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If there’s anything to like about daylight saving time, it’s that one extra hour of sleep that comes with earlier nightfall. But whether or not that extra hour can be put to good use depends on whether you’re a morning lark, night owl or something in between – namely, your chronotype.
Each person has a particular time of day when their mental performance is at its peak. Psychologist Cindi May of the College of Charleston notes that making sure your cognitive abilities are at the best when they are put to the test can influence the outcomes of a wide range of important activities in daily life, from acing exams to making accurate diagnoses to avoiding marketing scams. “For early risers and late-nighters alike, listening to your internal clock may be the key to success,” she writes.
Hopefully, reading this story will make you feel a little better about finally being ready to tackle that to-do list when the sun sets – or, if you’re like me, conking out at 9 p.m.
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Owl chronotypes function better at night, while lark chronotypes are more energized in the morning.
The Photo Matrix/Moment, nomis_g/iStock via Getty Images Plus
Cindi May, College of Charleston
Synchronizing your daily activities to your circadian rhythm could help you improve your performance on a variety of cognitive tasks − and even influence diagnosis of cognitive disorders.
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Politics + Society
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Mary Kate Cary, University of Virginia
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Anne Whitesell, Miami University
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International
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Andrew Latham, Macalester College
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Economy + Business
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Huan Kuang, Bryant University; Ying (Cathy) Zheng, Bryant University
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Environment + Energy
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Richard Aster, Colorado State University
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Science + Technology
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Ruth Elisabeth Appel, Stanford University
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Kristin Ahrens, Purdue University
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Education
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Kerri Evans, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Ishara Casellas Connors, Texas A&M University; Lisa Unangst, SUNY Empire State College
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Jamaal Abdul-Alim, University of Maryland
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