You have surely heard people describe themselves as either early birds or night owls. Either you get up early in the morning and go to bed earlier in the evening, or you hate early mornings and so stay up late into the night. However, this only describes half of your sleep pattern. To plan your day so that you get the most out of it, you need to know your chronotype. Find out whether you are a dolphin, a lion, a bear or a wolf.
Table of contents
What is a chronotype and how can it help us?
A chronotype is your internal biological clock, which keeps its own time and affects sleep and wakefulness. Even at 6 o’clock in the morning, one person may feel tired while another feels a surge of energy. Knowing your own chronotype is very important for organising your day properly. Otherwise, you may simply find that unbearable tiredness hits you in the middle of the day, you do not get much sleep and you are not productive when you need to be. In today’s busy world, it is very difficult to fit your daily schedule to your chronotype, but if you have the chance, you should take it. Your life will be much better.
If you run your own business, you are in luck! You can adapt everything to suit you, which is a huge advantage. First, you need to get to know your own biological clock and then learn to work with it. You may find that working at night suits you best, so it is not wise to wake up with the sun, as you would be depriving yourself of sleep. Forget the idea that the early bird catches the worm and focus on your own body.
If you stick to your own chronotype, you will be productive and full of energy, you will rest when you feel slightly tired and you will get enough sleep at night. That sounds like everything you need, doesn’t it? Read the descriptions and start living in the way that is best for you.
Following your chronotype will give you:
- good-quality sleep,
- enough rest when you are tired,
- a surge of energy,
- productivity during working hours.
4 types of chronotype, which one are you?
Let’s take a look. There are 4 chronotypes, named after animals and their sleep and wake cycles. They are the lion, bear, dolphin and wolf. Each of us is one of them, and depending on which, we feel either tired or full of energy at certain times of the day. Whether you study or work, identifying your chronotype can help you achieve better results and greater peace of mind. Read what is typical for each type and find yourself.
1. Chronotype, lion
The lion is a typical early bird who does not mind getting up very early. On the contrary, after waking up, they throw themselves with energy into the tasks they have planned for the day. They are most productive before lunch. After that comes tiredness, which peaks at 8 pm, when the day slowly comes to an end for lions. Their sleep hygiene routine begins at around 9 pm, and they should be in bed by around 10 pm to get 8 hours of sleep. Staying up late and nightlife are not for them. They prefer to enjoy sunrises and slow mornings, which are also ideal for exercise. They are born leaders and successful entrepreneurs.
Tips for lions:
- you can get a lot done before lunch, so focus on the hardest tasks,
- your mind is sharpest between 1 pm and 5 pm, so come up with new ideas and be creative,
- do not do anything after 5 pm, rest or go and see friends.
2. Chronotype, bear
As everyone knows, bears love to sleep. Their cycle follows the sun. When it rises, they get up, and when it sets, they fall asleep. They do not mind getting up early and have no trouble falling asleep, but they need 8 hours of sleep, otherwise they tend to be tired. Unfortunately, most companies follow their chronotype, so they function mainly during the day. Bears are most productive in the morning, and tiredness sets in at around 2 pm to 4 pm. As soon as the sun sets, they go to sleep, so, like lions, they rarely stay up late. People with the bear chronotype are typically communicative and tend to be extroverts.
Tips for bears:
- do as much work as possible in the morning, as this is when you are most productive,
- in the afternoon, when you feel tired, take a short nap or just lie down to recharge,
- do not go to bed after 11 pm, as you could be tired in the morning, and sleep is very important for you.
3. Chronotype, dolphin
Only 10% of the population fall into the dolphin chronotype. These people are intelligent and creative and usually work at night. Their ideal time to get up is later, roughly after 7 am. After waking up, they tend to have plenty of energy, which they should use for some kind of creative work. Their mind is full of ideas but too scattered to concentrate.
After lunch, mild tiredness sets in, so they should choose lighter work during these hours. In the evening and at night comes a second wave of energy, which they can use for work again. Their mind will be calmer by then, so work will go more smoothly. The best time to go to bed is around midnight. This chronotype is also typically scatterbrained and impulsive, and sleep disorders such as insomnia are common. Just like real dolphins, they sleep with half their brain awake so they can react if a shark attacks.
Tips for dolphins:
- in the morning, focus on creative activities and keep your mind busy,
- plan harder tasks for your second wave of energy in the late afternoon,
- pay attention to sleep hygiene, otherwise falling asleep and getting up can become a nightmare for you.
4. Chronotype, wolf
The last type is the wolf, found in roughly 15% of the population. Wolves live a night life and hate getting up in the morning, so night shifts are ideal for them. Their energy starts around midday, which is also when most wolves get up. Between 2 pm and 5 pm they start to feel slightly tired, and they come alive again after 5 pm. They do not go to bed until after midnight, so an alarm before 9 am is unthinkable for them. People with the wolf chronotype tend to be introverts, which logically follows from their sleep pattern. They are also brave and full of emotion.
Tips for wolves:
- use your first wave of energy for difficult tasks,
- rest in the afternoon,
- in the evening, tackle the rest of your tasks and come up with strategies, as you will be creative.
How to adapt to your chronotype in practice
Now that you know which chronotype you are, it is time to adapt your lifestyle to it. But how can you do this? If you run your own business, there is nothing to worry about, as you can adjust everything. However, some business owners may face the same problem as employees if they work with people (beauticians, hairdressers, tutors). In that case, you need to find a way to strike a balance. Get up later in the morning so that you can work at night or, on the contrary, move your work to the morning so that you can go to bed early.
Employees cannot fully set their own conditions, but some workplaces allow you to agree on whether a morning, afternoon or night shift would suit you better. If your boss will not adapt your work, look elsewhere for a job where this is possible, or start a job that is done only at the times you prefer. Fighting your chronotype does not pay off and can cause a number of problems in the future because, as you surely know, sleep is very important. This does not just mean sleeping 8 hours a day but sleeping well. If you wake up exhausted after 8 hours, something is wrong. Focus on your chronotype and adapt to it as much as you can.
It is also normal for chronotypes to change slightly over the course of your life. This does not mean that a wolf becomes a lion, but rather that the timing shifts. During puberty we want to go to bed later, while in old age we want to get up earlier, because that is simply how our body works. However, this certainly does not mean that you switch from one chronotype to another. Chronotypes simply adapt to different stages of life.
💡 Tip: To be really sure, take a test and find out whether you really are the chronotype you think you are.
