Overview

Neuroscience research can be of great help in improving school performance in children and adolescents. We know, for instance, that sleep deprivation significantly impairs memory and the acquisition of many skills, and disturbs emotional and cognitive performance as well. By inducing sleep deprivation in many people in most urban environments, modern 24-hour society can become a threat to healthy behavior. Adolescents, in particular, tend to sleep less during school time because of late bedtime (work or entertainment) and early schooling. This current cultural pattern is out of phase with the body's internal clock and the circadian rhythms that are the result of millions of years of biological adaptation in mammals. People certainly are not prepared to be awake when our body temperature is at a minimum, for instance. Moreover the cyclical pattern of sleeping and waking changes with age. Adolescents show a shift toward a more owl-like behavior and their optimal time of the day is generally in the evening. This is the reason why they can be sleepy in the morning and become more alert when their classes are mostly over. By paying attention to these facts of chronoeducation, schools can improve student learning by creating a better connection between diurnal rhythms and the school schedule.

The Editors

Many biological functions wax and wane in cycles that repeat each day, month, or year. Such patterns do not reflect simply organism's passive response to environmental changes.