You’ve probably heard the phrases “early bird” and “night owl” before—but did you know that these terms have to do with your chronotype (the time your body is naturally programmed to fall asleep and wake up)? According to clinical psychologist Michael Breus, it actually makes more sense to divide chronotypes into four animal-based categories: bear, wolf, lion, and dolphin.
Understanding your body’s chronotype is essential to helping you get the most out of your day, and we’re here to help you get started. Hit “Start Quiz” to find out if you're a bear, wolf, lion, or dolphin at heart—and what that means for you and your routine.
Luckily for you, most of the working world operates on a Bear\u2019s schedule, so you probably don\u2019t have to make a lot of adjustments to your routine. You can still make the most out of your day by scheduling your meals around 7:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 7:30 pm, and drinking your coffee between 9:30 and 11:30 am or 1:30 and 3:30 pm. When it comes to exercise, you\u2019re better off working out in the early morning<\/a> (around 7:30 am) or early afternoon (around 12:30 pm).","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Exercise-in-the-Morning"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Get-Ready-for-Bed"}],"link_data":[{"title":"How to Exercise in the Morning","id":794470,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Exercise-in-the-Morning","image":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/37\/Exercise-in-the-Morning-Step-20.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Exercise-in-the-Morning-Step-20.jpg","alt":"How to Exercise in the Morning"},{"title":"How to Get Ready for Bed","id":50057,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Get-Ready-for-Bed","image":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/1a\/Get-Ready-for-Bed-Step-11-Version-3.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Get-Ready-for-Bed-Step-11-Version-3.jpg","alt":"How to Get Ready for Bed"}],"minimum":0},{"text":"You likely have a Wolf chronotype.","meaning":"Like wolves, you tend to be the most active and productive in the evening hours. You\u2019re not afraid to burn the midnight oil (though the prospect of setting an early alarm makes your skin crawl a little bit). Spontaneous, creative, and passionate, Wolves such as yourself aren\u2019t afraid to try new things. In traditional terminology, you\u2019re a pretty strong night owl.
The working world isn\u2019t always accommodating to a Wolf\u2019s internal clock, but you can still make the most of your routine by keeping your chronotype in mind. Try to set your meal schedule so you\u2019re eating around 8:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 8:00 pm, and sip on a cup of coffee between 12:00 and 2:00 pm to get the most caffeine for your buck. It\u2019s a good idea to exercise in the PM hours, too\u20146:00 pm in particular is a good time to get moving.","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Wake-Up-When-You-Are-Tired"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Make-It-Through-the-Day-After-You-Have-Stayed-up-All-Night"}],"link_data":[{"title":"How to Wake Up When You Are Tired","id":265292,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Wake-Up-When-You-Are-Tired","image":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/cb\/Wake-Up-When-You-Are-Tired-Step-17-Version-2.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Wake-Up-When-You-Are-Tired-Step-17-Version-2.jpg","alt":"How to Wake Up When You Are Tired"},{"title":"How to Make It Through the Day After You Have Stayed up All Night","id":471689,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Make-It-Through-the-Day-After-You-Have-Stayed-up-All-Night","image":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b2\/Make-It-Through-the-Day-After-You-Have-Stayed-up-All-Night-Step-14.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Make-It-Through-the-Day-After-You-Have-Stayed-up-All-Night-Step-14.jpg","alt":"How to Make It Through the Day After You Have Stayed up All Night"}],"minimum":0},{"text":"You likely have a Lion chronotype.","meaning":"Lions are up-and-at-em first thing in the morning\u2014just like you! As someone with a lion chronotype, you like heading to bed early as well as waking up early (even if everyone else is asleep). You likely don\u2019t have a lot of trouble falling and staying asleep, and you tend to approach life with an optimistic and driven attitude. In traditional terminology, you\u2019re a pretty strong early bird.
Maximize your productivity by arranging your daily schedule around your chronotype. Lions (like yourself) function well with a 6:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 6:00 pm meal schedule, and get the most out of a cup of coffee between 8:00 and 10:00 am as well as 2:00 and 4:00 pm. As far as exercise goes, try to get your blood pumping around 5:30 am.","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Have-a-Routine"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Exercise-in-the-Morning"}],"link_data":[{"title":"10 Tips for Creating a Routine You Can Stick To","id":1237288,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Have-a-Routine","image":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/cc\/Have-a-Routine-Step-15.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Have-a-Routine-Step-15.jpg","alt":"10 Tips for Creating a Routine You Can Stick To"},{"title":"How to Exercise in the Morning","id":794470,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Exercise-in-the-Morning","image":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/37\/Exercise-in-the-Morning-Step-20.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Exercise-in-the-Morning-Step-20.jpg","alt":"How to Exercise in the Morning"}],"minimum":0},{"text":"You likely have a Dolphin chronotype.","meaning":"Dolphins journey through the ocean with part of their brain constantly switched on, even when they\u2019re asleep. Intelligent and thorough, your brain tends to operate with a similar structure\u2014your mind is always abuzz, and you struggle to get a good night\u2019s sleep most of the time. In reality, your circadian rhythm is a bit inverted compared to other chronotypes, which makes your brain more active and alert at night. In traditional terminology, you aren\u2019t really an early bird or a night owl\u2014your chronotype is more of a varying, as you both stay up late and wake up early.
Make the most out of your day by building your schedule around your chronotype. As a Dolphin, you operate well with an 8:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 7:30 pm eating schedule, and are best suited to enjoy caffeine between 8:30 and 10:00 am or 1:00 and 2:00 pm. Want to get a little exercise? Plan for an early workout<\/a> at 7:30 am, so you can relax some of those early morning nerves.","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Stop-Overthinking-at-Night"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Relax-Before-Going-to-Bed"}],"link_data":[{"title":"How to Stop Overthinking at Night","id":10847835,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Stop-Overthinking-at-Night","image":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/8e\/Stop-Overthinking-at-Night-Step-11.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Stop-Overthinking-at-Night-Step-11.jpg","alt":"How to Stop Overthinking at Night"},{"title":"How to Relax Before Going to Bed","id":387514,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Relax-Before-Going-to-Bed","image":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/22\/Relax-Before-Going-to-Bed-Step-23.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Relax-Before-Going-to-Bed-Step-23.jpg","alt":"How to Relax Before Going to Bed"}],"minimum":0}]">
Globally speaking, the scientific community views chronotypes on a general spectrum of night owls, early birds, and everything in between. Dr. Michael Breus specifically takes a more unique approach by categorizing chronotypes into 4 animal-based categories: bear, wolf, lion, and dolphin. According to Breus, these 4 categories do a better job of factoring in a person’s sleep drive, personality, and potential insomnia. Here’s a closer look at each one.
Bear Chronotype
Like bears, people with the bear chronotype aren’t quite early birds or night owls, as they wake up when the sun comes out and fall asleep when it gets dark. Many people fall into this category, which aligns well with many work schedules.
Wolf Chronotype
Like wolves, people with the wolf chronotype are strong night owls who feel most active and productive in the evening hours. Wolves can have some trouble getting up in the morning, and they often aren’t ready to catch any zzzs until it’s really late.
Lion Chronotype
Just like lions, people with the lion chronotype are strong early birds active first thing in the morning. They’re pretty good at sleeping through the night, and they’re known for hitting the hay early on.
Dolphin Chronotype
Dolphins famously sleep with half of their brain still “turned on”—this is a good way to describe people with the variable dolphin chronotype, who often struggle with insomnia and staying asleep throughout the night.
Want to take a deeper dive into the world of chronotypes? Here are a few resources to help you get started:
Related New