Sleep Chronotypes
Getting a good night's sleep is far from the only aspect that makes up the pillar of rest. That being said, our overnight sleep patterns play a big role in whether or not we feel rested. I think we can all agree that at some point or another, we have acknowledged that we are not getting enough sleep and/or are not feeling refreshed from the sleep we do get.
When it comes to improving overnight sleep, there can be an overwhelming amount to focus on, from your pre-bed routine, to what position you sleep in, to what kind of alarm you use to wake up. All these have the potential to improve your sleep, however, the study cited above speaks to a more fundamental understanding.
This article describes the 3 chronotype categories that all humans fall into:
Morning Types
Intermediate Types
Evening Types
These chronotypes describe the time of day at which people feel most awake and attentive. In the article, it discusses the fact that your chronotype alone does not determine your sleep quality or quantity by default. This does not mean that each chronotype does not face unique challenges in meeting their bodies natural rhythm and promoting quality sleep.
Do you know what chronotype you are? I think this is a great place to start with improving the quality of your sleep. Even in this study, they cite conflicting evidence of how chronotype and sleep quality play out as the other variables of life are mixed in. That being said, I do believe knowing your chronotype, and catering to it with your daily schedule, sets you up for success in getting quality sleep.
Source
Hemmati-Maslakpak M, Mollazadeh F, Jamshidi H. The Predictive Power of Sleep Quality by Morning-Evening Chronotypes, Job Satisfaction, and Shift Schedule in Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2021 Mar 5;26(2):127-132. doi: 10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_301_19. PMID: 34036059; PMCID: PMC8132855.
