The Saturday Cha
Posts
How to achieve peak productivity

How to achieve peak productivity

Sleep chronotypes

Chandan Karkera
March 29th, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

After reading this post, we’ll see:

What are sleep chronotypes
Why you should know about it.
How you can use this knowledge for peak productivity

TL; DR;

Everyone is different. Understand your sleep chronotype. Build your day around it.

When you scroll through social media, you’ll think this is what you need to be successful:

Wake up at 4 AM.
Plunge into a cold shower.
Gulp kale smoothies & launch into deep work.

The truth cannot be further than this. All these people ignore one crucial thing:

Everyone’s different.

To drive home the point, check this out. It’s a colour - coded time table for some of the most creative people in the world.

Focus on the red part ( creative work). It’s all over the place.

Source

If you’re a midnight owl & listen to the hustle culture bros, you’ll burn out in a week.

So, what’s the solution?

Find out your sleep coronotype. Design your day around it.

Sleep chronotype = your natural inclination for sleep & wake times. It’s based on your circadian rhythm ( an internal clock that governs body functions over a 24 hours cycle).

Sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus identified 4 main chronotypes:

Lions - Early to rise. High morning energy.
Bears - Align with the sun. Most productive in mid - morning.
Wolves - Night owls. Late - day energy peaks.
Dolphins - Light sleepers. Irregular sleep patterns.

“When you work with your chronotype, you can sleep better at night, feel more energized during the day, and unlock your hidden potential.”

– Dr. Michael Breus

How can I find out my sleep chronotype?

There’s a free quiz you can take here. I found out I’m a lion.

I wake up early & am at my most alert in the morning, after a light breakfast.

How do I design my day based on my chronotype?

Chronotype	Characteristics	Ideal Schedule	Tips for Implementation
Lion	Early risers; peak energy in the morning; 15-20% of people	Wake: 5:30 AM; Peak Hours: 7 AM–12 PM; Sleep: 9:30 PM	Schedule important tasks early; avoid caffeine after noon; wind down by evening.
Bear	Most common (50%); energy aligns with daylight hours	Wake: 7 AM; Peak Hours: 10 AM–2 PM; Sleep: 11 PM	Plan meetings mid-morning; exercise in the evening; maintain consistent sleep routines.
Wolf	Night owls; peak energy late afternoon/evening; ~15% of people	Wake: 7:30 AM; Peak Hours: 4 PM–6 PM; Sleep: Midnight	Delay morning tasks; save creative work for evenings; avoid late-night snacking.
Dolphin	Light sleepers; irregular sleep patterns; ~10% of people	Wake: 6:30 AM; Peak Hours: 3 PM–9 PM; Sleep: 11:30 PM	Use relaxation techniques before bed; prioritize naps if needed; avoid overstimulation at night

Chronotype

Characteristics

Ideal Schedule

Tips for Implementation

Lion

Early risers; peak energy in the morning;

15-20% of people

Wake: 5:30 AM;

Peak Hours: 7 AM–12 PM;

Sleep: 9:30 PM

Schedule important tasks early;

avoid caffeine after noon;

wind down by evening.

Bear

Most common (50%);

energy aligns with daylight hours

Wake: 7 AM;

Peak Hours: 10 AM–2 PM;

Sleep: 11 PM

Plan meetings mid-morning;

exercise in the evening;

maintain consistent sleep routines.

Wolf

Night owls;

peak energy late afternoon/evening;

~15% of people

Wake: 7:30 AM;

Peak Hours: 4 PM–6 PM;

Sleep: Midnight

Delay morning tasks;

save creative work for evenings;

avoid late-night snacking.

Dolphin

Light sleepers; irregular sleep patterns;

~10% of people

Wake: 6:30 AM;

Peak Hours: 3 PM–9 PM;

Sleep: 11:30 PM

Use relaxation techniques before bed;

prioritize naps if needed;

avoid overstimulation at night

That’s it!!

I hope this concept helps you become achieve peak productivity. If you found this helpful, share with someone who will benefit.

How to achieve peak productivity

Sleep chronotypes

How can I find out my sleep chronotype?

How do I design my day based on my chronotype?

Further reading:

Reply