These are the four types of sleep types, which type are you?

‘Are you an early bird or a night owl?’ I always find this a tricky and especially silly question. I feel happy getting up early, but I also love the night and never go to bed before midnight. So yes, what are you then? A kind of vampire who also enjoys daylight? If you regularly sleep late and get up early, you will at least look like a vampire, that I do know.

But well, according to psychologist Michael Breus, also known as the ‘sleep doctor’, we can divide humanity into more than two types of sleepers. He actually assumes that there are four types of sleepers. Early bird or night owl? No, no, according to Breus you are more like a lion, bear, wolf, or dolphin. Which of the four are you?

1. Leo

According to Breus, about fifteen percent of the population is a lion. These are the people who wake up in the morning full of energy. Well, I definitely don’t belong to this group, I already know that. A lion functions best in the morning and as the evening approaches, their energy level drops quickly. Therefore, the lion is absolutely not a night person and prefers to go to bed around ten o'clock.

2. Bear

The largest part of the population is a bear, namely 55 percent. These are the people who sleep very deeply and function best after a night of at least eight hours. Yes, I immediately recognize myself in this. Unfortunately, I rarely get those eight hours of sleep, but I would love to. The bear's biorhythm likes to follow the sun. This means that they become tired less quickly in the summer and get out of bed more easily in the morning than in the winter. Bears are also most productive in the afternoon and prefer to sleep around eleven o'clock. Additionally, the bear is not averse to a power nap in the afternoon. Breus's tip for bears: drink a glass of water in the morning before you have coffee.

3. Wolf

Just like the lion, fifteen percent of the population is a wolf. However, wolves are the opposite of lions. The wolf finds it extremely difficult to get out of bed in the morning and needs countless alarms and cups of coffee for that. Only in the late afternoon does the wolf become productive, and before midnight, the wolf is certainly not tired yet. Breus's tip for wolves: set two different alarms around seven in the morning. Have breakfast as soon as possible after waking up and move a bit after the morning meal. Going to bed earlier makes no sense for wolves and is unnecessary, as they are still not tired before midnight.

4. Dolphin

Do you have trouble falling asleep because your mind keeps racing and do you wake up at every little sound? Do you always feel tired? Then I have news for you: you are a dolphin. I actually believe that I am one too. Or maybe a mix of a bear and a dolphin. About ten to fifteen percent of the population is a dolphin. Not surprisingly, this group experiences the most sleep disorders. Breus's tip: start the day with a short workout, around half past six. Afternoon naps are a no-go for the dolphin; it’s better to take a short walk as soon as you feel tired during the day. The ideal bedtime is around half past eleven, but there is an important condition: turn off all electronic devices an hour in advance.