Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsChronotype Sleep PatternsAnimal ReferencesWhat’s Your Chronotype?Developing a Sleep Routine

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Chronotype Sleep Patterns

Animal References

What’s Your Chronotype?

Developing a Sleep Routine

Yoursleepchronotype determines if you naturally have an easier time with a “night owl” or “early bird” sleep pattern.Early birds find it easier to wake up and go to bed early, while night owls naturally prefer a later sleep schedule. Your sleep chronotype can change throughout your lifetime.

In this article, learn about chronotypes, how they are linked to your sleep patterns, animal representations, and how your sleep chronotype can affect your daily habits and routines.

Maskot / Getty Images

Man lying in bed looking at a clock on his bedside table.

Your Chronotype Is Tied to Sleep Patterns

Circadian rhythmis your body’sinternal clockthat follows a 24-hour sleep-wake cycle. Exposure to light, such as the sun, influences sleep patterns, so humans tend to naturally be more alert during the day and sleep at night.However, some people find it easier to either stay up late and sleep in or fall asleep early and wake early compared to others.

Research shows that certain genes may be partially responsible for these night owl or early bird sleep chronotypes.While there is a natural internal body clock that regulates sleep-wake cycle, it can fluctuate with changes in life stages and in response to lifestyle,habits, and behaviors.For example, it is possible fornight owlsto adjust to functioning well with an earlier sleep schedule.

Circadian Rhythm vs. Chronotype

Significance of Animal Chronotype Representations

Scientific and medical studies generally recognize the night owl and the early bird as sleep chronotypes. Night owls tend to achieve peak physical and mental performance in the evening, whereas early birds perform better in the morning.

Michael Breus, a clinical psychologist, has popularized four chronotypes not mentioned in peer-reviewed medical studies. Below are tendencies of the animal chronotypes he has identified:

There is limited data recognizing the bear, dolphin, lion, and wolf chronotypes.

One chronotype is not “better” than the other. It depends on your personal preference and how you perform mental and physical tasks.

People with an evening, or night owl, chronotype tend to have a sleep schedule two to three hours later than people with a morning, or early bird, chronotype. Although, these groups perceive the sleep schedules of evening chronotypes to be five to nine hours later than morning chronotypes.

Sleep chronotypes can change throughout life. People tend to align with the evening chronotype starting inadolescenceand shift toward a morning chronotype into adulthood.

Early BirdGetting tired early in the evening and falling asleep earlyWaking up before the alarm or not needing to set an alarmMore energy earlier in the dayMost productive in the morning or earlier in the dayNight OwlDifficulty falling asleep earlyHitting the snooze button in the morning or having difficulty waking upMore energy later in the dayMost productivity later in the day

Early BirdGetting tired early in the evening and falling asleep earlyWaking up before the alarm or not needing to set an alarmMore energy earlier in the dayMost productive in the morning or earlier in the day

Getting tired early in the evening and falling asleep early

Waking up before the alarm or not needing to set an alarm

More energy earlier in the day

Most productive in the morning or earlier in the day

Night OwlDifficulty falling asleep earlyHitting the snooze button in the morning or having difficulty waking upMore energy later in the dayMost productivity later in the day

Difficulty falling asleep early

Hitting the snooze button in the morning or having difficulty waking up

More energy later in the day

Most productivity later in the day

Developing a Sleep Routine for Your Chronotype

Just because you naturally identify with one sleep chronotype does not mean that you cannot adjust to a differentsleep schedule.

If you want to adjust your sleep routine, take it slow, making 15-minute adjustments to your wake time or sleep time every few days.Sleep routines can help early birds maintain energy later in the day and help night owls wake up for school, work, or other early activities.

Consider your daytime habits when adopting a new sleep routine since your daytime schedule affects your sleep andalertness.

Morning Chronotype Sleep Tips

Sleep routine tipsfor morning chronotypes to consider include:

Evening Chronotype Sleep Tips

Sleep routine tips for evening chronotypes to consider include:

Regardless of your sleep chronotype, a consistent sleep routine can help you improve your overall sleep quality.

Summary

9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sleep Foundation.Chronotypes.NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences.Circadian rhythms.Kalmbach DA, Schneider LD, Cheung J, et al.Genetic basis of chronotype in humans: insights from three landmark GWAR.Sleep. 2016;40(2):zsw048. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsw048Chauhan S, Norbury R, Fabender KC, Ettinger U, Kumari V.Beyond sleep: A multidimensional model of chronotype.Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2023;148:105114. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105114Zou H, Zhou H, Yan R, Yao Z, Lu Q.Chronotype, circadian rhythm, and psychiatric disorders: Recent evidence and potential mechanisms.Front Neurosci. 2022;16:811771. doi:10.3389/fnins.2022.811771Lack L, Bailey M, Lovato N, Wright H.Chronotype differences in circadian rhythms of temperature, melatonin, and sleepiness as measured in a modified constant routine protocol.Nat Sci Sleep. 2009;1:1-8. doi:10.2147/nss.s6234Fischer D, Lombardi DA, Marucci-Wellman H, Roenneberg T.Chronotypes in the US – Influence of age and sex.PLoS One. 2017;12(6):e0178782. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0178782Sleep Foundation.Back to school sleep tips.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for better sleep.

9 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sleep Foundation.Chronotypes.NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences.Circadian rhythms.Kalmbach DA, Schneider LD, Cheung J, et al.Genetic basis of chronotype in humans: insights from three landmark GWAR.Sleep. 2016;40(2):zsw048. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsw048Chauhan S, Norbury R, Fabender KC, Ettinger U, Kumari V.Beyond sleep: A multidimensional model of chronotype.Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2023;148:105114. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105114Zou H, Zhou H, Yan R, Yao Z, Lu Q.Chronotype, circadian rhythm, and psychiatric disorders: Recent evidence and potential mechanisms.Front Neurosci. 2022;16:811771. doi:10.3389/fnins.2022.811771Lack L, Bailey M, Lovato N, Wright H.Chronotype differences in circadian rhythms of temperature, melatonin, and sleepiness as measured in a modified constant routine protocol.Nat Sci Sleep. 2009;1:1-8. doi:10.2147/nss.s6234Fischer D, Lombardi DA, Marucci-Wellman H, Roenneberg T.Chronotypes in the US – Influence of age and sex.PLoS One. 2017;12(6):e0178782. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0178782Sleep Foundation.Back to school sleep tips.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for better sleep.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Sleep Foundation.Chronotypes.NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences.Circadian rhythms.Kalmbach DA, Schneider LD, Cheung J, et al.Genetic basis of chronotype in humans: insights from three landmark GWAR.Sleep. 2016;40(2):zsw048. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsw048Chauhan S, Norbury R, Fabender KC, Ettinger U, Kumari V.Beyond sleep: A multidimensional model of chronotype.Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2023;148:105114. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105114Zou H, Zhou H, Yan R, Yao Z, Lu Q.Chronotype, circadian rhythm, and psychiatric disorders: Recent evidence and potential mechanisms.Front Neurosci. 2022;16:811771. doi:10.3389/fnins.2022.811771Lack L, Bailey M, Lovato N, Wright H.Chronotype differences in circadian rhythms of temperature, melatonin, and sleepiness as measured in a modified constant routine protocol.Nat Sci Sleep. 2009;1:1-8. doi:10.2147/nss.s6234Fischer D, Lombardi DA, Marucci-Wellman H, Roenneberg T.Chronotypes in the US – Influence of age and sex.PLoS One. 2017;12(6):e0178782. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0178782Sleep Foundation.Back to school sleep tips.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for better sleep.

Sleep Foundation.Chronotypes.

NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences.Circadian rhythms.

Kalmbach DA, Schneider LD, Cheung J, et al.Genetic basis of chronotype in humans: insights from three landmark GWAR.Sleep. 2016;40(2):zsw048. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsw048

Chauhan S, Norbury R, Fabender KC, Ettinger U, Kumari V.Beyond sleep: A multidimensional model of chronotype.Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2023;148:105114. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105114

Zou H, Zhou H, Yan R, Yao Z, Lu Q.Chronotype, circadian rhythm, and psychiatric disorders: Recent evidence and potential mechanisms.Front Neurosci. 2022;16:811771. doi:10.3389/fnins.2022.811771

Lack L, Bailey M, Lovato N, Wright H.Chronotype differences in circadian rhythms of temperature, melatonin, and sleepiness as measured in a modified constant routine protocol.Nat Sci Sleep. 2009;1:1-8. doi:10.2147/nss.s6234

Fischer D, Lombardi DA, Marucci-Wellman H, Roenneberg T.Chronotypes in the US – Influence of age and sex.PLoS One. 2017;12(6):e0178782. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0178782

Sleep Foundation.Back to school sleep tips.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for better sleep.

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