Sleep expert Olivia Arezzolo revealed how your sleep personality causes you to put on weight.
Olivia said there are four different types including Bear, Wolf, Lion and Dolphin
Wolves are the most likely to be predisposed to be overweight due to late bedtimes.
On the other hand, Lions and Bears are healthier morning types who eat less.
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Your sleep ‘chronotype’ or personality can cause you to put on weight.
‘Some 50 per cent of your circadian rhythm tendencies are dictated by genes, and the other 50 per cent are influenced by external factors, such as blue light, stress, exercise and dietary habits.’
WOLF: The first sleep chronotype is a wolf, and wolves characteristically function best at night, but are more likely to put on weight.
TIP: Try setting an evening cut off for food and alcohol, to give your body time to digest before it rests.
Dolphins are known as the ‘classic insomniac’ of the four sleep chronotypes.
They have ‘no set routine when it comes to their sleep and may snooze for two hours one night and 10 the next’.
TIP: If you are a dolphin and feel flat or fatigued, she said you need to opt for some complex carbohydrates or proteins – which will easily help you more than quick-release, sugary carbs.
Lions are like morning larks. A Lion can ‘easily awaken at 5 or 6am’, but by 10pm, they are ‘absolutely beat’.
‘This sleep chronotype is most productive, alert and energized in the morning.’
For this reason, of all the sleep personalities, they are the least likely to put on weight.
To improve your life as a Lion, you could make sure you ‘front-load’ your day with calories and eat less as the day goes on.
Bears is the most popular sleep chronotype and accounts for approximately 55 per cent of the population, because their sleep-wake cycle follows the normal solar cycle.
‘A typical Bear is likely to rouse from their slumber at around 7am, but they might feel fatigued so they will probably reach for a coffee or two.’
‘By around 10am, they will start to perk up, and their energy peaks until the late afternoon, when they will face the 3pm slump.’
The 3pm slump can often lead to the consumption of energy drinks, extra milky coffee or sugar – which could be causing weight gain.
Olivia said it pays to be aware if you’re a Bear, and perhaps have something healthy but nourishing on hand that will guide you through the remainder of the working day.
