I follow Dr. Christian Gonzalez and his Heal Thyself podcast. He recently had sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus as a guest, and Dr. Breus claimed that people are one of four "sleep animals" and that also determines your sleep drive or your need for sleep. He claims that not everyone needs the same amount.
- Bears - have a high sleep drive. They go with the flow, are good sleepers, and are anytime hunters.
- Dolphins - they sleep with half their brain. The other half is awake and alert. This is the group that insomniacs fall into and have a low sleep drive.
- Lions - naturally wake up early and their first "kill" is before the sun comes up. They are driven optimists with medium sleep drive.
- Wolves - the nocturnal group. This name fits night-oriented creative extroverts with a medium sleep drive.
So, what else does it mean
- A bear's most productive period of the day is from 10 a.m. to noon. To improve focus in the second half of the day, they should go on a midday walk. They should socialize later in the afternoon, when their mood is at its highest.
- Dolphins should exercise in the morning so they can feel calmer all day. If they go to bed too early, they will probably end up just lying there.
- Lions are at their best in the morning and maximize that time. Although they typically exercise in the morning, but doing so in the afternoon will give them energy.
- Wolves, usually groggy, should get some sunlight in the morning. This is when this group is most productive when everyone else is winding down. They should stretch or meditate before sleep so that they can relax and sleep.
Whether or not you can relate to any one of these animals, Dr. Breus gives solid advice on how to get better sleep HERE. This includes sticking to one sleep schedule, eliminating caffeine starting at 2 PM, no alcohol within three hours of sleeping, not exercising within four hours of sleeping, and 15 minutes of morning sunlight.
Easy enough!
