In Tyumen, researchers discovered how chronotype affects the academic performance of medical students.

Results have been published in BMC Medical Education. Chronotype refers to the individual characteristics of a person's circadian rhythms. Based on daily activity levels, three chronotypes are identified: morning, evening, and intermediate.

Researchers tested the hypothesis that students with an evening chronotype (those who fall asleep after midnight and wake up late) have lower motivation for studying and achieving success. This is linked to their difficulties in waking up and being less active in the mornings.

The study involved 540 first- and second-year medical students, with the vast majority (60.5 percent) classified as intermediate chronotype, 26.7 percent as morning, and 12.7 percent as evening.

Students were asked to complete questionnaires on morningness-eveningness (MEQ) and motivated strategies for learning (MSLQ). The most significant finding of the study was that chronotype affects motivation for learning. Evening-type students showed lower motivation compared to their morning and intermediate counterparts, reported chronobiologist and Professor of Biology at Tyumen State Medical University, Doctor of Medical Sciences Denis Gubin.

“The academic performance of evening chronotype individuals is also lower, as indicated by results from earlier studies by colleagues. This may be related to light hygiene, meaning these students experience a deficiency of daylight and an excess of evening light,” noted Denis Gubin. “We suggest that it may be possible to influence their motivation for learning by creating specific lighting conditions in educational settings and at home, or by adjusting class schedules to later times.”

An experimental project titled "Smart Schedule" is planned to be implemented at Tyumen State Medical University for several groups of first-year students.