I’ve been asked often about the extrovert personality type, and if they sleep better than introverts. There is also the third type, Ambivert, to consider too.
In my one on one work with clients, I make a point of honouring the personality type of the client, because there is a difference in how sleep is affected.
It’s actually really important to work with who we are personality-wise when designing an effective sleep plan that will continue working for years to come.
So what role does the personality type of the client play in their sleep?
Extrovert
An extrovert is typically someone very sociable. Of course, there are varying definitions of each personality type. But generally speaking, extroverts enjoy hanging out with people more than the other personality types do.
So a typical way that this affects sleep negatively is that extroverts tend to overcommit socially. There was a time I considered myself more of an extrovert, and I was definitely overcommitting to social events. Over time my lack of sleep led to exhaustion, insomnia and a host of related symptoms.
If you find yourself pushing back sleep in order to stay out with friends, then the first thing I would recommend is to look at an average week in your diary.
Start by working out how many hours of sleep you need per night to feel your best and have enough energy for each day. Then factor in how much social time you would like to enjoy each week too.
Also, consider how your social interactions affect your downtime at home when you are trying to wind down and go to sleep. If you are taking conversations and emotions to bed with you, this can disturb your sleep. Give yourself a little quiet headspace for processing the events and interactions of the day, to allow yourself the best chance to rest and recharge.
Introvert
Being an introvert generally means that you enjoy time by yourself. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you are never social!
Something I come across with introverted clients is that they can become a little too ‘internal’ and therefore not talk about their problems with friends. When you don’t talk issues through with another person, that lack of perspective can cause you to worry more about something that perhaps, for the good of your health, you’d be better to let go of.
If you recognise yourself in this, then I suggest reaching out to somebody that you trust. If something is bothering you, remember that you don’t have to tell them the whole story if you don’t want to. But do remember that you can share. In fact, it’s healthy to, and it’s always wise to get another perspective on a problem.
Ambivert
An ambivert tends to have a balance of introvert and extrovert traits. This is something I have come to recognise in myself over the years. After burning out in my younger years while being more extroverted, I became introverted for a while – and that makes a lot of sense at the time, while I had less energy to go around.
So today I feel more like an ambivert. I really enjoy my social time with friends, and I’ve also learned to love my alone time too, where I can recharge my energy and process my thoughts.
Do you recognise yourself as an ambivert too?
We all need social interaction and alone time too. Some of us will be naturally drawn more to one than the other, and in the end it’s about finding what suits us best. This is why I always consider the personality type of a client when helping them to design their sleep routine, or helping them plan their time better.
Please do comment below and let me know which personality type you most identify with, or how that might be affecting your sleep.
To learn more about sleep see: The 10 Day Sleep Challenge
