What's a chronotype and ways to discover yours

By Janet Ungless

Did you know that everyone has a unique chronotype? It's the natural inclination of your body to sleep at a certain time, which is commonly known as being a morning person or a night owl.

Knowing and understanding your chronotype can be beneficial for managing your daily schedule, optimizing productivity, and improving overall well-being. For instance, aligning your activities with your natural peak periods of alertness can lead to better performance and reduced sleep-related issues.

Let’s say you are a lion chronotype, for example. You may find that you are most alert and productive in the morning. However, if you are a wolf chronotype, you may be more productive in the evening. Understanding your chronotype can also assist in optimizing your eating habits and mental health. You can enhance your overall well-being by aligning your activities with your natural energy patterns.

What is a chronotype?

A chronotype refers to an individual's natural tendency towards specific sleep-wake patterns over 24 hours. It represents a person's internal biological clock and determines whether they are naturally more inclined to be a morning person (early chronotype) or an evening person (late chronotype).

In sleep science, chronotype refers to a person’s preferred wake-up time and bedtime. It’s their biological disposition toward the timing of activity and sleep. Although all humans are diurnal, clearly there’s a lot of variance.

What factors determine your chronotype?

Whether you’re a morning lark or a night owl is generally less about personal preference and more about your genetics and your stage of life. This genetic predisposition is called your chronotype, and it comes from the Greek khronos, meaning time. Your chronotype is determined by clock gene variants, including a gene called Per3.

Psychologist Azure Grant, Ph.D., states, “Our chronotype is determined by the phase of our circadian rhythm [our biological clock] and our sensitivity to external cues. It impacts our levels of alertness and motivation throughout the day, including peak athletic performance, hunger, and satiety. It affects stress, even blood pressure.”

Most of the systems and processes in our bodies run on internal clocks that generate circadian rhythms, cycles that repeat each day. One of the most familiar ways we experience circadian rhythms is through their impact on our sleep-wake cycle.

“Some people’s clocks run a little faster/shorter than 24 hours, meaning in the absence of external cues they wake a little earlier and get tired a little earlier each day. Those are your larks, your morning people.

“Night Owls, on the other hand, have clocks that run a little slower/longer than 24 hours, meaning they wake up a little later and get tired a little later each day.” Researchers suspect that owls might also be more sensitive to external cues, such as light at night.

Circadian rhythm vs. chronotype

Circadian rhythms refer to your internal clocks that control your sleep-wake cycle. Chronotypes, conversely, can be thought of as how circadian rhythms play out in your everyday life. "Think of your chronotype as an aspect of your disposition,” says Dr. Grant.

When you know your chronotype, you can turn it into a productivity tool to help you figure out the best times of day to take on specific tasks.

What are the four chronotypes?

There are several models and classifications of chronotypes, but one of the most well-known is the classification proposed by Dr. Michael Breus, a sleep specialist. In his book "The Power of When," he identifies four main chronotypes based on people's natural inclinations towards specific sleep-wake patterns. These four chronotypes are:

1. Dolphin
2. Lion
3. Bear
4. Wolf

1. Dolphin (insomniac)

Dolphins tend to be light sleepers and often struggle with maintaining consistent sleep patterns.

2. Lion (early riser)

Lions are early risers and tend to feel most alert and productive in the morning.

3. Bear (normal)

Bears represent the largest portion of the population and follow a more typical sleep-wake pattern.

4. Wolf (night owl)

Wolves are night owls and have difficulty waking up early in the morning.

What is my chronotype?

When trying to identify your chronotype, note that it changes with age and exposure to timing cues. To determine your chronotype, you can follow these steps:

Reflect on your natural preferences

Pay attention to your daily energy levels, alertness, and sleep patterns over an extended period.

Assess your sleep-wake schedule

Keep a sleep diary for at least a week, recording the times you go to bed, wake up, and any disturbances during the night.

Take chronotype quizzes or assessments

There are online quizzes and assessments available that can give you a general idea of your chronotype based on your responses to specific questions about your sleep preferences and habits.

Observe your weekend behavior

Pay attention to how you behave on weekends or days off when you have more flexibility in your schedule.

Consider your productivity peaks

Take note of the times during the day when you feel most productive and focused.

Assess your response to time zone changes

If you've traveled across different time zones, think about how well you adapted to the new schedule.

Seek professional advice

If you find it challenging to determine your chronotype on your own or have concerns about your sleep patterns, consider consulting a sleep specialist or healthcare professional.

Questions to ask to determine your chronotype

To determine your chronotype, you can ask yourself the following questions. Be honest with your answers and try to recall your natural preferences and tendencies over an extended period:

Morning preferences:

• Do you find it relatively easy to wake up early in the morning feeling refreshed and alert?
• Do you naturally feel more productive and focused during the early hours of the day?

Evening preferences:

• Do you tend to feel more energetic and alert during the evening and nighttime?
• Is it challenging for you to wake up early in the morning and do you prefer staying up late?

Midday energy:

• Do you experience a noticeable slump or decrease in energy levels during the midday hours (e.g., after lunch)?
• Does your level of alertness vary throughout the day?

Bedtime routine:

• When do you naturally feel tired and ready to go to bed?
• Do you have a consistent bedtime routine, and does it align with a specific time of the night?

Sleep quality:

• Do you usually sleep soundly and wake up feeling refreshed?
• Do you struggle with falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up frequently during the night?

Productivity peaks:

• When do you feel most productive, creative, and focused during the day?
• Are there specific times when you tend to accomplish tasks more efficiently?

Weekend habits:

• On weekends or days off when you have more flexibility, do you naturally stay up later and sleep in longer?

Recovery after time zone changes:

• How do you typically adjust to changes in time zones when traveling?

By reflecting on these questions and paying attention to your natural inclinations and energy levels throughout the day, you can gain insights into your chronotype.

Can I change my chronotype?

The short answer: not really. However, most people's chronotype does shift earlier as they get older.

Working with your chronotype

Understanding your chronotype can help you work with your own sleep-wake pattern and figure out things like when you’re most focused for work or most creative. No matter your chronotype, getting morning light, keeping stable meal and activity times, and meaningful social interaction can help you stay healthier.