What Is Sleep Style?
Your sleep style is your body’s natural tendency to sleep at a specific time, called its chronotype. You may naturally be an early riser or more likely to stay up late.
Chronotype can affect everything from your desire for food and exercise habits, to even your core body temperature. Depending on your chronotype, you may feel more awake during one part of the day and drowsier at other times.
Your body then releases the hormone melatonin, which helps you sleep. Chronotype, on the other hand, is more fixed. Researchers think your age, sex, and other genetic factors decide it.
Also known as early birds, you wake up bright and early. Most of us fall somewhere between morning larks and night owls. Experts call this sleep type a hummingbird, and they think 55% of all people are in this group.
Four Sleep Styles
Researchers are studying this fourth chronotype.
“It’s like changing time zones. It doesn’t work very well,” says Steven Feinsilver, MD, director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
The Impact of Sleep Style
While you can’t change your chronotype, knowing it can help you figure out when you’re most productive and at your best socially and creatively.
Tips to Fit Your Sleep Style
“The secret of being a good sleeper is to get your circadian rhythm to match up with your sleep schedule,” Feinsilver says. One of the most important things you can do is keep a regular sleep schedule.
Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day, even on weekends. Let’s say you’re typically in bed for 8 hours but only sleep for 6.
Although these tips may work no matter your sleep style, it’s much harder to change the circadian rhythm of those who are more active after the sun goes down, like night shift workers.
But if you take a few days off, it will probably revert to a standard way of sleeping.
“Humans never adjusted very well to being nocturnal animals,” Feinsilver says.
“You can’t fool mother nature.”