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The brain is a fickle beast – at some times as sharp as a tack, at others like a fuzzy ball of wool. At least some of that variation can be explained by fluctuations in circadian rhythms, which means that, in theory, if you do the right kind of task at the right time of day, life should run a little more smoothly.
The exact timing of these fluctuations varies by about 2 hours between morning and evening types, so it is difficult to give any one-size-fits-all advice. Nevertheless there are a few rules that it’s worth bearing in mind whatever your natural waking time.
It’s an idea not to do too much that involves razor-sharp focus in the first couple of hours after waking up. Depending on how much sleep you have had it can take anything from 30 minutes to 4 hours to shake off sleep inertia – also known as morning grogginess. If you want to think creatively, though, groggy can be good (see “Mind expanding: Creativity on demand“).
“If you want to think creatively, morning grogginess can be good”
If hard work can’t wait, though, the good news is that researchers have backed up what most of us already know – a dose of caffeine helps you shake off sleep inertia and get on with some work (Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol 116, p 280).
Another tip is to time your mental gymnastics to coincide with fluctuations in body temperature. Studies measuring variation in everything from attention and verbal reasoning to reaction times have shown that when our core temperature dips below 37 °C the brain isn’t…
