Busy Brains Gifted kids seem to be able to function quite well with less sleep than their age mates, but they can sometimes have a difficult time getting to sleep. Many kids describe it as being unable to shut off their brains.
According to new research, babies and children who are smarter or more gifted tend to need fewer hours of sleep to operate than other children.
Babies vary substantially in the amount of sleep that they need, especially during the first year postpartum. For example, more than half of all 6-month-olds get at least 12 hours of sleep each day. Yet a sizeable percentage of babies — who appear to be otherwise healthy — sleep substantially less.
Since some gifted children don't need as much sleep as other children, they may just not be tired when their parents put them to bed and want them to go to sleep. Need More Time Alone to Wind Down: Your child may need extra time alone to settle down from the day.
A key sign of possible giftedness in infants is the need for mental stimulation. In fact, it is not unusual for gifted babies to get fussy and even start to cry if they aren't provided constant stimulus.
Signs of Giftedness in Children Include:
an ability to learn and process complex information rapidly. a need to explore subjects in surprising depth. an insatiable curiosity, as demonstrated by endless questions and inquiries. ability to comprehend material several grade levels above their age peers.
Giftedness can create problems and conflicts; being a gifted child can also mean difficulty socializing with age peers, thinking styles that don't always mesh well with the demands from the environment, even children who see themselves as little adults, challenging teachers and parents.
Common Characteristics of Gifted Children:
Ability to comprehend material several grade levels above their age peers. Surprising emotional depth and sensitivity at a young age. Strong sense of curiosity. Enthusiastic about unique interests and topics.
Busy Brains
Gifted kids seem to be able to function quite well with less sleep than their age mates, but they can sometimes have a difficult time getting to sleep. Many kids describe it as being unable to shut off their brains. They simply can't stop thinking.
Insufficient sleep means not getting enough sleep at night, which can cause several problems including decreased brain development, learning problems and more frequent negative emotions. It can also contribute to weight management problems, growth issues and increased frequency of illnesses.
Autistic children can have particular sleep and settling problems, including: irregular sleeping and waking patterns – for example, lying awake until very late or waking very early in the morning. sleeping much less than expected for their age, or being awake for more than an hour during the night.
One of the earliest signs of an intelligent baby is a high level of alertness. Such babies are also very aware of their environments and loved ones, quickly recognising and bonding with family members.
Psychology Today reported that intelligent people are likely to be nocturnal beings, with those with a higher IQ going bed later on both weeknights and weekends.
Giftedness falls into one or more of the following areas: intellectual, academic, creative, artistic and leadership.
Gifted children are born with natural abilities well above the average for their age. If your child is gifted, you might notice these natural abilities in the way they're learning and developing. Children can be gifted in any area of ability, and they can also be gifted in more than one area.
Most people use terms like “bright,” “gifted,” “exceptional,” “remarkable,” and “talented” interchangeably, but when a psychologist uses the term “gifted,” we're usually talking about something that is statistically quite rare. About 3 to 5 out of every 100 children could be considered gifted.
Gifted children often set very high standards for themselves and get frustrated when they can't meet them. This can sometimes result in tantrums and other difficult behaviour. It's great for your child to work towards high standards. But your child needs to understand that they can't have high standards for everything.
Even though the gifted are no more susceptible to mental illness than anyone else, some gifted children and teens struggle with overthinking, worry, or cautious alertness. Their nervous system seems wired for heightened reactivity. For some, obsessive thinking transitions into anxiety.
Giftedness has an emotional as well as intellectual component. Intellectual complexity goes hand in hand with emotional depth. Just as gifted children's thinking is more complex and has more depth than other children's, so too are their emotions more complex and more intense.
An extraordinary memory: If your child can easily remember even the smallest details, numbers, information, or memories, this is one of the most important indicators of giftedness. Advanced vocabulary: Expressing their thoughts clearly with a wide vocabulary is an indisputable sign of a gifted child.
Years of depending on academic approval for motivation turns into burnout when a gifted child looks around after being rewarded for performing higher than their peers for their entire life and sees the people they left behind all those years ago at the same level as them.
Most babies will have a period of increased fussiness starting at around 2 weeks of age and usually peaking between 6-8 weeks of age. Although, this is a normal developmental stage for infants it can be very stressful for parents and caregivers.