Disclaimer: This quiz is for entertainment purposes only. In no way is this an empirically validated test. The concepts presented are not rooted in any known research.
There’s no doubt about it: Everyone needs sleep. But within this certainty, there’s a lot of variation.
How much sleep? What’s the perfect bedtime? What if I have trouble falling asleep?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to these questions. We all have different sleep needs and sleep drives. That’s where knowing your sleep chronotype can come in handy.
Dr. Michael Breus, aka The Sleep Doctor, defines a chronotype as “your body’s natural disposition to be awake or asleep at certain times.”
A chronotype is related to your circadian rhythm, which determines when you fall asleep, wake up, and when your body releases certain hormones such as melatonin. But while a circadian rhythm is affected by things such as daylight, the only factor that affects a chronotype is genetics.
Sometimes referred to as a “sleep animal,” the sleep chronotypes expand upon the classic concepts of the night owl and early bird, adding more options and more nuance.
Dr. Breus identified four sleep chronotypes:
- Bear: This chronotype is the most common and means that your sleep and wake cycle coincides with the sun’s rising and setting.
- Lion: If you prefer to rise early in the morning and wind down in the early evening, falling asleep at about 9 or 10 p.m, you may be a lion chronotype.
- Wolf: If you’re a wolf chronotype, you may have trouble waking up in the morning, preferring to sleep in until noon. You generally feel more energetic in the early afternoon and get another energy boost at around 6 p.m.
- Dolphin: The dolphin chronotype often has trouble following any type of sleep schedule. You may be more sensitive to sound, so the slightest noise may wake you. You’re generally more productive late morning and early afternoon.
Knowing your chronotype can help you understand your individual sleep needs, as well as when the best time is to eat, drink caffeine, exercise, and more.
This short, free chronotype quiz is meant for anyone who wonders what their sleep chronotype is or wants to optimize their sleep. The results from this quiz can help you discover simple things you can do to get a better night’s sleep.
If your sleep is more seriously disrupted, a medical professional can help you determine if your issues may be a symptom of a different condition and recommend a treatment plan if necessary.
This online screening tool is based on the four chronotypes developed by Dr. Michael Breus, a clinical psychologist. This quiz is not intended to be a diagnostic tool.
Only a licensed health professional or trained medical doctor can give you a diagnosis and help you figure out whether your trouble sleeping stems from a medical issue or mental health challenges.
How do I figure out my chronotype?
Figuring out your chronotype is simple. All it takes is applying what you already know about your sleeping habits to a quiz such as this one. Knowing what time you prefer to wake up, what time you naturally fall asleep, and how you feel in the morning are crucial.
What are the four chronotypes?
The four sleep chronotypes are the bear, the lion, the wolf, and the dolphin.
- Bear: sleep and wake cycle coincide with the sun
- Lion: early to bed and early to rise
- Wolf: prefers sleeping in late and going to bed late
- Dolphin: no set sleep schedule
Are chronotypes legit?
Chronotypes are widely accepted among the scientific community though these descriptions and associated labels are not part of ongoing research. Scientists theorize that humans evolved to have different sleep cycles so that someone was always awake to alert others in case of approaching danger.
Which chronotype has more sleep problems?
Each chronotype has problems to some degree, but the chronotype most likely to have trouble falling and staying asleep is the dolphin.