Sleep Chronotypes Guide: How Do Chronotypes Work?

A chronotype is the pattern of a person’s instinctive sleep-wake cycle. Without using bedtimes and alarms to program your sleep schedule and wake time, you will likely default to your sleep chronotype in alignment with your innate biological clock. Sleep experts have connected chronotypes to the PER3 gene that all humans carry, which helps set your internal clock and affects how many hours of sleep you need to sustain optimal energy levels.

Understanding your chronotype can help you plan an effective daily routine and let you sleep better—at whatever time of day makes sense for your chronobiology. Determining your chronotype can help you understand your sleep instincts, which in turn can lead to a good night's sleep (or perhaps day's sleep) and overall wellness. Methods for finding your chronotype include the Automated Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (Auto-MEQ), the Circadian Type Inventory, and the Composite Scale of Morningness.

Chronotypes fall on a spectrum with morningness at one extreme and eveningness at the other.

• Early birds: An early bird is a morning person who wakes from sleep ready to seize the day. Some early risers may be classically diurnal, waking around sunrise and achieving maximum work capacity between late morning and early evening; others wake even earlier and crash in the early afternoon.
• Night owls: A night owl is an evening type who is at their best when the sun goes down. These types thrive after dark, and they may struggle to wake at sunrise, requiring multiple alarms. Night owls are more creative in the afternoon and evening.
• Other types: Light sleepers and insomniacs may be productive at all times of the day, but they can struggle with focus on account of minimal REM sleep and deep sleep.

Sleep chronotypes are descriptions of tendencies created by the body's circadian rhythms. The circadian rhythm is a natural sleep-wake cycle affected by regular 24-hour patterns involving body temperature, melatonin secretion, and redox cycles. Scientists have studied circadian rhythms for centuries, and sleep therapies and sleep medicines can help humans manage their natural circadian rhythms. The study of sleep chronotypes is a newer phenomenon. Rather than prescribe medical advice, sleep chronotype specialists tend to offer coaching and advice about making the most of your body's natural tendencies.

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