How knowing your type can help you have a better night’s rest.
Are you an early bird or a night owl? It turns out that may come down to your chronotype, a genetic disposition that governs our circadian rhythms. It’s why some of us are naturally wired to get up early — and others, not so much.
But chronotypes go beyond simply morning people and late risers, at least according to one prominent sleep expert. Dr. Michael Breus (aka the Sleep Doctor) tells us that there are actually four chronotypes: You can be a lion, bear, wolf, or dolphin.
Below, he breaks down what chronotypes are, explains each one, and discusses how you can leverage this information to maximize your energy throughout the day.
Katie Couric Media: At a basic level, what are chronotypes?
Dr. Breus: Sleep is dictated by two separate systems in the brain: our sleep drive and our circadian rhythms. It turns out that our circadian rhythms, our body’s biological clocks, are not all set the same. And the difference comes down to genetics; we have a genetically predetermined schedule that largely controls when we wake up and when our body starts producing certain hormones.
What are the different chronotypes?
In the ’70s, researchers identified three different chronotypes: people who get up early, people who get up late, and folks who are in the middle. But in my research, I’ve identified a fourth. These are people who don’t fit into any of these categories and have an irregular sleep pattern.
The most common chronotype are what I call bears. They make up about 55 percent of the population, and the world is really built for them. They tend to get up around 7 or 7:30 a.m. and easily fit into the 9-to-5 schedule. Early-risers I call lions. About 15 percent of people fall into this group; they tend to be about 90 minutes ahead of a bear’s schedule. While wolves — or the night owls — tend to be about 90 minutes behind. They struggle to wake up before 9 a.m. and also comprise about 15 percent of the population. The fourth type I call dolphins. They have a completely irregular sleep pattern, where when they get up only some of their hormones are firing while others aren’t.
Why do you think people should know and understand their chronotype?
If you have an understanding of when your hormones are going to be elevated, you can figure out what times of day you’re going to have the most energy and when you’ll be the most productive. Lions, for instance, typically have a lot of energy early in the day, after about 9 a.m., while bears don’t peak until 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. This schedule can also help you optimize your cup of coffee, too.
Tell us more. When should we be having our coffee?
When you wake up, your body starts producing adrenaline and cortisol, two hormones that rev you up and are needed to pull your brain out of a state of unconsciousness. So as soon as you get up, both of those hormones are fairly elevated, and if you immediately have a cup of coffee it does absolutely no good. The best time to have it is about 90 minutes after you open your eyes, when those hormones start to drop.
On the flip side, you also want to stop drinking coffee — regardless of your chronotype — by 2:30 p.m. And I’d argue that wolves shouldn’t bother drinking caffeine later in the day anyway, because they’re already in the zone, energy-wise.
Can you change chronotypes?
The interesting thing is that all of us change chronotypes that our lifetimes. When you’re a baby, you’re going to be a lion, adolescents are typically night owls, and seniors revert back to being lions. But for about 25 to 35 years, in adulthood, you’re going to settle into one of these four types.
You can change it, but it’s something that you’d have to work at almost every day. I’ve recommended bright light therapy in the morning for wolves to help them reset their clock and get up earlier. And for lions who want to stay up later, I recommend exercising later in the day. But it’s hard. I’ve had patients who are wolves and have to be at work at 7 a.m. and are miserable, and I’ve actually suggested that they may want to change jobs.
How can you learn your chronotype?
I’ve created a quiz that takes just a few minutes to fill out to help you figure out which group you fall into.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
