TORONTO, September 26, 2023 – 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.
How to Use Your Internal Clock to Live Better
“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 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 performance. Conducting the research with Dr. Hasher were Dr. Cynthia May (Professor of Psychology, College of Charleston) and Dr. Karl Healey (Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan).
They found that a person’s chronotype has a strong effect on their ability to pay attention, learn, solve problems, make complex decisions and even behave in an ethical manner. This means that a morning person may have more difficulty learning new information later in the day, while an evening person may struggle to make decisions before noon.
Chronotype appears to have the strongest impact for adolescents and older adults. Adolescents are generally strong evening chronotypes, but they tend to start school early in the morning, which may have a negative effect on their academic performance. In addition, because the majority of older adults show a strong biological preference for the morning, they tend to perform much worse on cognitive tests later in the day, which could in turn lead to unnecessary stress.
Overall, these results indicate the importance of recognizing and accounting for chronotype in a wide variety of settings, from academic and medical situations to social settings and more.
"By better understanding and acknowledging chronotypes, we can help individuals optimize their mental performance and live their best possible lives, no matter their age,” says Dr. Hasher.
This research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Aging.
The Aspen Tree The Forestias Operated by Baycrest Lets You Live Life to the Full as an Older Adult
You should be able to live the lifestyle you love as an older adult with great quality of life and both physical and mental well-being. We’re all different so happiness should be tailored to our needs and goals.
This concept inspires The Aspen Tree at The Forestias, designed and developed with research leaders and Canada’s world-leading Baycrest Crest to meet every need of older adults. You can live in a multigeneration community in The Forestias with comprehensive health and care (Holistic Lifetime Care). Full facilities and the Health & Wellness program enhance your lifestyle with activities such as yoga, swimming, singing, playing music, meditation, outdoor activities, hydrotherapy, and much more to keep your body, mind, and brain in great shape.
The Aspen Tree at The Forestias also has a Health & Brain Center to safeguard your health and wellness. The center’s experts can delay the onset of dementia and provide care to overcome brain and memory problems. A team of healthcare specialists is on hand 24 hours a day to keep you safe and well in every aspect.
Live free from cares in the free time of live... Let’s find the perfect life together.
Find out more CLICK https://mqdc.com/aspentree
Call 1265
LINE OA: @TheAspenTree or CLICK https://mqdc.link/3Emhkde
Source:
1265
mqdc@mqdc.com
