by Terri
The natural time your body prefers to sleep is called your chronotype. Everyone is unique on where they lie on a spectrum. They say that early birds (sometimes called "larks") and night owls are born, not made. There are tests all over the internet to help you determine what your chronotype is but most of us don’t need a test to tell us. We probably already know what our type is. Self-awareness of chronotype is a very accurate predictor.
The majority of people are an intermediate or average type and prefer to get up in the morning between 6:30 and 8:30 and go to bed at night between 10:30 and 12:30. I’ve always said I’m neither an early bird nor a night owl, but a “daytime person”. I don’t like getting up before 7:00 if I can help it and am not fond of staying up later than 11.
But what do you do when your chronotype vastly differs from your spouse or person you live with? My husband is usually up between 4-5:00 in the morning and asleep by 8:00 at night – definitely a morning person. While I’m not by any means a night owl, my preferred times to wake and go to sleep are vastly different from my husband’s – I prefer a 7 to 11 schedule, making me an intermediate or average person.
Most experts advise sleeping at the times when your body prefers to when possible and we have managed to work around each of our preferred sleeping times. However, when we are planning a trip and my husband wants to take the 5:00 a.m. flight, I draw the line!
So what is your chronotype? Are you an early bird or a night owl or somewhere in between? Are you an early bird out of necessity because you work but would really rather be a night owl if you had your choice? Is the sunrise something you never see because you'd rather sleep in? Do you stay at a party with your night owl husband long after you'd rather be home in bed? If your chronotype differs from your spouse, how have you been able to work that out? Please share your thoughts in the comments below or in our Facebook group. We'd love to hear!
9 comments:
Beautiful sunrise and sunset shots! It's interesting to notice how we all have different internal clocks! I'm definitely an early bird and seem to need only 6 hours' sleep, 7 occasionally. I'm awake between 5 and 6 am, sometimes even 4 am and go to bed when I feel tired and not before. I love to be in bed by 10 pm and read in bed. I've been an early morning person ever since I was a child, so it's definitely internal and not out of any necessity for outside reasons. I shall be interested to hear what other visitors have to say!
What beautiful sunrise/sunset pictures! (Do I hear music?) As you know, our husbands are somewhat alike in this regard - up between 4 and 5 AM and out the door before 6. My husband usually makes it until about 10 PM before he goes to bed - unless you count napping in the recliner as he 'watches' TV. I'm an in between person, neither a lark nor an owl. I do require 8 hours sleep and wish I could go on the 6 hours my husband operates on. Think how much more time I'd have for photography! Oh, well. We are what we are!
I am definitely a morning person. I function better and feel better when I'm up about 6:30. I don't like to get up any earlier than that though, so no sunrise photos from me! I have to enjoy someone else's sunrise photos, like the gorgeous one above!! My husband's schedule is pretty close to mine, so we don't have to deal with opposite schedules. He has to get up earlier for work and goes to bed a little earlier. I spend the last hour of the day reading and fall asleep about 10:30.
What beautiful photos for a Monday morning, Terri! I think if left to my own accord, I would probably be more of a night owl. But I do so love my quiet time in the morning so it's worth it to me to get up early. This time of year, I get to see both the sunrise and sunset so I'm a pretty happy girl. :)
Terri, Im definitely NOT a morning person and generally don't get going until around 10:00am! Bed time is a whole different story....going to bed at 10:00pm the latest, Im more than likely going to be up with insomnia until around 2am! My husband is on a whole different schedule, but neither one of us minds. After being married for 40yrs, going to bed at the same time is not a priority! I do however, prefer sunsets, but an occasional sunrise is nice, but not to be made a habit of! Your sunset photo is breath taking! Thanks for sharing!
Oh I am definitely an average person, getting up somewhere between 7-8 AM and sleeping by 11 - 11:30. I am not an early morning person unless there is something that is really calling me like photos of a sunrise over water. I love your sunrise and sunset images, that I would get up for.
I love this posting and the photos! Since as an RN I worked all times of the day and night, now retired, I'm awake from early, early morning and up until late, late at night. My need for sleep has decreased so I just enjoy the extra hours.Thank goodness, wool can be spun at all hours!
I love theses pictures - I love sunsets and by nature I am a night owl, my husband is not. I work 4 10's so I have learned to enjoy the rising of the sun as my work day starts at 7am and ends at 6. Of course my favorite day is Friday my day off and the only reason I am up and out of the house early is because I have a standing breakfast date with my husband, my son and daughter-in-law and that is always worth the effort.
I certainly never was a night owl, even when younger, and I am most comfortable with 8 hours sleep. Since getting older I do seem to awaken at 4, but I go back to sleep and wake again around 7 if I'm not going to work. This drove me crazy when it started happening - just the idea that I didn't have work and still woke early - but I have learned to embrace the morning light and a slow cuppa coffee and some reading - and then it feels like a real day off!
Your photos are beautiful!
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