What a Chronotype Actually Is
A chronotype is the natural timing of your circadian rhythm — when your body clock prefers you to be awake, alert, and asleep. It is primarily genetic, regulated by clock genes (PER3, CLOCK, BMAL1), and varies across the population in a roughly normal distribution from early larks to late owls.
Social Jet Lag
Till Roenneberg coined the term "social jet lag" to describe the chronic mismatch between your biological clock and social clock (work schedules, school times). Like real jet lag, it accumulates. Research associates chronic social jet lag with higher rates of obesity, depression, cardiovascular risk, and metabolic disruption.
What You Can Change
You cannot fundamentally change your chronotype, but you can shift it by 1–2 hours through consistent bright morning light exposure, fixed sleep/wake times, and limiting artificial light in the evening. These are well-supported, free interventions.
Take our Circadian Rhythm Quiz to identify your chronotype and get a personalised schedule recommendation.