What is your chronotype and how does it affect your sleep and productivity?
If you are not completely familiar with the term chronotype, know that you have definitely come across it before. If someone has ever told you in your life that you are an early bird or a night owl, they were partly describing your chronotype.
What is a chronotype?
Chronotype is a genetic predisposition to a certain schedule that our entire circadian system follows. But it's not just that birds wake up early, it's that all their hormones kick in earlier than night owls.
Chronotype is not just a general system that pigeonholes people according to their sleeping habits.
There is actually a solid science behind chronotypes. There is something called genetic expression of PER3. If you have this gene short or long, it means you are a night owl or an early bird.
Unlike our circadian rhythm, our specific chronotype is not influenced by any external force other than genetics. This is why it is so important to work with your chronotype rather than against it if you want to be as rested and productive as possible. A sleep routine is what makes quality sleep.
It is important to know that the chronotype changes as life progresses. Science says you can't change your basic biological chronotype, but as the organism evolves, everyone goes through all the chronotypes in their lifetime. Many people turn into early birds as they get older.
What chronotypes do we know?
We already know about early birds and night owls, but in reality, people fall into four chronotypes, which indicate a person's ideal schedule based on their unique internal clock. These chronotypes are Dolphin, Lion, Bear and Wolf.
Dolphin - According to research, it is most difficult for dolphins to create a set sleep schedule that suits them. People with the dolphin chronotype tend to be very sensitive sleepers who are often easily disturbed by noise or light.
From the survey of Dr. Breuse, with more than 1.3 million respondents, found that dolphins have an excellent window of productivity between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Leo - The most apt summary of Leos is "early to bed, early to the feet". People with a Leo chronotype tend to wake up early in the morning and their most productive hours are before noon. Leos like it best when they can start their daily to-do list right away, get things done early and not put them off. Leos tend to fall asleep around 9pm and 10pm.
Bear - It is definitely one of the most common chronotypes. In fact, about 55% of the population falls under this chronotype. The sleep-wake cycle of bears is in sync with the sun, so it is more natural for them to wake up and go to sleep with the sun as well. People with a bear chronotype are generally most productive around noon and begin to experience a drop in energy in the late afternoon. In the early evening they need to go to sleep.
Wolf - The wolf chronotype was named after their way of life. Wolves, as you know, are nocturnal creatures and hunt mostly at night and during late evenings. This means that even people with a wolf chronotype will be comfortable getting up later. Wolves will be most productive between noon and 4:00 p.m. In the evening, they can feel a rush of energy.
Final advice
Never fight your chronotype - use it to your advantage! Optimize your sleep-wake cycle and consequently maximize productivity.
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