Baycrest

10 • BrainMatters • Fall/Winter 2023 Most of us naturally have a preference for either morning or evening — that is, we are either early birds or night owls — and we all know plenty of others who fit into one of these categories. For night owls, doing anything early in the morning may be daunting, while they may work on creative projects, speed through emails and cross off numerous items on their to-do list after most others have already gone to bed. In contrast, early birds may go for a run, complete chores and accomplish a great deal before noon, but have little energy for any activities in the evenings. Whether you are an early bird or a night owl, your internal clock plays a critical role in maximizing your mental performance, according to a recent Baycrest study. This effect is so strong that it can significantly impact academic performance for adolescent students and the results of brain health assessments for older adults. OUR INTERNAL CLOCK PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN OPTIMIZING MENTAL PERFORMANCE "A person's tendency to be a morning or an evening person is called their chronotype. Because of differences in chronotypes, we see significant differences in the time of day at which people are best at paying attention, learning, solving problems, making complex decisions and more," says Dr. Lynn Hasher, Senior Scientist at Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute, the study's lead author and a key leader in this field of research. An individual's chronotype drives physiological and intellectual functioning throughout the day. Morning chronotypes rise and peak early in the day, while evening chronotypes have a much later peak. Chronotype varies from person to person and also changes with age, from childhood to adolescence to old age. In general, adolescents are likely to be night owls, while older adults are more likely to be morning people. In this scientific literature review, the researchers analyzed more than 150 previously published studies examining chronotypes and their effects on mental

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