If you’ve taken our chronotype quiz and found yourself with mixed results, don’t worry—you’re not alone!
Many people discover they don’t fit perfectly into just one chronotype category, and there’s a fascinating scientific reason for this.
While researchers have identified four distinct chronotypes, human biology rarely fits into neat boxes. Instead, our natural sleep-wake patterns often exist on a spectrum—with many people showing characteristics of multiple types.
So, let’s dive deeper into the world of chronotypes to help you understand what it means if you got a tie, how to work with mixed characteristics, and some surprising statistics about each type.
Plus, we’ll share our tips on creating a personalized routine that works for your unique pattern!
What Are the Four Chronotypes?
Before we dive deeper, let’s quickly recap the four main chronotypes:
- Lions (Early Birds): Natural early risers who peak in productivity during the morning hours. They tend to wake up energized and ready to tackle the day.
- Bears: Following the solar cycle, Bears make up the majority of the population. They’re most productive during the middle of the day and prefer a traditional sleep-wake schedule.
- Wolves (Night Owls): Most alert and creative in the evening hours, Wolves often struggle with early mornings but excel in late-day activities.
- Dolphins: Light sleepers who may struggle with maintaining regular sleep patterns but often experience peak productivity in the mid-morning hours.
Understanding the Statistics: How Common is Your Type?
It’s important to note that chronotype distributions can vary based on factors such as age, cultural context, and assessment methods.
While the terms Bears, Lions, Wolves, and Dolphins provide an accessible framework for understanding sleep patterns, the exact percentages may differ across studies and populations.
One of the most fascinating aspects of chronotype research is the distribution across populations. It’s worth noting that these statistics were pulled from various sources and summarized for our use here.
So, with that in mind, generally speaking, here’s how common each type is:
- Bears are by far the most common, making up approximately 55% of the population. This makes evolutionary sense, as our ancestors needed to be active during daylight hours.
- Lions represent about 15-20% of people. Their early-rising tendency may have evolved to help communities maintain vigilance during early morning hours.
- Wolves account for roughly 15-27% of the population (depending on the source). Their tendency to stay alert later into the night might have helped ancient communities maintain security during darkness.
- Dolphins are the rarest type, comprising only about 10% of people. Their light sleeping patterns may have evolved as a survival mechanism to maintain awareness of potential dangers.
Got a Tie? Here’s What It Means
If you scored equally between two or more chronotypes, congratulations, you’re a bit of a rare breed—and you’re experiencing what’s known as “chronotype flexibility.”
This actually can be advantageous, as it means you may be able to adapt more easily to different schedules when needed.
So, what should you know? Here’s a brief breakdown.
1. Lion-Bear Mix
Focus on productive mornings, but maintain energy through the early afternoon. Consider starting your day early but pacing yourself to avoid afternoon crashes.
2. Bear-Wolf Mix
You might find you have two daily energy peaks—one in the late morning and another in the early evening.
Structure your day to take advantage of both productive periods. This may mean keeping your most productive time for late morning and early evening, or even working out during those times as you’ll likely be motivated the most.
3. Wolf-Dolphin Mix
Pay extra attention to sleep quality and consider a slightly later start to your day. You might find your best focus comes in sporadic bursts rather than consistent patterns. And that’s okay!
4. Dolphin-Lion Mix
While this is a less common combination, these types share a tendency toward perfectionism.
Focus on creating a very consistent schedule while building flexibility for sleep difficulties. If you feel tired, ensure you try to schedule your day accordingly. It can also help to build up your sleep hygiene habits to potentially improve this mix!
Related Article: 15 Bedtime Rituals to Practice for a Good Night’s Sleep
Creating Your Hybrid Schedule
The key to working with mixed chronotype characteristics is observation and flexibility.
If you scored like I did, you may have a tie or characteristics between more than 2 chronotypes. In this case, try blending aspects of each type you scored with to see what works.
If you got Wolf/Bear/Lion for example, you may actually be okay getting up early, but crash in the afternoon and then want to pick back up again after dinner.
At the end of the day, there’s no set way that will work for everyone. You could do an experiment and try a week of each one and make notes on what worked best for you or didn’t work at all.
So, what does this mean? Here’s a step-by-step approach:
- Track Your Natural Patterns: Spend a week logging your energy levels, mood, and productivity at different times of day without forcing any particular schedule. This will help you determine what naturally works for you.
- Identify Your Peaks: Look for patterns for when you naturally feel most alert and productive, regardless of what “type” those times suggest.
- Build Around Your Strengths: Create a schedule that maximizes your natural high-energy periods while accommodating any consistent low-energy times.
- Stay Flexible: Allow your schedule to evolve as you notice what works best, and don’t be afraid to adjust seasonally or as circumstances change.
Advanced Tips for All Chronotypes
Whether you fit clearly into one type or share characteristics of multiple types, these advanced strategies can help optimize your daily routine even further.
1. Get Adequate Light Exposure
Research shows that strategic light exposure can help regulate your circadian rhythm regardless of your chronotype. So, here’s how you can use this to your advantage:
- Morning types (Lions and Bears) should get bright light exposure within the first hour of waking.
- Evening types (Wolves) can benefit from bright light in the late morning to help shift their rhythm earlier.
- Dolphins should focus on consistent light exposure patterns to help regulate their sleep-wake cycle.
Related Article: 5 Awesome Benefits of Light Therapy Lamps & Can They Help Depression?
Temperature Regulation
Your body temperature naturally fluctuates throughout the day, affecting alertness and sleep readiness.
Thus, you may want to consider a slightly cooler environment during your peak productive hours. You may also want to plan exercise to align with your natural temperature peaks. And remember to keep your sleeping environment cool (around 65°F/18°C) regardless of chronotype!
Nutrition Timing
Adapt your eating schedule to support your natural rhythm. Here’s how:
- Lions may benefit from a substantial breakfast.
- Bears should focus on a moderate breakfast and lunch.
- Wolves might want to delay their first meal.
- Dolphins should maintain consistent meal times to help regulate their body clock.
After all, meal timing is also part of our daily rhythms. In fact, there’s some truth to adjusting your meal times when changing time zones (I’ve done this and can say first-hand that it has helped!).
At the same time, it’s worth noting that sometimes life demands that we operate outside our natural chronotype. Whether it’s work, family obligations, or other commitments, here are strategies for adapting while minimizing the impact on your well-being:
- Make Gradual Shifts: Make small, 15-minute adjustments to your schedule over time rather than dramatic changes.
- Use Light: As aforementioned, this can significantly impact your circadian rhythm. So, use artificial light to help signal your body when to be alert and when to prepare for rest. It might just help, especially with those night shifts or early morning shifts/
- Strategically Nap: Short naps (15-20 minutes) can help bridge energy gaps when working against your natural rhythm.
Finding Your Perfect Rhythm: It’s More Than Just a Type
Remember that chronotypes are guidelines, not rigid rules.
Whether you fit clearly into one category or share characteristics of multiple types, the goal is to work with your natural tendencies rather than against them.
Pay attention to your body’s signals, experiment with different schedules, and be patient as you find what works best for you.
Your optimal routine might not look exactly like any single chronotype description—and that’s perfectly fine!
The most successful approach is one that honors your unique patterns while meeting your daily responsibilities. Keep tracking, adjusting, and refining until you find your perfect rhythm.
Related Article: 6 Surprising Benefits of Sleeping Naked And Why You Should Try It
Photo by Vlada Karpovich
