What is a Chronotype?
Your sleep chronotype refers to your body’s natural rhythms for sleeping and waking. The two most well-known chronotypes are early birds and night owls. Early birds like to go to sleep early and wake up early, while night owls sleep late and wake late.
However, there are additional chronotypes you may not have heard of. For example, hummingbirds are at their peak during sunlight hours, while dolphins are insomniacs. There’s a full spectrum of sleep chronotypes, and everyone falls on a different point on that spectrum. If you’re wondering how to find your chronotype, read on.
In addition to waking and sleeping, your chronotype determines when you’re most capable of working, socializing, exercising, and more. Each chronotype has a different peak where they feel the most productive, energized, and focused.
Because the typical workday caters to an early bird schedule, many night owls are at a disadvantage. They may have a difficult time sleeping well due to their time constraints. However, no chronotype is better than another. While your chronotype will gradually shift during your lifetime (for example, most teenagers are night owls, while most seniors are early birds), experts agree that trying to radically alter your sleep chronotype isn’t possible.
How to Find Your Chronotype
If you had a free day to do whatever you wanted, when would you like to wake up? Your answer is a good starting point for how to find your chronotype.
Although most of us have heard of early birds and night owls, neither sleep chronotype is the most common. Most people identify with the hummingbird chronotype (also known as the bear chronotype), which means they do well during daylight hours. They don’t have much trouble falling asleep or waking up.
Early Birds
- Wake up easily, often before dawn
- Productivity is best before noon
- May begin to feel sleepy around 10:00 p.m.
Early birds benefit from a typical workplace schedule that favors their lifestyle. They often thrive in jobs where they start early but can struggle to keep up an active social life in the evening.
Night Owls
- Have trouble waking up in the morning
- Productivity is best between noon and 4:00 p.m.
- May feel a boost around 6:00 p.m.
- Generally, go to bed around or after 1:00 a.m.
Night owls struggle to fit in with society’s schedule. They may have a hard time waking up for a typical 9-to-5 job and would benefit from jobs with later hours.
Hummingbirds
- Generally wake up with the sun
- Productivity is best before noon
- May feel a dip in the afternoon after lunch
Hummingbirds feel their peak of energy near the middle of the day, but may be able to push themselves to wake up early or stay up late when needed.
While most people can identify as either an early bird, night owl, or hummingbird, some people don’t fit neatly into these categories. Again, sleep chronotypes are on a spectrum, and each person is unique. As long as you understand your natural rhythms and listen to your body, you can feel happy and healthy.
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