The Unique Morning of a Gifted Mind
For people with high intellectual potential (defined here as having an IQ of 130 or above), the first few moments after waking hold something truly special. Their ever-active minds waste no time kicking into gear, and this mental quickstart shapes the way they greet the early light of day. Among their natural early morning routines, one stands out: reading.
What Science Reveals About Their Sleep
Scientific research has spotlighted some striking characteristics in the way high-potential individuals sleep. For example, a study published in 2003 involved Dr. Revol, Head of Child Neuropsychiatry at the Neurological Hospital of the University Hospital of Lyon (France)—a specialist in gifted children. This research studied 196 gifted children and 226 of their peers, all between eight and eleven years old, and found clear differences in how their sleep is structured.
- Gifted children experience more sleep cycles each night — averaging 6.4 cycles, compared to 4.2 for the control group.
- Their cycles are shorter, around 70 minutes compared to 90 minutes for others.
- The REM phase — the period when brain activity is especially intense — also starts earlier in the night for them.
- As morning approaches, their sleep is mostly light or REM, leaving them poised to wake up with their minds already whirring.
A Quick and Lively Brain — Even at Dawn
According to psychologist Arielle Adda, a specialist in gifted children and author of “From Gifted Child to Gifted Adult: Building Your Personality” (due out in February 2025), this pattern is no accident. She tells Le Figaro Étudiant:
“Gifted people process information more quickly than average. And it’s during REM sleep that the brain sorts, files, and organizes data.”
Adda also observes that gifted individuals tend to have particularly intense dreams, which, she explains, “is further evidence of significant brain activity during the night.”
When Early-Rising Minds Turn to Books
Of course, a mind that’s always in motion can have its downsides at dawn. Adda notes:
“Many parents tell me their children wake up very early, sometimes as early as 5:00 a.m. They start getting restless, moving around in bed, or getting up.”
Let’s be clear: not every child who rises early is a pint-sized Einstein. However, Adda points out that many children with high intellectual potential naturally gravitate to this habit. On waking, looking for something to do, they’ll often reach for a book if one’s available.
“Gifted people have a natural attraction to reading,”
she says. But this doesn’t always make things easy for their parents. Some end up removing books from the kids’ bedrooms because this very early reading keeps them from falling back asleep. As Adda gently reminds us, “They’re still children; they need their sleep.”
