I muse over the phrase, “slept like a baby.” Does that mean that you woke up crying multiple times? Like many other wellness behaviours, good sleep comes from knowledge and the consistent practice of small actions. Productive sleep comes from knowing your chronotype, employing simple, but not always easy habits, and lastly, prioritising sleep.
A chronotype is your body’s natural inclination to sleep, wake, and be active at certain times. It is influenced by genetics, age, and hormones. The concept of sleep chronotypes was first introduced by Dr. Michael Breus in his book ‘The Power of When’. Knowing your chronotype can help you optimise productivity, improve sleep quality and maintain overall well-being.
There are four main chronotypes, each represented by the animal that mirrors its sleep patterns:
Bear (The Most Common): Bears follow the sun, with energy peaking in the morning and dipping after lunch. Their best work time is from late morning to early afternoon. To maximize productivity, prioritise important tasks before 2pm.
Lion (Early Riser): Lions are early risers with high energy in the morning but tend to slow down in the evening. Their optimal work time is in the early morning, between 5 and 10am. Utilise these early hours for deep work and take it easy in the evening.
Wolf (Night Owl): Wolves struggle with mornings but excel in the evening. Their most productive period is from late afternoon to night. If possible, adjust your schedule to match these energy peaks for better efficiency.
Dolphin (Light Sleeper): Dolphins have irregular sleep patterns and often experience insomnia. Their best work time falls between mid-morning and early afternoon. Developing a consistent sleep routine can help improve overall productivity.
Which one are you? If you don’t recognise yourself, there are free quizzes available online, many offering detailed insights into your chronotype. Work with your chronotype when possible. But if life demands a shift, gradual, consistent changes can help you adapt.
TIPS
Whether you want to shift your chronotype or simply want to improve the quality of your sleep, the following tips may help:
Wake up at the same time every day, including weekends, to regulate sleep pressure. Sleep pressure is the body’s natural urge to sleep and is primarily caused by the accumulation of a brain chemical called adenosine. The more active you are - mentally or physically - the more adenosine builds up in your brain throughout the day. During sleep, adenosine gets cleared away, alleviating sleep pressure and allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed. For some people, naps interfere with sleep pressure build up and cause a premature reset, thus delaying the natural bedtime.
Everyone’s sleep needs are different. In a perfect world, sleep pressure matches sleep opportunity, the time available to sleep. Work backwards from a fixed wakeup time and experiment with different bedtimes until you determine the best match. Not everyone requires the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep, some need more, some need less. Honour your inner voice that signals your “enough” rather than suffer from sleep-need anxiety because your tracker keeps sending you nasty messages.
Limit caffeine. Caffeine reduces sleep pressure by blocking adenosine and delays the feeling of sleepiness, making it harder to fall asleep, even if you feel tired. It disrupts deep sleep and shortens total sleep time. Even after a full night’s sleep, you may wake up feeling poorly rested, if caffeine is still in your system; the adenosine didn’t get cleared out. The half-life of caffeine is about 5 to 7 hours for most people. This means: After 5 hours, 50% of the caffeine is still in your system. After 10 hours, about 25% remains. It can take 12–14 hours for caffeine to fully clear from your body. That means no caffeine for most people after 2pm; for those sensitive to it, stop at noon.
Expose yourself to morning sunlight soon after waking up. Go outside and look safely at the sky for 15-30 minutes to raise energy boosting cortisol levels and to reset your circadian rhythm. Repeat the same behaviour in the evening as the sun sets. The changing light triggers the production of the sleep invoking hormone melatonin. Keep the interior lights dim, 1-2 hours before bed. Avoid bright lights and blue screens close to bedtime.
Create a supportive sleep environment. A relaxing pre-sleep routine, a cool, dark and quiet bedroom and comfortable bedding set the stage for quality sleep.
If you wake up during the night, do not look at the clock, especially if you use your phone as your clock. The light alone is a stimulus, and the mind automatically starts calculating how much or how little time you have until wakeup, both of which can be stress provoking. If possible, put your phone out of reach. Set two alarms, if that gives you confidence that you will not accidentally oversleep. If falling back to sleep seems impossible, get out of bed and do something relaxing until you are sleepy again. Otherwise, the bed becomes a battlefield rather than a place of repose.
Lastly, make sleep a priority. Once you understand your sleep needs and have found your optimal schedule, stick with it, without apology. Your body will thank you.
Libby Heath shares her insights and advice through her column ‘Wellthwise’ here in The Phuket News. Please note that if you have a condition that requires medical treatment, consult your doctor. Contact Libby at: BeWellthwise@gmail.com