A headteacher, who was the first in England to move start times to 10am so students could have a lie in, is calling on workplaces to ditch nine to five days.
Dr Paul Kelley, the former headmaster of Monkseaton community school in Tyneside and researcher in sleep science, wants office workers to start work later.
The former headteacher believes that workers who ignore their natural body clock and sleep pattern may be harming their health.
Dr Kelley says bosses who want healthy and happy employees should delay start times by at least an hour so staff can work in their natural sleep patterns.
He says some workers should even be allowed to start at midday, depending on their body clocks.
He told Sian Griffiths of The Sunday Times: 'Across the western world, adults are averaging 6 and a half hours sleep a night during their working lives, when science shows we need at least eight.'
Dr Kelley's interest in sleep began when he fell ill at 15 after having to catch a bus to school at 6am to start lessons at 7.15am in California.
The researcher published a new book, Body Clocks, which identifies five types of sleepers, ranging from 'definitely morning', to 'definitely evening'.
He said: 'Start times of 10am are the fairest (and best) if everyone had to choose a single start time. That would reduce sleep loss for the population as a whole.
'This would have an immediate positive impact on current levels of adult sleep deprivation caused by early workday start times.
'It would reduce sleep deprivation by 70 per cent to 36 minutes on average a day.'
Dr Kelley's new book suggests everyone should take a test to work out their natural sleep pattern and try to adapt their working days accordingly.
High profile people have commented on being adversely affected by lack of sleep.
The Lloyds Banking Group boss, Antonio Horta-Osorio checked into a mental health clinic for exhaustion from insomnia. He likened the experience to torture.
John Vincent, co-founder of the Leon chain of restaurants, reveals in his book that he is a workaholic that it is usual for him to 'go to bed at midnight and wake at 6.45am'.
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