Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Jacqui Hanley told The Guardian that it was not apparent whether changes in sleep patterns affected cognition or vice versa.
The study’s major value was to challenge stereotypes around sleep, according to Jessica Chelekis, a senior lecturer in sustainability global value chains and sleep expert at Brunel University London
. However, she notes that there were ‘important limitations’ to the study, such as the fact that it did not account for the time the tests were taken or educational attainment.
But staying up longer isn’t the only sign of intellect; a 2014 research found that those who swore like sailors were also more intelligent.
