Sleep chronotypes are the latest wellness concept meant to help you maximize your productivity and energy levels throughout the day. If you’ve heard of them recently, you may have asked yourself: are sleep chronotypes real? Or: Which sleep chronotype am I?
In today’s post, we are breaking down each of the four types and discussing how understanding yours can help you maximize your day. Keep reading to discover how to determine your sleep chronotype.
What is a sleep chronotype?
Sleep chronotypes are a way of classifying your body’s individual preferences for a sleep-wake cycle. While your type is closely linked to your circadian rhythm, there are differences between the two. For example, the circadian rhythm can be trained with light cues and habits, whereas your sleep chronotype exists on a deeper, cellular level.²
For that reason, many people who struggle with energy levels, insomnia, and other sleep-related issues have found success by adapting their routines to suit their sleep chronotype!
Are sleep chronotypes real?
Yes! Sleep chronotypes have been proven to be real by scientific studies. One study found that the level of melatonin in subjects’ bodily cells was consistent with their chronotype,¹ showing that sleep chronotype is directly connected to an individual’s unique circadian rhythm.
Can you change your sleep chronotype?
As far as scientists know, you cannot change your sleep chronotype. This is because your type is largely based on genetics and age.
Most people who struggle with their type find success once they find a way to adapt their lifestyle to their specific chronotype. However, certain lifestyle and habit adjustments can help you adjust your sleep-wake cycle if you need to.
How to determine your sleep chronotype
By now, you’re probably asking yourself: which sleep chronotype am I? There are a few ways to find out.
1. Ask yourself what your sleep schedule would look like if you had no work or obligations. Would you be an early riser, waking up before the sun? Would you sleep until noon? Or would you fall somewhere in between?
2. Ask yourself what your ideal workday would look like. What is your ideal start time? When do you feel like you have the most energy? If you have to complete a really difficult task, when would you feel the most equipped to do so?
3. Consider your personality and social schedule. When do you feel the happiest? The most like yourself? When do you tend to have the best social interactions and when do you feel more drained and introverted?
It’s important to get a good idea of what all this would look like outside of your normal work schedule. Think about how you choose to live and spend your energy on days when you have no obligations.
If you’re a new parent or a business owner, it might feel like those days don’t exist! So try to think back to a time before you had obligations every day.
Once you’ve got a good idea of your habits and natural inclinations, read the following types and see which one sounds most like the version of yourself that you just came up with.