Your Sleep Schedule Quietly Reveals A Lot About Your Personality, Says Science
Drazen Zigic | Shutterstock Whether you're a night owl who would rather sleep the morning away or an early birdie who hates staying up late, your preferred sleep schedule can reveal a whole lot about your personality, and that's based on science, not assumption. I wouldn't describe myself as a morning person. I can get up early enough, but it takes me some time to adjust. I'm not instantly energized, ready to greet the day, but I don't like to stay up too late, either.
I wasn't a morning person; I had no sleep classification, and I've done four sleep studies. But one study found that there are actually four different sleep schedules. And this information may help you with how to fix your sleep schedule, leading to a better night's rest. But more importantly than that, your sleep schedule can quietly reveal a whole lot about your personality as well.
Lead researcher Arcady Putilov and his colleagues at the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences invited 130 healthy participants (54 men) to a sleep lab, and then kept them awake for over 24 hours. The no-sleep study subjects weren't allowed to have any coffee or alcohol while they were in the midst of the experiment. Throughout the 24 hours, they filled out questionnaires about how awake or sleepy they felt. In addition, the participants were asked about their sleep patterns, how awake they felt, and how well they had functioned the previous week. By analyzing the study's subjects' energy levels through the 24-hour period and their reports about their functioning the week before, Putilov and his team were able to identify four distinct groups. Depending on which category you fall into can determine different personality traits, energy levels, and even productivity!
1. Lark
You know them as morning people, and they have higher energy levels at 9 a.m. than they do at 9 p.m. Larks get up early and go to bed early. People over 60 tend to be larks, and they can be extra chatty (read: annoyingly chatty) in the morning.
A 2012 study found that when it comes to early risers, beyond chattiness, they are incredibly conscientious. One of the authors noted, “Among other characteristics, conscientious individuals are generally thorough and systematic, with good impulse control and goal-directed behaviors.” This is likely why early birds tend to be thought of as successful in professional endeavors like business. “There is a positive correlation between morningness and need for achievement,” the same study found.
2. Owl
Night owls, or evening people, are most productive in the late morning and late evening and are at their most alert around 6 p.m. Owls like to get up late and don't really get going until it's dark out. College students tend to be owls and enjoy their caffeinated beverages by the gallon. Owls (on average) go to bed two hours later than Larks.
the owl chronotype also tends to value authenticity in not only their creative pursuits but also in people. Psychology Today noted that owls score higher on measures of self-transcendence, meaning they are the most artistic and creative of the different sleep schedules. Unfortunately, because you're always thinking, dreaming, and creating, you also tend to procrastinate, something larks definitely prefer not to do.
3. Hummingbird
While there's no official bird name for this kind of sleeper, hummingbirds might work, as they're energetic in both the morning and the evening, and get by on 7.5 hours of sleep, 30 minutes less than everybody else. You might think that someone with energy this high is on speed, but it's just how they roll.
According to the research, hummingbirds make up most of the population because most people fall somewhere in between the lark and the owl. This sleep chronotype is flexible and can perform well in both morning and evening. Productivity seems to peak in the late morning, but there is often that afternoon dip where you just feel sluggish and ready to throw in the towel.
Because they are so adaptable, hummingbirds generally have easy-going personalities and get along well with almost everyone.
4. American Woodcock
This group also has no official bird name, but the slowest flying bird is the American Woodcock, so that could fit. The lethargic group is exactly what you'd expect: they feel sleepy in both the morning and the evening and are generally thought of as having low energy.
No matter how much coffee they ingest, they're never going to be able to go toe-to-toe with the high-energy types or the Larks when it comes to getting things done.
The high-energy group (Hummingbirds) and the lethargic group (Woodcocks) were unlike the Owls and Larks, as they didn't show any differences in terms of their bedtime and their time of waking. Their sleep patterns tend to be between those of the Larks and the Owls.
No matter which type of sleeper you are, the important thing is to make your environment as conducive to good sleeping as you can. Make sure your room is the temperature you like it, your bed the degree of firmness, and try to get to a mental place where you've forgotten the stresses of the day and can truly relax.
No one has any energy if they don't get good sleep.
Christine Schoenwald is a writer, performer, and astrology lover. She's had articles in The Los Angeles Times, Salon, and Woman's Day.
