Most medications must be taken daily, but the instructions don’t always specify what time of day is the best to take them.

“The body doesn’t respond to medications in the same way at different times of the day,” Michael Smolensky, adjunct professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Texas, told AARP. “Some drugs are not as effective or as well tolerated if they’re taken at the wrong biological time. It’s not that they’re not effective at all, but they’re certainly much less effective.”

The source said that many drugs that instruct patients to take one per day often work better when they’re taken at night, and changing when medications are taken can lead to better benefits without side effects.

This method is called chronotherapy, and certain medical conditions like hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis have seen positive results of altering when the prescription is taken.

According to LiveScience, the body follows a 24-hour rhythm based on the circadian clock. Because of this, a medication may prove more or less effective at different times of day.

Senior care services can help older adults receive the most benefits from their medications providing medication reminders.