For example, if oranges and bananas were fed into a k-means clustering algorithm, they would be separated by their characteristics of orange/round vs. In order to address this question, we fed the data from hundreds of thousands of sleep nights into a k-means clustering algorithm, a method that groups individual observations into distinct clusters based on the relative similarities of those observations. Thus, is it possible that we might be able to identify distinct chronotypes within the Pebble community? Given the established biological and behavioral differences between chronotypes, the data science team at Pebble was drawn to the following question… Do we see these trends in our data? Data in aggregate holds valuable potential for exposing meaningful insights around human biology and behavior. Finally, additional evidence suggests that there are gender associations, with women less likely than men to fall into the night owl group ( 3– 4). In addition to biological differences, evidence suggests that chronotypes demonstrate behavioral differences, with night owls more prone to extraversion, or overtly social behaviors ( 1– 2). Everybody else falls somewhere in between, defined as the intermediate chronotype.Ĭhronotype is determined in part by genetics, which is why you’ll lay in bed staring at the ceiling if you try to go to bed at the “wrong” time. So what is chronotype?Ĭhronotype, first described by Nathaniel Kleitman, refers to an individual’s predisposition to either go to bed late and wake up late ( late chronotype, aka night owl), or go to sleep early and wake up early (early chronotype, aka early bird or lark). Do you bounce out of bed happily with the morning sun, or do you hit the snooze button 5 times before zombie-walking to the shower? Asked another way… Do you think that the early bird gets the worm, or does the second mouse get the cheese? The correct answer is… It depends! It depends on your chronotype.