Circadian Rhythms in Cognitive Processes: Implications for School Learning

Circadian variations have been found in cognitive processes, such as attention, working memory, and executive functions, which may explain oscillations in the performance of many tasks. These cognitive processes improve during the day and decrease during the night and early hours of the morning. Sleep deprivation further decreases these cognitive processes during daytime hours. This review analyses the recent findings on circadian rhythms in cognitive processes, as well as the implications of these rhythms for school learning.