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What Is My Chronotype?

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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.

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Questions Overview

1. What’s your preferred wake-up time?
  1. Between 7 AM and 9 AM.
  2. Between 9 AM and 11 AM.
  3. Between 5 AM and 7 AM.
  4. No idea—I don’t sleep very consistently.
2. What time do you feel the most productive?
  1. In the late morning.
  2. In the afternoon and evening.
  3. In the morning.
  4. In the late morning or early afternoon.
3. Describe yourself in one word:
  1. Carefree.
  2. Creative.
  3. Motivated.
  4. Thorough.
4. Choose the statement that best applies to you:
  1. “If the sun can wake up every morning and warm the earth, so can I.”
  2. “My mind decides to run when normal people sleep.”
  3. “Lose an hour in the morning, and you will be all day hunting for it.”
  4. “My eyelids are heavy, but my thoughts are heavier.”
5. Your friend wants to meet up at 7:30 AM tomorrow. Is that okay with you?
  1. That’s fine by me! I might set my alarm slightly earlier to be safe.
  2. Not really. How about 10 AM instead?
  3. Okay, but I might leave a little early.
  4. Sure—it’s not like I’ll be sleeping that much, anyway.
6. When is your energy at its lowest?
  1. After I’ve eaten lunch, definitely.
  2. When I first wake up.
  3. In the late afternoon and early evening.
  4. I’m not sure—my energy levels are unpredictable.
7. Your boss just assigned you an important project. What’s the best time for you to work on it?
  1. 10:00 AM.
  2. 3:00 PM.
  3. 8:00 AM.
  4. 1:00 PM.
8. Your friend invited you to a late-night party this weekend. Are you going to go?
  1. Sure! I just might go to bed a little later than I usually do.
  2. Heck yeah! Late-night activities are my jam.
  3. Okay, but I might leave a little early.
  4. Why not? I’ll have trouble falling asleep no matter when I go to bed.
9. Which meal schedule sounds most appealing to you?
  1. 7:30 AM breakfast, 12:30 PM lunch, 7:30 PM dinner
  2. 8:00 AM breakfast, 1:00 PM lunch, 8:00 PM dinner
  3. 6:00 AM breakfast, 12:00 PM lunch, 6:00 PM dinner
  4. 8:00 AM breakfast, 12:00 PM lunch, 7:30 PM dinner
10. When are you most likely to exercise?
  1. At some point in the morning or early afternoon.
  2. In the evening.
  3. At the crack of dawn.
  4. Before I get my day started (so I can burn off some of my nervous energy).
11. What type of compliment are you most likely to receive at work?
  1. “You’re such a great team player.”
  2. “You’re an excellent innovator.”
  3. “You’re great at staying motivated.”
  4. “You hold your work to such a high standard.”
12. What keeps you up at night?
  1. Not much! I fall asleep pretty easily.
  2. Nothing keeps me up—I just like to stay up late.
  3. Bold of you to assume I’m not already asleep.
  4. Anything and everything.

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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? 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Fast Facts About Chronotypes

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.

  • Best time to eat: 7:30 am (breakfast), 12:30 pm (lunch), 7:30 pm (dinner)
  • Best time to drink caffeine: Between 9:30 to 11:30 am and 1:30 to 3:30 pm
  • Best time to exercise: 7:30 am or 12:30 pm
  • Most productive: Between late morning and early afternoon
  • Common personality traits: Laid-back, friendly, and cooperative
  • Percent of people with this chronotype: 50%

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.

  • Best time to eat: 8:00 am (breakfast), 1:00 pm (lunch), 8:00 pm (dinner)
  • Best time to drink caffeine: Between 12 pm and 2 pm
  • Best time to exercise: 6:00 pm
  • Most productive: Late morning and nighttime
  • Common personality traits: Innovative, passionate, and spontaneous
  • Percent of people with this chronotype: 15-20%

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.

  • Best time to eat: 6:00 am (breakfast), 12:00 pm (lunch), 6:00 pm (dinner)
  • Best time to drink caffeine: Between 8:00 to 10:00 am and 2:00 to 4:00 pm
  • Best time to exercise: 5:30 am
  • Most productive: Morning and early afternoon
  • Common personality traits: Down-to-earth, hopeful, and driven
  • Percent of people with this chronotype: 15-20%

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.

  • Best time to eat: 8:00 am (breakfast), 12:00 pm (lunch), 7:30 pm (dinner)
  • Best time to drink caffeine: Between 8:30 am to 10:00 am and 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
  • Best time to exercise: 7:30 am
  • Most productive: Varies during the day
  • Common personality traits: Smart, careful, and meticulous
  • Percent of people with this chronotype: 10%

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  • Miss K.

    Apr 3

    "I'm a wolf. Makes perfect sense."
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