The Genetics of Sleep with Dr. Michael Breus

UPDATED: January 31, 2024
PUBLISHED: January 25, 2023
The Genetics of Sleep with Dr. Michael Breus

Whether you are a morning person or someone that hits the snooze button on repeat, how you sleep is, in part, due to genetics. Michael Breus, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and expert in sleep and insomnia. On today’s episode, he discusses the four types of sleepers. Instead of an early bird or night owl, are you a lion, wolf, bear or dolphin? 

Your hormones follow a specific pattern that dictates which times during the day you’ll feel sleepy. Breus explains the impact of this pattern on your daily life and how there is an optimal time for doing everything—from going to bed and drinking coffee, to having sex and making decisions. 

“What’s fascinating is if we have people follow their chronotypical schedules, they sleep better; the quality of their sleep improves,” Breus says. 

He talks with On Your Terms host Erin King about the best and worst sleeping positions, managing insomnia and how temperature, caffeine, alcohol and cannabis affect your sleeping. He also shares which new medical devices and other products will help you get the most optimal rest

Learn more about Michael Breus’ research on sleep and take the quiz to find out what chronotype you are at thesleepdoctor.com. Follow him on Instagram at @thesleepdoctor

On Your Terms with Erin King is no longer releasing new episodes on the SUCCESS Podcast Network, but you can still listen to the full conversation below.

SUCCESS Newsletter offer

Erin King is the bestselling author of “You’re Kind of a Big Deal: Level Up by Unlocking Your Audacity” and “Digital Persuasion: Sell Smarter in the Modern Marketplace.” She’s also the Chief Social Officer at Strikepoint Media, a digital marketing firm focused on social customer acquisition. But hands down, her toughest job is being a personal full-time assistant to a 13-pound cavapoo puppy named Betty White. You can connect with her on Instagram @mrs.erin.king