Chronotype Variance

Just like our genes, humans have a significant variance in our sleep chronotypes.

Between a fifth and half of our chronotypes are fixed at birth, giving rise to the variance or peak performances throughout the day. Our genes differ greatly from one another, so does our circadian rhythm; they are 24-hour cycles that are part of the body’s internal clock, running backend to perform bodily functions and processes. This is why some people are considered “early birds” and some, “night owls”.

Sleep chronotypes can also change over time due to environmental influences and age. During early adolescence, our “active periods” tend to skew more towards the night (Sleep late, wake up early), and revert back to the morning as we approach our twenties.

Chronic misalignment is generally associated with differences between an individual’s endogenous circadian system and external time cues. Commonly known circadian misalignments, such as jet-lag, night shifts and irregular hours are known to negatively impact health and daily performance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronotype

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6200828/

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm

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