Good sleepers are less intelligent kids???

[SparklyFuckingBusinessFairy]

Chatting with a colleague yesterday about our babies (16 months old), and she was moaning that her DS never sleeps. DD is a pretty good sleeper these days, usually sleeps for 10-12 hours. Then she said smugly, "of course, they say poor sleepers are much more intelligent," at which I was a bit . Even if you think that, even if it's scientifically true, you don't say it in those circumstances.

However, it is certainly true that her DS is very advanced; he walked at 10 months and says loads of words, whilst DD is bang on average so far and just has a few words that all sound the same (cheese, sneeze etc).

What are your experiences - are good sleepers and easy going kids generally less smart? Or can I tell her to get stuffed with her smugness?! And was she as rude as I thought she was, or was I being hypersensitive and perceiving criticism where there was none?

Idiot comment of her to make at the time. I also think her comment is a crock. My niece was a dream baby, slept through and was golden. She goes to grammar school and is a straight A student. My little brother is also a classic example that it's a load of rubbish.

Early walkers means nothing in terms of 'being very advanced'. I constantly compared my DD to my 2 friends girls who are the same age. They both walked from 11 months, my girl walked at 14 months. She's now 18 months and knows all her shapes, animals and can do puzzles etc which is so much more than my friends girls can do! And my girl is a good sleeper.

Don't listen to your mate

If you can even imagine the relentless misery of having a non sleeper, having eyes permanently dry with exhaustion, you really wouldn't give a shit about whatever nonsense she's coming out with. just be grateful you're getting sleep and bite your tongue. I did the same, I'm sure. My second child, who is definitely The family genius sleeps like crazy.

Have a slightly below average 5 year old who slept like shit until she got melatonin prescribed.

However my brother slept terribly and he is, literally, a genius, while I slept through the night from four weeks old and I'm not that smart.

She was very rude! If it helps, my fabulous sleeper DD who didn't take a step until she was 18 months just sailed through her 11+ with top marks without any extra tuition. So I think that blows that particular theory out of the water ...

My appalling sleeper child does have a high IQ..I would say this women is clinging to glimmer of hope that there is some reason she is so sleep deprived..

As others have said.Age walk talk has very little to do with how well they do at school..

My also late talker does frequently get told off for talking sure there is no correlation simply needs to understand there is time to shut up.

Nevermind the science, your colleague made a rude and insensitive comment. But it could be because she is currently desperately sleep deprived and put her foot in her mouth. She might be regretting her comment... as it was clearly out of order. Who knows. If she makes another rude remark I would call her out on that.

I have a friend who thought that everything was a 'sign of intelligence', teeth, walking, talking, you name it she thought it - never heard the sleeping one mind . must mention that to her.
Its all bollox in my eyes, all kids are different and nothing they do as babies/toddlers is a sign of intelligence (unless of course they can count to 100 by the age of 1)
I find people just want to boost their own failing self esteem

One child was a nightmare sleeper and still is as adult. 6As at A level. Top decile in medical degrees nationally in her year. Not stupid at all.
However - next two we were tougher with and they can sleep anywhere at anytime and have done since the 9 month training week. One 6As at A level. One 43 points at IB. Neither what you'd call dim.
Twins mainly good sleepers if sharing cot/bed. Not good when apart. IB passed at 43/44 points. 1st's from Russell group. Reasonably switched on.
Youngest 43 points at IB plus 2As at A level ( RE at 15 years and dance as a hobby). Time will tell re degree. Can't remember whether she slept well or not. Guess she probably did but I just didn't notice.

I slept through the night from the day I was born and can fall asleep at will within 2 minutes any time any place. I was also a straight A student and have two first class degrees so it clearly didn't hold me back academically.

Firstly it's an incredibly daft thing to say even if it was 100% true.

Secondly I think there is a correlation between being slightly neurotic (which probably includes not sleeping well) and being intelligent but it's just a correlation there are plenty of un neurotic smart folks and neurotic people that are thick as a plank of wood.

Oh god my kids are all good sleepers they're going to be dim

To all those people who are slating her. I almost list my job and suffered badly with mental health due to sleep deprivation (poor sleeper + thyroid). I lost 3 stone. Sleeplessness can be unbelievably, damagingly crushing.
Let her have her fantasy to cling to. Let her. You get to fucking SLEEP. Do you even realise what an amazing luxury that will seem to her?
It's like an impoverished aunt saying to a millionaire "well of course your Louis Vuitton is a bit brash... they say Prada is better for work...".

How rude.
My daughter always sleep well, now in year 8 and in top sets for all subjects.
I would love to trek this collleague of tours to f off.

Of course it's true. That was how I consoled myself having had no sleep for the first 4 months of my daughters life!
Let her believe. I remember feeling so envious of the sleeping babies

My 20 month old DS is a poor sleeper so I look for to his genius showing itself any time now. DSD (age 10) slept like a log as a baby, distinctly average mostly, bit advanced in her reading.

I'd be amazed if there was any truth to this at all. Comparing babies is bollocks too, none of it usually matters in the long run. Your friend may be exhausted and possibly over sensitive to comments from you about your DD's sleep so might have sniped "back" in her view.

My DSis has compared babies continually since her DD was born last August. I hate it, it's very tiresome. My beautiful niece is displaying genius tendencies every day and sleeping through like an angel. Yawn.

I'm really bloody bright and I've always loved my sleep, since teeny tiny. Slept 16 hours the first night, seemingly.
DH is an actual genius, and has always loved his sleep. His dad swears he slept solidly for 3 days when a baby. Can still sleep 12-14 hours solid now.
DD is 5 and as bright as anything. We'd bloody hope so. The child never slept thru till 2.9, survives on 2 hours together over about 9 hours, usually culminating in me screaming at her at 3.42am 'I don't care if your eyes won't close, mine bloody are!' while DH slumbers regardless.
I, however, can't remember where I left my shoes as I've not slept a full night in 6 years. Intelligence sappers indeed, these children.

I'm not sure about sleepers R.E night time, but I currently have 5 two and a half year olds on my books (I'm a childminder, and don't have all five at the same time obvs) and 2 of them do not nap during the day anymore and are average, 2 nap for 1-2 hours a day and are very bright, and the third still naps for 3 hours a day, and sleeps 12 hours at night and is a little genius
All five children are born within a three month time period too.

Well if I'd only had my first I would've said true but second two excellent sleepers & just as intelligent now.
First walked talked etc much faster. I think he thought sleeping was boring & he was missing out on something
Don't more successful people get up early? Sure I read that somewhere.

I don't think it's meant when they are babies - more that older children and adults who need very little sleep are generally very intelligent. DS1 is very intelligent and can survive on only a couple of hours sleep and would stay up all night reading if we let him.
On the other hand I was very intelligent (joined Mensa/skipped a year in school type of intelligent) and I would sleep 20 hours a day if I could (may have something to do with having 3kids!!)

My dd is 5, top of her year group in the ridiculous tests they give to 5yo kids (dh teaches at her school) and sleeps 7pm-9am on a weekend. She was a nightmare baby- colic and didn't sleep through until she was 2.5. Maybe that's when she developed her genius? Or maybe kids develop at different rates and it will all even out as she gets older? Your friend is an idiot. I really wouldn't worry.

Nonsense. She was just being a cock.

dd was a really good sleeper at a young age.

Unfortunately she went to a good university, got a good law degree and has a good job.

Kind of disproves your stupid friends jibes.

Ignore her, she's probably jealous you get to sleep.

I had heard that only bright people get insomnia. Which kind of makes sense - mind is racing etc. Dont think the reverse is true though!

My bit of anecdata: DD just turned 2. Talks a lot, counts to 10 easily, right now is learning counting to 20. Knows 10 colours, some main shapes. Recognises all the numbers and some letters.
She sleeps through the night and has done since about 6 weeks old (BF till 16 months).
I can't stop thinking about her what's the catch, there must be a catch

Your colleague is wrong. So fuck her smug face. Cunt.

Actually research shows better sleep = better executive functioning in the brain. So not sure what research she's been reading.

That said my non sleeping 4 year old is definitely more advanced than my sleeping 18 month old but in different ways not globally across all development areas.