What Time Should I Sleep?

Ever heard of the terms, early bird or night owl? These are called Chronotypes.

Your chronotype determines not only when you should sleep and wake up, but also when you are most productive, most alert, etc. Knowing your chronotype can vastly improve your productivity.

Here’s the list of the four different types.

Chronotypes as described by Michael Breus’ book Power of When

I first took the quiz 2 years ago and it said I was a wolf. I took the test again today and it said I was a bear.

I was always confused on what my chronotype was. Part of it was me being a wolf but trying to live a lion’s schedule. However, I think it has more to do with the following:

We undergo chronotype transitions.

Many teenagers are wolves then transition to bears or lions in adulthood. According to Breus, “By about age 21, we begin to settle in to the chronotype that will stay with us through decades of adulthood, until about age 65.”

I took this test when I was 20, and then again today at 22. Thus, it’s likely that I underwent a chronotype transition in between.

Within each of the four chronotypes there exists a continuum.

Most people aren’t going to fall exactly into one of these four buckets. Most of us will exhibit traits of a mix of them. Knowing this I’d say I’m more of a late bear.

What’s your chronotype? Take the quiz here.