Influence of Morningness Orientation in Cognitive Performance in School Girls (Age 11 To 14)

Abstract

This study endeavors to investigate the impact of Morningness orientation on sleep behavior, cognitive performance, and mental health status among schoolgirls aged 11 to 14. The research emphasized the importance of understanding individual chronotypes for optimizing school activities and well-being. Data collection involved assessing various physical parameters and sleep-related aspects, such as sleep timing metrics, sleep duration, and mid-sleep time. The study also included the assessment of cognitive performance through the ruler drop test and letter cancellation. Additionally, the mental health status of the participants was evaluated by the DASS21 self-report questionnaire.The study found that variations in sleep duration significantly affect cognitive performance, with differences observed in the ruler drop test and errors and omissions in activities like letter cancellation throughout the day. Furthermore, distinct patterns of circadian typology showed how different chronotypes responded to changes in cognitive performance concerning mental health, specifically depression, anxiety, and stress levels. The study concluded that adapting schedule to match individual chronotypes can improve cognitive performance and build psychological resilience in children. Scheduling cognitive tasks considering natural alertness variations optimizes performance for different chronotypes.