Chronotype Sleep Guide

Table of Contents

Morningness Eveningness Questionnaire: Understanding Your Chronotype

As a clinical psychologist, I often see clients grappling with sleep difficulties—trouble falling asleep, waking too early, or feeling unrested despite effort. These struggles frequently stem not from a lack of willpower, but from a misalignment with one’s chronotype—the natural rhythm dictating when your body prefers to sleep and wake. The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) is a validated tool I use to help individuals identify their sleep chronotype and tailor strategies to improve rest. In this guide, we’ll explore what a chronotype is, how it influences insomnia, and how you can adjust it for better sleep—all grounded in research and clinical insight.
 
Sleep is foundational to mental and physical well-being, yet it eludes so many. If you’ve asked, “Why can’t I fall asleep?” or felt trapped by an uncooperative schedule, your circadian rhythm and sleep may hold the answer. Let’s begin by understanding where you fit on the chronotype spectrum.

What Is a Chronotype?

A chronotype reflects your body’s innate preference for sleep and activity timing, driven by your circadian rhythm—a roughly 24-hour cycle governed by genetics, light exposure, and age. The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), developed by Horne and Östberg in 1976, measures this through 19 questions, yielding a score from 16 (extreme evening preference) to 86 (extreme morning preference). Research, including studies from the Journal of Sleep Research, confirms its reliability in categorizing individuals into five types:
  • Definitely Evening (16–30): Peak alertness late at night, sleep onset often past midnight.
  • Moderately Evening (31–41): Preference for later bedtimes, adaptable with effort.
  • Intermediate (42–58): Flexible, balancing morning and evening tendencies.
  • Moderately Morning (59–69): Early risers who thrive in the a.m., fading by evening.
  • Definitely Morning (70–86): Up at dawn, optimal energy before noon.

Your sleep chronotype isn’t just a quirk—it shapes how you experience rest. Evening types, for instance, may struggle with early work hours, while morning types might find late nights disruptive. This misalignment often fuels insomnia, a connection I’ve observed in clinical practice and supported by studies like those in Sleep Medicine.

Assess Your Chronotype with the MEQ

Understanding your chronotype starts with measurement. The MEQ test below, adapted for ease of use, lets you calculate your score and gain insight into your sleep patterns. As a psychologist, I recommend this not as a diagnosis, but as a starting point for self-awareness and change.
 

Here’s how it works:

  • Answer the 19 questions (e.g., “What time would you go to bed if free to plan your day?”) on a 0–4 scale.
  • Receive your score which is automatically calculated.
  • Reflect on the result: Does it match your lived experience?
This chronotype quiz takes about 5 minutes and offers a window into your circadian rhythm sleep preferences. Once you know your type, we can explore its implications for insomnia and beyond.
What time would you get up if free to plan your day?(Required)
What time would you go to bed if free to plan your day?(Required)
How easy do you find getting up in the morning?(Required)
How alert do you feel in the first half-hour after waking?(Required)
How hungry do you feel in the first half-hour after waking?(Required)
How tired do you feel in the first half-hour after waking?(Required)
If you had no commitments the next day, what time would you go to bed compared to usual?(Required)
You need to perform well at 8:00am - what time would you go to bed?(Required)
How would you rate your preference for morning vs evening activities?(Required)
When do you feel your energy peak during the day?(Required)
If you went to bed at 11:00pm, how tired would you feel?(Required)
For a 7:30am task, how would you prepare the night before?(Required)
How does your internal click feel - early or late?(Required)
How long do you exercise in the morning?(Required)
When would you prefer to take a 2-hour test(Required)
If you got up at 5:00am for a task, how would you feel?(Required)
How well do you cope with night shifts (eg., 11:00pm-7:00am)?(Required)
When do you feel most productive for hard mental work?(Required)
How would you describe your sleep-wake pattern?(Required)
This field is hidden when viewing the form
Your MEQ Score: 0 – Complete the form to see your chronotype.

Chronotype and Insomnia: A Clinical Perspective

Insomnia—difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking unrefreshed—affects millions, and chronotype plays a pivotal role. In my practice, I’ve seen how sleep chronotypes intersect with sleep challenges:
  • Evening Types: Clients who say, “I can’t fall asleep before 1 a.m.,” often score low on the MEQ (16–41). Their delayed circadian phase resists early bedtimes, leading to sleep-onset insomnia. A 2019 Sleep study found evening types report higher insomnia severity when forced into morning routines.
  • Morning Types: Those scoring 59–86 may wake at 4 a.m., unable to return to sleep. This sleep-maintenance insomnia stems from an early circadian peak, clashing with longer sleep needs.
  • Intermediate Types: Scoring 42–58, these individuals adapt better but still falter under extreme schedules—late nights or early alarms disrupt their balance.
The circadian rhythm and sleep connection is clear: when your internal clock misaligns with external demands, rest suffers. This isn’t mere preference; it’s biology, influenced by clock genes like PER3 and environmental cues like light. Recognizing your chronotype helps explain why generic sleep advice—say, “be in bed by 10 p.m.”—may fail.

Adjusting Your Chronotype for Better Sleep

chronotype

Adjusting Your Chronotype for Better Sleep

Good news: your chronotype isn’t immutable. While genetics set the baseline, clinical strategies can shift your circadian rhythm sleep to ease insomnia. Here’s how, based on evidence and my work with clients:
  • Light Exposure: Light is the strongest circadian cue. Morning light (30–60 minutes, 6–9 a.m.) advances your clock, ideal for evening types seeking earlier sleep. Evening light (7–9 p.m.) delays it, helping morning types extend rest. Use natural sunlight or a 10,000-lux lamp safely.
  • Gradual Timing: Abrupt changes backfire. Shift bedtime and wake time by 15–30 minutes every few days. An evening type moving from 1 a.m. to 11 p.m. might take weeks—patience pays off.
  • Melatonin: A low dose (0.5–3 mg), taken 5–7 hours before natural sleep onset, can advance evening types’ rhythms. For morning types, a later dose (e.g., 9 p.m.) may delay waking. Consult a healthcare provider first.
  • Behavioral Anchors: Regular meals, exercise (not late at night), and a wind-down routine reinforce shifts. Avoid caffeine after 2 p.m. if evening-typed.

A Sleep Medicine Reviews meta-analysis shows these methods can adjust sleep timing by 1–2 hours, reducing insomnia symptoms. In practice, I’ve seen evening types align better with 9-to-5 demands, and morning types sustain sleep past dawn. It’s not about rewriting your sleep chronotype—it’s about harmony.

Putting It Into Practice

Your chronotype is a tool, not a sentence. Take the MEQ questionnaire above to find your baseline, then experiment with the strategies here. As a clinical psychologist, I encourage a reflective approach: track your sleep for a week post-adjustment—does it feel more natural? Are you less fatigued?
 
Sleep impacts mood, focus, and health—aligning it with your circadian rhythm and sleep can transform your days. If insomnia persists, consider consulting a professional to explore underlying factors. For now, start with awareness: your chronotype test result is the first step to restful nights. If you would like to investigate further look at our insomnia treatment page or our insomnia assessment hub. If you would like individualsed therapy for your insomnia book a session and let’s optimise your sleep.

Explore More Insomnia and Sleep Tools

Investigate other validated measures to assess insomnia, sleep quality, sleep hygiene, and factors like daytime sleepiness or beliefs about slepp. Track patterns with our sleep diary or visit our assessment hub for a full overview of insomnia assessment.

  • Assessment Hub: Central hub for all sleep and insomnia measures.
  • Sleep Diary: Records daily sleep habits for personalised insights.

References

  • Culnan, E., McCullough, L. M., & Wyatt, J. K. (2019). Circadian-based interventions for insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 47, 68–79.
    • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2019.06.002
    • Description: This meta-analysis evaluates light therapy, melatonin, and behavioral timing interventions, showing their efficacy in shifting circadian rhythms to alleviate insomnia symptoms.
  • Horne, J. A., & Östberg, O. (1976). A self-assessment questionnaire to determine morningness-eveningness in human circadian rhythms. International Journal of Chronobiology, 4(2), 97–110.
  • Pruiksma, J. A., Taylor, D. J., Ruggero, C., et al. (2014). The Fear of Sleep Inventory: Development and initial validation. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 27(5), 589–596.
    • https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.21953
    • Description: While focused on fear of sleep, this study ties circadian misalignment to sleep disruption, relevant to chronotype-insomnia links.
  • Taillard, J., Philip, P., Chastang, J. F., & Bioulac, B. (2004). Validation of Horne and Östberg morningness-eveningness questionnaire in a middle-aged population. Journal of Sleep Research, 13(1), 49–55.
  • Walker, W. H., Walton, J. C., DeVries, A. C., & Nelson, R. J. (2019). Circadian rhythm disruption and mental health. Translational Psychiatry, 10(1), 28.

Table of Contents

2 Warwick Avenue, Cammeray, NSW 2062

HOME           ABOUT           BLOG             FAQ           CONTACT

Copyright © 2025 Angus Munro Psychology

MENU