the strongest is this: We are all different in our biological timing.
Some of us have a slightly longer or shorter internal day - what scientists call tau. Some of us have stronger or weaker rhythms - known as amplitude. A high amplitude means a clearer, more stable rhythm and often better sleep quality. A low amplitude makes rhythms flatter and can fragment sleep. And we also differ in how clearly these rhythms show up in everyday life.

Everything has a rhythm. Bacteria, plants, animals, humans. And within us, multiple rhythms interact every day.

The question is: how can we learn to know our personal rhythms — and honor them?

This week, I will share some of the most powerful insights I brought home from the congress - insights that could change the way we think about health, work, and everyday life:

Tuesday: Cancer treatment is not only about what therapy you get — but also when you get it.
Wednesday: Don’t eat within four hours before sleep.
Thursday: Asthma… it’s about time.
Friday: Why later school start times protect our REM sleep.

17/09/2025

Proud to be featured in the September issue of Dialogue Magazine by Duke Corporate Education – Lead through uncertainty – with my article “A Matter of Time.”

In my article, I explore how chronoleadership can help us design healthier and more productive workplaces by aligning work with our natural biological rhythms.

Three key ideas I highlight:

1) Understanding your chronotype is essential to unlocking peak performance and wellbeing.

2) When teams align their rhythms, collaboration strengthens and collective productivity accelerates.

3) Organizations can design for natural rhythms to help people perform at their peak.

This issue also features excellent contributions, including Scott Anthony’s “The upside of uncertainty,” which shows how leaders can turn uncertainty into an opportunity for growth, and Rita McGrath’s “The merger mirage,” which explains why many mergers fail and how leaders can approach them with greater realism.

https://dialoguereview.com/a-matter-of-time/

10/09/2025

Do you want to unleash performance and well-being in your workplace?
Start by working with biological rhythms, not against them.

Thank you, Erik Fisher, for inviting me to join your podcast Beyond the To-Do List – Productivity for Work and Life.

We explored how Chronoleadership can help us design healthier, more productive rhythms – for individuals, teams, and organizations.

Key insights from our conversation and from Chronoleadership:

1. Chronoleadership means leading yourself and others based on chronotype – your natural rhythm for sleep, focus, and energy.

2. The “early = productive” myth still dominates many workplaces, even though more than 80% of the population relies on an alarm clock daily – living out of sync with their biology, which reduces health and performance.

3. Designing rhythms: Productivity grows when we align work with energy curves instead of rigid schedules. This fosters creativity, health, and efficiency.

4. Chronodiversity at work: Inclusion is also about time. Flexible start times, outcome-based leadership, and respect for different energy patterns create fairer and more productive workplaces.

The future of productivity is not about getting up earlier – it’s about working in sync with our biology. When we do that, we unlock more innovation, stronger organizations, and better well-being.



https://podcasts.apple.com/dk/podcast/beyond-the-to-do-list-productivity-for-work-and-life/id554734474?i=1000717759851

03/09/2025

Did you know that your circadian rhythm – your natural biological clock – is highly genetic?
We don’t choose to be early birds or night owls. We are born this way.

I recently had the pleasure of being a guest on Work From The Inside Out podcast with Tammy Gooler Loeb.

In our talk, I shared why:

Chronotypes are natural and diverse.
Because of genetic variation, not all of us synchronize to the light–dark cycle in the same way. Some are early types, others late, and most fall somewhere in between. Society, however, still tends to favor the early birds.

The 9-to-5 model doesn’t work for everyone.
For many, especially night owls, rigid early schedules undermine creativity, learning, wellbeing, and health. Living out of sync with your biological rhythm has real consequences for body and mind.

The challenge is not biology, but rigid systems.
Being a late chronotype is not a problem in itself. The real challenge arises when schools and workplaces enforce schedules that only fit some, leaving others in chronic social jetlag.

My dream for the future is simple: that larks and owls will have equal opportunities. Chrono-inclusive organizations and schools thrive — because flexibility is not a luxury, it’s a foundation for wellbeing and productivity.

Tammy beautifully captured the essence of our conversation:
“Camilla reminded me that self-compassion and alignment with our natural clocks can elevate not just productivity, but also joy and fulfillment. For me, it’s a call to design a life that works with who I am, rather than against it.”

If you are curious about how to find your rhythm - and why flexibility is the foundation for healthier, more human workplaces - I invite you to listen in:

https://podcasts.apple.com/dk/podcast/work-from-the-inside-out/id1444574191?i=1000722786796

Thank you, Tammy, for creating such an important space for these conversations.

Podcast Episode · Work From The Inside Out · 20/08/2025 · 42m

11/08/2025

Would you perform at your best if you were woken up at 4 a.m.?
That’s what we do to teenagers every single school day.

Today, in Denmark, the school bells ring again – but for many young people, it means getting up while their bodies are still asleep.

The picture is from an article in the Danish newspaper JydskeVestkysten about later school start times from earlier this year.
In the debate, 57% said that teenagers should just “get up and get on with it” – even though research shows that later start times lead to better learning, well-being, and sleep.

The arguments in the comments are classic:

“If we could do it, so can they” – ignores new knowledge and the differences in living conditions and circadian rhythms across generations.

“Early rising = discipline” – the idea that it is morally better to be an early chronotype (morning person).

“Late = lazy” – the underlying belief that not being able to get up early is a sign of weakness or laziness.

“They need to get used to the real world” – the idea that adapting to current structures is more important than adapting the structures to people.

This view is not only found in schools – you can also find it in leadership literature.
I recently read Discipline Is Destiny by Ryan Holiday.
In the chapter "Attack the Dawn", he describes how great achievements are linked to getting up before sunrise – as an expression of discipline, focus, and dedication.

But this only makes sense for morning people.
If you are an afternoon or evening person, you should attack the afternoon and/or the evening. You certainly shouldn’t “attack the dawn.” It makes no sense.

Discipline is not about getting up early. It’s about when during the day we have our best energy and focus.

As the founder of B-Society (2006), I have spent almost 20 years working for later school start times – and the research is crystal clear:
Teenagers are not lazy. They are biologically programmed to fall asleep later and wake up later.
When we force them to get up at 6–7 a.m., it is the equivalent of waking an adult at 4 a.m. – and then expecting peak performance.

Studies show that later start times lead to:
• More sleep
• Better mood
• Fewer sick days
• Higher grades
• Better well-being

For 16-year-olds, 10 a.m. fits best with their circadian rhythm.
Moving the school day just 25 minutes later can make a huge difference.

If we want young people to learn more, thrive better, and be ready for the workplaces of the future, we must adapt current structures to human biology – not the other way around.