The Know Daily - Thursday 19 February 2026

_{Read in 4m 27s ∙ Listening to Ella Langley ∙}

We’re loving this brilliant initiative from Down Syndrome UK 🌻 Their Sunflower Challenge is inviting all of us to plant seeds now and watch them grow over the coming weeks to celebrate individuality and kindness. PSA: If you order your pack now, you could have your blooms ready to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day on 21 March 💛 

😴 The 5 types of sleeper

New research suggests our sleep patterns fall into five distinct types, rather than just an early riser or late nighter. Let’s break it down.

So what did the study find?
Most of us loosely identify as either a morning person, or someone who desperately needs their morning coffee (hard relate!). But researchers analysing data from more than 27k adults found that sleep patterns tend to cluster into five groups instead. The team looked at brain imaging, health records and questionnaire responses to understand how people’s internal body clocks – a.k.a. chronotypes – differ. Chronotype is shaped by a mix of genetics, light exposure and daily habits, and it influences when you naturally feel alert or sleepy. 

Ok, so what are the types?
🌅 Early bird 1: Your classic morning person. They tend to wake early, keep fairly regular routines and feel at their best first thing in the day.
🌞 Early bird 2: Also early risers, but with slightly different mood and energy patterns. Interestingly, this one is more likely to be female.
🌙 Night owl 1: More alert in the evening and often comfortable with a later schedule. In the study, this group showed some cognitive strengths alongside their later rhythm.
🌜 Night owl 2: Another late-leaning group, often associated with video-gaming.
🌌 Night owl 3: A third variation of the late chronotype and this one is more male-dominant.

Why does it matter?
For years, sleep advice has tended to favour early rising but this research suggests it’s less about being “good” or “bad” at mornings and more about understanding your natural rhythm. Some later types performed well on cognitive tests, and not all early types reported the same mood patterns. In other words, sleep timing is just one piece of a much bigger wellbeing puzzle.

How can I use this info?
If you’ve always found that your brain properly switches on early doors – or that you hit your stride after dinner – that might simply be your natural rhythm at work. If you can, try to notice when you feel most focused and plan important tasks around those windows. Keeping a fairly regular sleep and wake time, getting some daylight earlier in the day and allowing yourself a proper wind-down in the evening are all gentle ways to support your body clock.

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☮️ Pope Leo XIV has declined an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join his proposed “Board of Peace”. 

• The bigger story: The Vatican said the pope believes the United Nations should remain the primary forum for handling international conflicts and peace efforts. Trump’s Board of Peace, which was initially set up to focus on Gaza’s reconstruction, has expanded to become a global peacekeeping body. The first meeting of the group is due to take place in Washington today.

🦈 A large shark has been filmed in Antarctica making it the first recorded sighting that far south.

💸 UK energy bills are set to fall to their lowest in 2 years from April, as the government cuts green levies. 

⛷️ Winter Olympians have been turning to this vegetable juice trend, particularly the endurance athletes. 

💊 An ancient bacteria frozen in an underground ice cave that’s resistant to 10 modern antibiotics could help us develop new strategies to prevent the rise of antibiotic resistance, researchers have said. 

✈️ Dual nationals are set to be able to board planes belonging to this airline with an expired British passport. 

💌 A handwritten letter penned by a young Queen Elizabeth II is set to go up for auction – complete with drawings of horses and furry friends!

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Trivia answer: A) According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which represents the interests of musicians, Taylor has topped the chart for the fourth year in a row!

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