Ever wondered why you’re tired at 10pm while your friends are always full of energy until 2am and still seem to function perfectly fine the next day?
That’s because not everybody has the same sleep personality. It’s like how other people may eat, walk or swim differently to you and still achieve the same result in the end. Everyone’s body works differently.
Let’s explore five types of sleepers.
1. The Night Owl
You promise yourself you’ll have an early night, but somehow it’s midnight and you’re still wide awake. It’s always one more episode or another chapter, and bedtime always seems to get pushed back.
Setting a reminder for when it’s time to start winding down, not just when it’s time to sleep, could help.
During September, try going to bed 30 minutes earlier a few nights a week.
2. The Snooze Button Lover
The alarm goes off, but you’re not quite ready to put the effort in to get out of bed. One snooze quickly becomes three, leaving you rushing to get ready and blaming the alarm for not waking you up on time.
You could try placing your alarm away from the bed so it’s out of reach. Also aim to wake up at the same time each day.
See if you can get up with your first alarm for five mornings in a row this September.
3. The Midnight Scroller
You get into bed with every intention of sleeping, but a quick look at your phone turns into an hour or two of scrolling. You tell yourself you’ll go to bed at 1am, but really you go to bed at 2am.
Give your mind time to switch off by putting screens away before bedtime, starting with some screen-free time before going to sleep every night for a week.
4. The Bedtime Overthinker
You’re tired all day, but the moment your head touches the pillow, your mind comes alive with endless thoughts, plans and worries.
Writing down anything that’s on your mind before bed may help you feel like you don’t need to remember it overnight.
For a week, try spending five minutes writing tomorrow’s to-do list before bed.
5. The Weekend Catch-Up Sleeper
You’re always up early on weekdays, so the weekend is your chance to enjoy a well-earned lie-in and catch up on missed sleep.
Keeping your bedtime and wake-up time reasonably consistent can make Monday mornings feel easier, as it helps regulate your body clock.
This September, see if you can keep your weekend wake-up time within one hour of your usual weekday routine.
Find what works for you
Whether you’re one of these five sleep personalities or completely different, no routine is perfect and everything depends on what you want and what feels best for you.
Use Sleeptember to start fixing any issues you think you have with your sleep personality by making little changes that help you feel more well-rested when you wake up.