If you feel slower during certain times of the day, it could be because of your sleeping chronotype.
The chronotype affects the body’s natural tendency to sleep or awake, according to the sleep foundation.
Knowing and adapting to the ideal schedule for your sleeping chronotype could improve your rest and help you perform daily tasks more efficiently, say sleep experts.
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“Your chronotype, or natural sleep awake preference, refers to your natural tendencies to feel awake or sleepy at different times of the day,” Dr. Anne Marie Morse, a medical doctor in Pennsylvania, told Fox News Digital.
There are four main types of sleeping chronotypes: bear, wolf, lion and dolphin.
There are four main types of sleeping chronotypes: bear, wolf, lion and dolphin. (istock)
Genetics, age, geography and the circadian rhythm of the body (its inner 24-hour clock) can determine one’s chronotype, said the sleep foundation in its report.
In addition to sleep quality, chronotypes can also affect appetite, exercise and body temperature.
Breaking the chronotypes
Dr. Michael Breus, Doctor, board member-certified sleep specialist in Los Angeles, first introduced the four chronotypes based on sleep-wake patterns seen in some animals.
“We discussed early birds and night owls, but I broke it further into four categories based on other animals,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Your chronotype, or natural sleep awake preference, refers to your natural tendencies to feel awake or sleepy at different times of the day.”
“Each of these four chronotypes is defined by specific windows of productivity during which they work and act as good as possible … at different hours of the day.”
Lion
Individuals who are considered the lion chronotype, typically wake up early (around 6 o’clock) are more productive in the morning hours and prefer to sleep around 1:30 pm, according to Breus’s report on his website.
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Their energy begins to end in the early evening and they may struggle with society in the evening, according to Breus’s report. To bed is usually around 10 o’clock in the evening
An estimated 15% of individuals fall into this chronotype.
Bear
The bear chronotype wakes up with the sun at about 7 o’clock, works well during traditional office hours between 10am to 2pm, and does not struggle with the presence of evening social activities.
Wolf -crown types are similar to “night owls.” As the day decreases, the energy levels of these individuals are revived. (istock)
This chronotype prefers to go to bed around 11 o’clock in the evening, according to the Sleep Foundation report.
Bears account for about 55% of individuals.
Wolf
Wolf -crown types are similar to “night owls.” As the day decreases, the energy levels of these individuals are revived with a favorite going around midnight, Breus stated in their report.
People in this category typically wake up around 7:30 am, are nasty in the morning and are most productive between the hours of the 1st and 5th evening, according to The Sleep Foundation.
About 15% percent of people are considered to be this chronotype.
Dolphin
Those in the dolphin chrototype are usually light sleepers, have a difficult time to develop before bedtime and rarely follow a consistent bedtime schedule, several sleep experts told Fox News Digital.
Dolphins wake up at about 6 o’clock, are most productive between the hours of 3 o’clock and 19th evening, and go to bed around 11th evening
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“Those with the dolphin chronotype have difficulty following any sleep schedule due to disturbances like noise and light,” Morse told Fox News Digital. “Productivity is best in the late mornings until early afternoons.”
People struggling with insomnia are often dolphin chronotypes, according to Morse.
Nearly 10% of individuals belong to this category.
How to determine your crown type
To determine your chrototype, the sleep foundation recommends considering your sleep preferences, your energy levels during the day and when you eat your meals.
Questions such as the morning-event questionnaire (MEQ) and the Munich chronotype questionnaire (MCTQ) can help determine one’s chronotype.
Understanding how your chronotype works can help you sleep better at night and feel more refreshed during the day, experts say. (istock)
Breus also developed an online chronotypic quiz at SleepDoctor.com to help individuals determine if they are a bear, wolf, lion or dolphin.
Understanding how your chronotype works can help you sleep better at night and feel more refreshed during the day, according to Breus.
Adjusting schedules based on a crowning
After displaying your chronotype, Breus recommends tailoring daily activities based on periods of top energy and productivity levels.
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“If you often experience a bad sleep quality despite sleeping full night’s sleep, you may be working against your chronotype,” he said.
Morse recommends that people plan important tasks at times when they naturally feel most attentive and adjusting regrets to match their natural sleep patterns, instead of “operating” schedules that do not match their chronotypes.
After displaying your chronotype, experts recommend tailoring daily activities based on periods of top energy and productivity levels. (istock)
For example, an individual categorized as a lion should try to deal with large projects, important meetings or social activities earlier in the morning, when their trend is most energetic and productive, the expert said.
Because they are typically early lifters, Morse said lions have to establish an early bed to make sure they sleep enough. She also advised Lions to avoid great meals or rigorous exercises in the late evening, which could delay sleep.
“If you are a naturally late lift, or a wolf crown, forcing you to wake up too early can lead to sleep disvalued.”
“If you are a naturally delayed lift, or wolf -chronotype, forcing you to wake up too early can lead to sleep devaluation and could negatively impact health,” Morse told Fox News Digital.
“Wolves are the most productive in the afternoon, so get out of big morning plans for optimal performance.”
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Morse also suggested that Wolf chronotypes sleep in cold, dark and quiet bedrooms, using blackmail curtains or sleeping mask to block early morning.
Because dolphin chronotypes usually do not follow a given sleep schedule, Morse recommends that they prioritize to go to bed and wake up at the same time daily, even on weekends.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends getting at least seven hours of sleep a night to maintain overall health and well -being. (istock)
“If you have difficulty falling asleep or sleeping at night, try to avoid heads during the day and avoid screen time at least 30 minutes to an hour before bed,” he suggested.
For those who fall into the bear chronotype, Morse suggests getting sunlight immediately after awakening in the morning. In case of an afternoon decline, he recommends choosing a short slumber at about the 2nd in the evening instead of reaching caffeine.
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If daily obligations prevents joining ideal sleep schedules, Morse said the best step is to try a better alignment.
Regardless of a chronotype, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends receiving at least seven hours of sleep a night to maintain overall health and well -being.
