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?

I'm with tronalddump. It's a bit like when a bird shits on you and some helpful fuckwit tells you it's good luck. My DD didn't sleep through til she was 3. when she slept through she would wake up FOR THE DAY at 4.30am. that was before Netflix exsisted. It's a special kind of madness, willing Cbeebes to start. By 10am it felt like bedtime. My DD now aged 7 is a lot of things - child genius is not one of them

Also, maybe the sleep deprivation turns the caregiver into such a gibbering idiot that even the likes of Boris Johnson/ said colleague' DC seems like a genius??

I've had a good sleeper and a bad sleeper, both intelligent

I have 4 children - 2 sleep with ease, 2 are struggling sleepers. My 2 most able (One bright, one gifted) are those who sleep with ease. My dyslexic girl struggles to sleep and my little one is about average in academic ability but a nightmare sleeper.
So, in my experience, the opposite is true.

Early walking isn't a sign of high intelligence anyway.

On the gifted children boards there does seem to be a higher than average incidence of crappy sleepers. My kids are both v bright though (borderline gifted, maybe) and have both always slept very well indeed.

I suspect, like others, that your friend is desperately scraping round looking for a silver lining in the cloud of exhaustion. Don't shatter her illusions

I'm pretty sure the non-sleepers get more advanced at an early age, simply because they have been awake longer. The one real non-sleeper I know is seems to be about a year ahead, and behaves like a 3.5 yo though she is 2.5. I think that is representative of the fact she has been awake 16/17 odd hours a day everyday instead of 10/11......

I doubt any of this has anything to do with intelligence though. The age at which toddler milestones get hit doesn't seem to be hugely defining in adult intelligence.

Sounds like she isn't thinking straight in her sleep deprived state.
My sil and I used to say this to each other to cheer ourselves up when we both had shit sleepers, didn't say it to sil2 who had an angel baby who slept through from about 4 minutes old.

I read an interesting article in psychology today that said those that went to bed later and slept in later were more intelligent, but it definitely didn't mention less sleep. Besides didn't a recent study show laziness was a sign of intelligence?

DHs colleague and his wife had a baby a week or so after we had our dc1. Dc1 could sleep for England whilst theirs apparently, never slept. Every day at work DH was regaled with tales of what their child could do -apparently hit all milestones ahead of time, was described as 'extremely bright'by every professional that came into contact with him, etc. And was running his parents into the ground through lack of sleep.
Otoh, our DC met some milestones early, some on time and others a little later than average. However, he slept. OMG, how he slept. 9 hours through the night from six weeks old. No sleep regression. Slept during the day. Slept and slept. I even asked he about it. She told us not to worry as all babies are different. By the time he started school we had been told he was very bright. School brought in the Ed psych as they needed advice on how to challenge him. Ed psych assessed IQ at ridiculously high level. DC still slept. Throughout school, top marks all the way. Through university, top marks all the way in STEM subject. Great degree, Great Masters, fantasy post grad qualification and now doing extremely well in his chosen profession. And still he sleeps!

There is lots of research to show that more intelligent adults tend to be nightowls
I dont know if this extends to childten.

I have a 3 year old who thinks sleep is for daddy and no one else he is a year behind on his speech and didn't walk until 13 months but he's very intelligent in other areas. I think she was being really rude and I think it's fantastic that your little one sleeps can I please borrow to teach my son how to sleep lol ☺

I think it's like birds crapping on your head being "lucky". Be grateful to have a good sleeper. Think no more of it.