CHRONOTYPES
Healthy from the Start Resources for Shiftworkers
Everyone has a chronotype – a natural preference for when you like to be awake and when you like to sleep. Understanding your chronotype can help you figure out when you’re most alert and energetic, and when might be the best time to sleep. This understanding is particularly useful for shiftworkers, as certain chronotypes may align better with specific shifts.
While sleep and other bodily functions cycle over a 24-hour period, our circadian rhythms are not exactly the same as other people’s. In fact, each of us has a ‘chronotype’ – this is your body's preferred timing for sleep and wakefulness (17). You may have heard this referred to as being an ‘early bird’ or a ‘night owl’, and lots of factors contribute to your chronotype – your genetics, where you live, your age, and your exposure to sunlight (18). Your work schedule might conflict with your natural chronotype, which can be challenging.
Some chronotypes align with certain forms of shiftwork better than others:
Morning Types (‘Early Birds’) are people who naturally wake-up early (e.g., 5am) and are most productive during the morning hours. This chronotype most suited to early morning or day shifts (19).
Late Types (‘Night Owls’) are people who are naturally inclined to go to bed late (e.g., midnight) and are most productive in the afternoon and evening hours. This chronotype is more suited to afternoon, evening, or night shifts (19).
The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire is a useful tool to determine your chronotype (20).
“ I remember always feeling lazy because I liked to sleep in later than everyone else in my family – but then I figured out that I have a late chronotype, I’m a night owl, which means I feel best when I can wake up later and go to sleep later. This has made afternoon and evening shifts work really well for my lifestyle ”.
- Elise, 21, young shiftworker.
When it comes to sleep, shiftworkers are battling on several fronts – not getting enough quality sleep, and potentially working against their chronotype or disrupting their circadian rhythms.
For many shiftworkers, sleep problems can go beyond simply not getting enough sleep, with shiftworkers (particularly young shiftworkers) more likely to experience sleep disorders compared to people working regular hours (21). Read more about sleep disorders here.