For years, there’s been an ongoing debate about whether it’s better to be a ‘morning lark’ who wakes early, full of energy, or a ‘night owl’ who prefers to sleep in and is more switched on later in the day. This natural preference for when to wake and sleep is known as your ‘chronotype’. But why do chronotypes vary between people, and how are they established in the first place?
Rhythms of the night
Chronotypes are determined by the body’s circadian rhythm, explains Kevin Morgan, Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Loughborough University. ‘Within a 24-hour cycle, your sleep occupies a given phase – and that phase can be advanced or delayed within those 24 hours,’ he says. Those with an ‘advanced’ phase are
