Morning Effects on Learning

I remember when I was a child my mom always  told me to learn in the morning and she used to say that Brahm Muhurt (morning 4 to 5 am) was the best time for learning .I always thought that it was her excuse to rouse me from sleep and I always felt a grudge against this. But now studies support this morning effect on learning.

All parents and students know that sometimes it is tiring to do homework or to memorize something and completing homework and staying on top of upcoming assignments is important.

But the question that plagues their mind is “when is the best time to study for my child?” There is not a definite answer but generally it is morning time when the brain of the student tends to be sharpest, after a refreshing night’s sleep and a nutritious breakfast.

It is really a good time to read the textbook to learn something new, or review notes from the previous day. In the morning with a more alert brain, students have a better ability to recall details like names, places, dates, and facts. After morning daytime is also suitable for integrating new information with what the students already know. During this time of day, students can create connections and make the information they have learned, more meaningful as the brain is not tired.

It does not mean that we should take it as a fact that it is the best time to study but science says that because in the night you get full rest that’s why this time helps more to learn with concentration. The other reason is that there is silence in the atmosphere, no such noise of the traffic or people ,so you can concentrate more .It is a truth that  each of us  has our most productive time of the day, when we have the most energy. Some people are ‘morning people’, who wake up with lots of energy while others are ‘night owls’ and have more energy in the evening hours. We understand that each student has a unique learning style, like that different students may learn better at different times of the day but the only thing to keep in mind is continuous effort.

According to Dr. Micheal Breus, author of The Power of When, working in sync with our body’s natural clock is the key to unlocking success to produce our best, creative work. The science of “good timing” called as chronobiology says, peak performance is hardwired into our DNA. We have an  inner clock embedded inside our brain and it has been ticking away, keeping perfect time, since we were a  baby .So when you feel mentally sluggish, try tapping into chronobiology to perform at your best. When a problem comes, we are always advised to “sleep on it” and it is for a reason: we make worst decisions late at night and after just waking up.

Our cognitive powers are strongest once your brain has a chance to shake off sleep inertia and that is morning time when you are fully awake. So, take important decisions when you feel most alert, generally within one to three hours after waking up. But the thing to remember is not only timing but consistency is also important.