{"id":7325,"date":"2024-05-06T15:51:42","date_gmt":"2024-05-06T15:51:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wieden.com\/what-is-a-chronotype\/"},"modified":"2025-05-17T04:06:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-17T04:06:57","slug":"what-is-a-chronotype","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wieden.com\/en\/what-is-a-chronotype\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a chronotype?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

What is a chronotype?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

“What is a chronotype?” I am often asked this question. Which chronotype we have depends largely on how our internal clock ticks. Everyone can easily observe that we all have a different chronotype. There are people around us who have no problem getting out of bed in the morning without an alarm clock and are immediately productive, but who get tired early in the evening. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"ChronoCoach\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

On the other hand, there are people who are still productive late at night but have no chance of waking up in the morning without an alarm clock.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Bodyclock\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Chronotyp\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Chronotype distribution, data source: result of the query of the MCTQ of the LMU Munich, as of 11.16, graphic: Michael Wieden<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Whether in schools, at work or at events … the effects of these different biological rhythms can be seen everywhere. We often notice for ourselves that we always get tired and wake up at similar times, are hungry at certain times and are mentally particularly receptive at other times. However, this is where we can sometimes differ greatly from our fellow human beings. We see this most clearly in the times at which we go to sleep or wake up in the morning. Some are active first thing in the morning, others only really wake up around midday.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Basic information on the chronotype designations<\/h2>

The terms used for chronotypes, such as early or late type, or even normal type, must be treated with caution. The chronotype describes the chronological position in comparison to all persons tested so far. The effects of this can be seen, for example, in the “normal type”. Firstly, in this case “normal” does not mean “healthy” or “non-abnormal”, but represents the largest group of all the people tested. At the same time, we also see that this group goes to bed on average between midnight and 1 a.m. and would wake up between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. without an alarm clock. However, this sleep-wake behavior alone is often associated with that of a “late type, late sleeper or owl”. However, a real owl goes to bed much later. Thus, an early type is only early compared to all others tested, without “early” per se automatically meaning a specific period of time. For example, the allocation may be different if only one restricted group (e.g. inhabitants of another country, a city or employees of a company) is taken as the basic population.<\/p>

Incidentally, the term “late riser” is wrong when it comes to chronotypes. Individual sleep needs have nothing to do with chronotype. You can also be a late riser if you are an early riser.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

How do I determine the chronotype?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

We have answered the question “What is a chronotype”. But how do you determine it? There are basically 3 ways to determine the chronotype.<\/p>