Ever wondered why, even when you’ve had your full 8 hours of sleep, you simply can’t prise yourself from the comfort of your bed in the morning, when your partner is fully awake and alert first thing, but begins to drift off into slumber come early evening?
It turns out that our biological clocks run on different schedules, which is why some people live for the early morning workout, but others would rather sleep in until a more socially acceptable hour! According to clinical psychologist Dr Michael Breus, who specialises in sleep disorders, there are four different ‘chronotypes’ that link our sleeping habits to a specific animal; either a dolphin, a bear, a lion or a wolf. But which one are you?
Dolphin
Real dolphins sleep with just half of their brain at a time, keeping the other half awake so they can swim and keep an eye out for predators. That’s why the dolphin chronotype is usually associated with those who suffer from insomnia or who have a low sleep drive.
Dolphin sleepers should wake up early and do their exercise in the morning, then hit the hay later to avoid that awful feeling of lying in bed without being able to drift off to sleep. Dr Breus says that dolphins should get their heads down at around 11.30pm.
Bear
Bears in the wild base their sleep schedules on the sun, so you might be a bear if you rely on sunlight to get you out of bed in the mornings.
People in the bear chronotype generally need a full 8 hours of kip and take on their trickiest tasks between 10am and 12pm. They should also take a nap in the afternoon, although this might not be acceptable if you’re working a 9-5 shift!
Lion
Lions are early risers and are full of energy in the morning, but they run out of steam when early evening rolls around.
Those in the lion category should wake early (around 5.30am) and get some exercise around 5pm before their energy reaches a lull. They should get an early night, hitting the sack between 10 and 10.30pm.
Wolf
Not a morning person, but thrive in the evening? You might well be a wolf.
Wolves should get up between 7 and 7.30am, using two alarms to break the surface of sleep. It’s recommended that they eat breakfast immediately and exercise in the morning.
People in the wolf category should do any creative work during the afternoon and eat their evening meal later than the other three animals, around 8 o’clock.
So, which of these is your sleep spirit animal? Take our fabulous flowchart to find out!
Regardless of what your sleep animal is, you still need a good night's sleep! Check out our beautiful range of luxury beds and bedding to ensure you get perfect slumber every night.
