The Best Time of Day

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

26 Jul 2009 06:03 AM

Are you a morning person or a night owl? Throughout my school years, I was a morning person. I arranged my college schedule to have class in the mornings and afternoons free. I'd still rather do the bulk of my thinking in the early part of the day and leave the after-lunch hours for less brain-intensive activities.

Brain power can actually wax and wane as the day progresses! Researchers have looked at the "best" times of day for different activities, based on brain chemistry.

• Early mornings (like the first few hours after you wake up) are the best time for bonding. Levels of oxytocin -- a hormone that influences bonding -- are highest in the morning. This is a great time to cuddle with your kids, get romantic with your spouse, or catch up with a close friend.
• Late mornings (between breakfast and lunch) are great for productivity. The brain generally has low to moderate levels of cortisol -- the stress hormone -- at this point, which can help you focus and get stuff done.
• Lunchtime is the best time to tackle the hard stuff. Research has found that reaction times are the best between 11am and 2pm, thanks to very low levels of sleep hormone melatonin.
• Feeling a mid-afternoon slump? You're not alone. The body draws blood away from the brain to help lunch digest. This is a good time for a break... but if you can't slip away to relax, try a brisk walk to help perk yourself up.
• Late afternoon is a good time to share the load. Cortisol levels tend to dip in the late afternoon, but fatigue levels may be high. Work with someone on a project in the late afternoon.
• Early evening is a good time to tackle personal stuff -- run errands, spend time with the family, walk the dog, pay bills. Melatonin levels are low (but they'll soon start to rise in preparation for bedtime) so you'll have an easy time concentrating.

As the evening continues into night, the body starts to produce melatonin to get you ready to sleep. Serotonin levels start to drop, so you might not feel too upbeat and energetic. This is a good time for quiet, unwinding activities, like reading or watching TV. Soon enough, it will be bedtime!

What do you think? Does your brain follow this pattern, or do you keep a different schedule? This is more an average than a law when it comes to a person's brain schedule.

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Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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