The physiological functions of our body are subject to diurnal rhythms and we are all more or less active depending on the time of day. Although traditionally people have been classified as ‘early risers’ or ‘night owls’ depending on the time of day when each is most active and performs better, the truth is that approximately 60% of the population does not fit into one of those categories.
Now an international team of scientists has carried out a large-scale study to identify four additional chronotypes, thus expanding the usual classification to six. The results are published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences and included data from 2300 volunteers.
“Investigation of individual chronobiological and chronopsychological differences focuses primarily on morning and evening chronotypes. However, recent studies suggest that the existing classification needs to be reconsidered and expanded. Our team conducted a test and asked participants to choose their types. of daytime activity among six suggested options. Based on the test results, we studied the dynamics of sleep and wake patterns throughout the day, “explains Dmitry S. Sveshnikov, assistant professor in the Department of Human Physiology at the Institute of Medicine. from RUDN University (Moscow).
Six chronotypes
The chronotypes suggested by the team of researchers are characterized based on various criteria: excessive daytime sleepiness, duration of sleep, ability to wake up and fall asleep when necessary, etc. In this way, the six chronotypes would be:
- Morning: the classically known as ‘lark’, which begins very active in the morning and whose activity level decreases during the day.
- Highly active – stay active throughout the day
- Sleepy daytime: active in the mornings and nights, but not in the afternoons
- Active daytime : active in the afternoons
- Moderately active: with reduced activity throughout the day
- Nocturnal: the classic ‘owl’ with its peak of activity at night.
For scientists, the fact that 95% of the participants identified with one of the proposed chronotypes is an indicator that confirms their theory. Furthermore, only a third of those who identified with one of the chronotypes did so with one of the classics (morning or evening), and most of those interviewed chose one of the four new chronotypes.
