Not everyone’s bodies operate on the same clock, which is why forcing people to work standardized, 9-5, work schedules is counter-productive. People have generally been classified as ‘night owls’ or ‘larks (owls get poorer school grades than larks), but a Russian study is proposing two additional “sleep chronotypes”.
Most creative types work best with a flexible schedule that allows them to synchronize their natural energy cycles with the various activities that demand more or less energy, alertness and repose. As discussed previously, programmers are often night owls. As many famous creative people have found, following a daily routine that favors your natural biorhythms can help you be maximally creative, productive and happy (see The Daily Routines of 23 Creative Icons).
A Russian study called “How Many Diurnal Types Are There?” has proposed that people generally fall into one of four basic sleep “chronotypes”, which dictate when their alertness and energy levels are highest (and lowest). In addition to confirming that many people are either “night owls” (more energy at night) or “larks” (more energy in the morning), the study discovered two more types, whereby energy swings occurred both in the mornings and nighttimes.