Body Rhythms, the School Day, and Academic Achievement

Efficiency on a variety of tasks has been shown to follow the body’s daily temperature rhythm. The school day favors the academic achievement of the morning-active student whose temperature cycle peaks early in the day and discriminates against the student with a later rhythm. One-way ANOVA of data from 641 students in grades seven to twelve found a significant relationship between time of maximum alertness and age, grade level, and grade averages. The morning-active students had higher academic achievement than those alert later in the day. The finding has implications for modifying the daily school schedule.