Are you an early bird or a night owl? Perhaps you’ve assigned yourself another animal after completing an internet quiz. Research is shedding light on the link between wellbeing and circadian predisposition, but there’s no need to rewire yourself. Learn to lean into your biolog y with our guide
WHETHER YOU’RE LISTENING TO A PODCAST that’s debating school start times or scrolling Instagram content from an expert urging the end of daylight saving time, the term ‘circadian rhythm’ is unlikely to be new to you. These examples show how some experts advocate for change that allows people to live in harmony with their natural sleep predispositions, or ‘sleep chronotype’.
The sleep chronotype concept is based on how your body, inf luenced by your internal clock, has an innate preference for mornings or evenings. Now, research is revealing just how much honouring your natural rhythm matters for your overall wellbeing. So, pour a cup of camomile and pull up a pillow while we explain why leaning into your sleep habits is the health and recovery hack you’ve been missing.
UNDERSTANDING CHRONOT YPES
JUST LIKE YOUR HEIGHT, your chronotype is (for the most part) both genetically determined and fixed. ‘People are beginning to understand that their chronotype is biological and it’s not something to do with your attitude, willpower or whether you’re a productive person,’ says Jennifer Martin, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and a professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California.
But while genetics play a major role, environmental factors play their part, too. ‘Poor sleep hygiene, such as using your phone late at night, can also impact chronotypes,’ adds Shelby Harris, a clinical psychologist specialising in behavioural sleep medicine. Inconsistent eating patterns and the fact that many people don’t get substantial natural light during the day might also explain why there’s a variance in chronotypes.
So while you may not be able to entirely bypass your hardwiring, you have the power to control some of the lifestyle issues around you. Let’s say you’re an evening type prone to procrastination. Fail to go to sleep until 1am, then struggle to get out of bed in the morning, and you may go from being a natural night owl to a troubled sleeper chronotype. Age and gender also play a role in our sleep settings, says Wendy Troxel, author of Sharing The Covers: Every Couple’s Guide To Better Sleep. ‘Teenagers naturally stay awake and sleep-in later,’ she says. ‘And it’s not just a preference, their biolog y shows it as well.’ For example, teens release melatonin – the hormone that signals sleepiness – later in the day than adults or young children. And as people age, they tend to
