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 study from the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto. 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. “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.