About the Nine to Fiver sleep personality
You are neither a morning lark or a night owl - you are in between. The Nine to Fiver type works in line with the traditional 9-5 work schedule. You may be this type due to a natural preference or due to conditioning through years of following the same routine, with 9am - 5pm often the preferred and most universal working schedule. This type has a go with the flow type of sleep personality. You like your schedule but you may find it easy to stay up too late, and in doing so, deprive yourself of much needed sleep.
The ideal schedule for an Nine to Fiver
Morning
This type is likely to be most productive before midday, then begin to dip in energy in the late afternoon. Rising at around 7am and having breakfast by 7.30am works well for Nine to Fiver types, with the first coffee recommended no earlier than 10am.
Afternoon
Your energy dips from 2.30pm, so this is the time to relax your nervous system- either take a nap if that’s possible, take a short walk, or even simply do a little deep breathing. 3-6pm is the time for non taxing activities such as phone calls, emails or writing up meeting minutes.
Evening
By 6-7pm you’ll need a boost of energy, so do your exercise during this hour. Later you might want to spend time with family or friends and have dinner. By 10 p.m it’s time to switch off all screens and devices and start your sleep routine with lights out by 11pm, to ensure you can meet your needs with the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep during the night.
The ideal bedroom for an Nine to Fiver
As a Nine to Fiver with a naturally regular sleep pattern, you have the most options when it comes to bedroom decor - the key is to choose colours, themes and furniture that will ensure you enjoy spending time in your bedroom.
You can choose either light colours or dark colours for your room as either will suit your sleep type. To encourage you to spend time in your bedroom mindfully, go for colours and styles that you really love. This could be soothing dark shades of blue, grey and green that will help you relax at night, or mood boosting shades such as yellow or coral, to wake you up in the mornings.
We spend one third of our lives sleeping, so choosing a bed that is going to help you relax and unwind is important. One easy way to set the tone of your bedroom is to go for a statement bed - try an upholstered bed frame in a sumptuous soft velvet. Layer it with plump pillows and good quality bed linen to create a space that you’ll forward to curling up in.
Think about how you like to use your bedroom during that valuable ‘me time’ either in the morning or in the evening, and style the space to suit. For example, you might like to place an accent chair by a window, where you can sit down and enjoy a warm drink in the mornings. Or, in the evening time, if you’re a fan of journaling or writing your to-do list, ensure that there is a dressing table or occasional table within reach, so that you can sit and jot down your thoughts at the end of the day.
Consider ear plugs to block out any external noises which can wake you up as you’re falling asleep or during the night. They’re definitely a must if you are a light sleeper!
Avoid light and screens in the evening time and dim the lights to get your bedroom as dark as possible. You could consider a ‘lights down’ time in your household to encourage wind down time - for example dimming all the lights from 7pm, and turning off all digital screens by 9pm. As an in between type, you may find it tempting to stay up late, but where you can, resist the urgent to eat into valuable sleeping time and aim for lights out by 11pm.
Try spritzing your bed and pillow with a pillow spray, which you can spray as part of your evening routine. After a while, you will associate the scent with bed time. You can make your own DIY spray using essential oils and water - choose from lavender or bergamot essential oils, which are only antibacterial but help you relax for sleep. The mixture also de-wrinkles the duvet cover as a bonus too! To make your own sleep spray, add 10 drops of essential oil to water in a spray bottle and keep in a bedside table, for easy reach.
Explore other sleep personality types
The Nine to Fiver type is just one of five distinct sleep personalities, each based on a different sleep chronotype. If you don’t think this quite sums you up - or you’d like to understand a partner or family member’s sleep type a little better - you can take the quiz again, or explore other personality types below.
