Sync Your Coffee and Work Schedule to Your Chronotype

What is Your Chronotype?

Everyone has a different sleep schedule. Some prefer to go to bed early and wake up early, while some choose to be night owls and like to run off little sleep. These sleep types are called chronotypes. Chronotypes help determine when to sleep based on your internal clock, and everyone falls into one of four kinds of chronotypes: a bear, wolf, lion or dolphin.

Because there is a diverse range of sleep types, individuals should have their daily coffee based on the way that they function best. Keep reading to see when you should drink coffee according to your chronotype.

The Bear

• 7am- 8am: Wake up + drink coffee
• 8am-2pm: Deep work + another coffee at 12pm
• 2pm-4pm: Easy tasks
• 4pm-10pm: Unwind
• 10pm-11pm: Prep for bed
• 11pm: Sleep

The bear chronotype is the most popular out of all four. Their sleep schedule revolves around the sun and they are known to fall asleep and wake with ease. The bear likes to get their work done on the first part of the day so they can unwind and relax in the second half. If you are this chronotype, we suggest drinking a cup of coffee right when you wake up, and another in the afternoon so you can productively unwind before the day is over. 

The Dolphin

• 7am- 8am: Wake up + drink coffee
• 8am-10am: Easy tasks
• 10am-2pm: Deep work
• 2pm- 4pm: Easy tasks
• 4pm-11pm: Unwind
• 11pm- 12am: Prep for bed
• 12am: Go to sleep

The dolphin chronotype is not held back by any sleep schedule. They do whatever feels good to them on a certain day. They are known not to get enough sleep and can be disrupted in the middle of the night very easily. However, during the day they make sure they get all of their stuff done so they can have the rest of the day to do whatever they want. Because of these characteristics, if this is your chronotype, we suggest drinking a cup of coffee right when you wake up so you can prepare for wherever the day takes you. 

The Lion

• 6am- 7am: Wake up + drink coffee
• 7am-12pm: Deep work + drink another coffee at 10am
• 12pm-4pm: Easy tasks
• 4pm-9pm: Unwind
• 9pm-10pm: Prep for bed
• 10pm: Sleep

Lion chronotypes are early risers. As soon as they wake up they are energized and ready to conquer the day. They are known to get a lot done throughout the day, but when evening comes around, all their work catches up to them, resulting in falling asleep early around 9 or 10pm. If this is you, we suggest drinking a cup of coffee right when you wake up to help your day get started. We also suggest having another coffee in the middle of your workday so you can get through the day without a crash and accomplish all of your goals and more.

The Wolf

• 10am-11am: Wake up + drink coffee
• 11am-12pm: Easy tasks
• 12pm-2pm: Deep work
• 2pm-5pm: Easy tasks
• 5pm-9pm: Another coffee at 5pm + creative projects
• 9pm-11pm: Unwind
• 11pm-12am: Prep for bed
• 12am: Sleep

The wolf is the sleep type that constantly tells themselves they are going to go to bed early, but are always distracted by something that makes them go to bed much later than planned. The wolf’s productivity starts around noon and ends in the afternoon; however, at night, they get a burst of energy where they get a lot done while everyone else is unwinding from their day. Because the wolf is a night owl and likes to sleep in, we suggest having a coffee right when waking up, (or else it may be tough to wake up. With a second wind at night, we suggest drinking another coffee then to get all of your creative juices out there and keep the productivity flowing well into the darkness.