I’ve always been sensitive to low sleep—for as long as I can remember, I haven’t functioned well after a restless or short night in bed. Growing up, I was also always the first one up and didn’t realize this was because my body was genetically wired to be a morning bird. Did you know that sleep traits are genetic?!
It wasn’t until adulthood that I began to schedule my life in a way that naturally matched my chronotype (above) and I felt much better and am even able to get my needed shuteye. I’m a Lion, which means mornings are my jam and getting to sleep earlier is what my body naturally craves. My Oura Ring also provided this information to me. I’ve become obsessed with my Oura Ring because it analyzes my sleep data and gives me insight into how it impacts my LIFE, my “readiness” and my health.
It’s also important to consider that how much sleep you need is also genetic. My body naturally wants ~7.5 hours on average—that’s when I feel great and perform optimally. When I get less than 7, I definitely don’t feel ~wonderful~ and when I sleep over 8 hours I probably won’t sleep as much the next night. When I’m sleeping well and consistently, it averages 7 hours and 30-45 minutes regularly. Obsessing over getting at least 8 hours, or even 9, when it isn’t what you actually need can be somewhere folks go wrong. Knowing what dose of sleep you require to function best, which is entirely unique to YOU, is important.
I now do my best to get to sleep by 9:00-9:30 and am usually up between 5:00-6:30 a.m. every morning. This is truly the definition of an early bird and by leaning into that, I sleep great, feel energized and perform optimally in all areas of life.