Sleep is the key to kids' intelligence

Children who go to bed at the same time every night are said to improve their intelligence.

Research says youngsters who have regular bedtimes are better at languages, reading and maths than those who do not.

Those who go to bed earlier than most are also more likely to pick things up quicker.

Pre-school children who have less than the recommended 11 hours of sleep a night run the risk of falling behind.

The research, at SRI International research institute in California, looked at the development of four-year-olds.

Researcher Dr Erika Gaylor said: "Getting parents to set bedtime routines can be an important way to make a significant impact on children's emergent literacy and language skills."

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