Study challenges advice to perform different tasks at specific times


Date:
February 16, 2022
Source:
Washington State University
Summary:
Productivity gurus claim that the best time of day to perform
different types of cognitive tasks varies substantially based on the
body's biological clock, but a new study led by sleep scientists
challenges this long-held belief. The researchers analyzed data
from a laboratory experiment that put participants on either a
simulated day or night shift schedule for three days, allowing them
to dissociate the biological clock effects on task performance from
the effects of how long the participants had been awake. After
completing their shifts, participants were kept in a 24-hour
constant routine protocol designed to study humans' internally
generated biological rhythms independent of any external influences.

Comparing participants' performance on three distinct cognitive
tests completed throughout the constant routine, the researchers
found that the timing of peak performance was not task specific.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Contrary to popular productivity advice, the optimal time of day to
write emails, conduct meetings or crunch numbers does not inherently
differ from task to task, according to research led by Washington State University sleep scientists.


========================================================================== Productivity gurus claim that the best timing for different types of
cognitive tasks varies based on the body's biological clock, but a new
study published in the journal Clocks & Sleep challenges this long-held
belief.

"Though the biological clock does help determine the best time of day for performance, our study shows that it doesn't do so in a task-specific
manner," said co-author Kimberly Honn, an assistant professor in the
WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine affiliated with the WSU Sleep
and Performance Research Center. "In other words, the timing of peak
task performance may vary from one individual to another, but it is
not necessarily different based on the type of task being performed."
Honn said these findings are relevant to anyone juggling a variety
of tasks that require mental effort. When choosing a time to tackle
important tasks, she suggested individuals ask themselves what time of
day they feel most focused and ready to perform, which will likely differ
based on whether a person is an early bird, a night owl or somewhere in between. Other factors to consider include the circumstances, such as
what time of day the individual may experience the fewest distractions
and how long they have been awake.

Rachael Muck, a WSU graduate student in neuroscience and the study's
co-first author, said the research suggests that anyone who finds
themselves feeling sleepy should probably consider postponing important
tasks until a later time.

The study tested participants' performance on three distinct cognitive
tests: one that assessed participants' ability to stay focused, another
that involved the ability to link pieces of information in memory and
a third that had participants rate how sleepy they were.



==========================================================================
"We found that the effect of the biological clock on participants'
self- reported sleepiness aligned with performance impairment on the
other two tests," Muck said. "That tells us that when you feel sleepy,
it is not likely going to be an optimal time for any task, at least not
based on your biological clock." The research team analyzed data from
a laboratory experiment that put participants on either a simulated day
or night shift schedule for three days.

Comparing between these shifts allowed the researchers to dissociate
the biological clock effects on task performance from the effects of
how long the participants had been awake.

Upon completing their simulated shifts, participants were kept in a
constant routine protocol designed to study humans' internally generated biological rhythms independent of any external influences. They were
kept awake for 24 hours in a semi-reclined posture, received identical
snacks every hour and were kept under constant light exposure and room temperature. Throughout the constant routine, researchers drew blood
samples to determine levels of melatonin -- a hormone that reflects
biological clock timing. Every two hours, the participants completed
the three distinct cognitive tests.

Comparing participants' test performance, the researchers found no
significant differences in the peak timing of task performance relative
to the timing of the biological clock.

The researchers plan to conduct additional studies to confirm these
findings, broadening the scope of work to include other cognitive
tests. They will also perform an analysis of task performance data from
a sample of real-life shift workers who will complete a constant routine protocol after finishing their shift.

"Given that shift work can make workers particularly sleepy, knowing
the optimal timing for different tasks is especially important in shift
work settings," said study co-first author Amanda Hudson, a WSU graduate student in experimental psychology. "If peak performance is not dependent
on the biological clock from one task to another, then workers may want
to perform the most critical tasks of their workday at the time of day
when they feel the least sleepy." In addition to Muck, Hudson and Honn,
study authors include professor Hans Van Dongen of the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and Shobhan Gaddameedhi, an associate professor at
North Carolina State University.

special promotion Explore the latest scientific research on sleep and
dreams in this free online course from New Scientist -- Sign_up_now_>>> ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Washington_State_University. Original written by Judith Van Dongen. Note: Content may be edited for style
and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Rachael A. Muck, Amanda N. Hudson, Kimberly A. Honn, Shobhan
Gaddameedhi,
Hans P. A. Van Dongen. Working around the Clock: Is a Person's
Endogenous Circadian Timing for Optimal Neurobehavioral Functioning
Inherently Task- Dependent? Clocks & Sleep, 2022; 4 (1): 23 DOI:
10.3390/ clockssleep4010005 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220216091223.htm

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