On the way home from work last week while listening to the Beyond the To Do List podcast , I was captivated by an interview with Dr. Michael Brues about his latest book,  The Power of When , in which Dr. Brues introduces the concept of “your chronotype”.   What is so cool about the research Dr. Brues has accomplished is that he takes sleep science to the next level.  We all have a pretty good idea of whether we are a night person or a morning person, but do we really know when we are most productive?

Dr. Brues, who is also a clinical psychologist, can answer that question for you.  And not only can he shed light on when you are most productive, but he also gives insight into when we should do everything from eat a meal to ask for a raise.  The research is astounding, and I found it applicable to unexpected  areas of my own life.

Here’s the deal:  I desire to be more productive and squeeze the most out of my day.  When it comes down to it though, what I really want is the satisfaction of a healthy relationship with my wife, my son, and my community. For years, I have come home in time for dinner with the family and been completely out of it.  No matter how much sleep I had the night prior, or how low key my day was, I was always tired and non-conversational during dinner.  Naturally, this caused more than one discussion between Kelly and myself–over why I was so distant and not engaged.  Come to find out, my chronotype is characteristically tired and withdrawn between the hours of 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm – good to know – I do however, catch a second wind between 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm – also good to know.  Armed with this knowledge, I can change certain dinner habits to assist my alertness level, such as save my glass of wine for later in the evening and have a cup of coffee or tea with dinner.

So, having a better understanding of how I tick, or how my biological clock ticks,  can save all kinds of grief and distress in my life.  From being able to focus on a discussion with Kelly, to understanding just when the best time of day is to go for that long training run, I can capitalize on the strengths my body inherently has and make room for my weaknesses.  To get an idea of what your chronotype is, go here, take the quiz – and then – get the book.  It will be a great way to start off the new year.