When one thinks of a workday they think 9 to 5, Monday thru Friday. However, the world does not always operate on that time schedule and you do not need to either. One luxury of working at home is setting your own hours. Many times those hours are long and there is no real distinction between work and non work hours. Depending on your business you may not have to work a traditional schedule. If you happen to do your best thinking at 2 am then by all means set your office hours at 2 am. If you are a traditional 9 to 5 worker bee then do not mess with it.
My schedule varies based on my family life. Since my availability during the day is scattered at best I set my office hours for early mornings or late nights. I can pretty much guarantee I will be home early in the morning or late at night even on the weekends. Due to this I plan my hours of operation during those times. It helps me focus on my business without the stress of having to fit too much in an already packed day. I felt released from drowning in a sea of work once I established hours that fit my schedule. While I may not always feel like working late at night or early in the morning, I know if I push forward it will be worth it. My stress level for the next day will be way down and I can focus on my family, my other obligations, and work. I used to rush the kids off to bed and feel anxiety while reading bedtime stories because I had so much to do that evening. Once I set my office hours for after my children’s bedtime I felt renewed. I no longer felt anxiety about all that needed to be done since my job did not start for another thirty minutes anyway. I could enjoy my family more which was the reason in the beginning to work at home.
My advice is to set office hours during times that work for you. If that means your hours are odd or you return emails at 3 am then do it! You will be happier and more efficient for it.