Getting a good night's sleep makes women smarter, apparently - but could your intelligence actually be determined by the month you were born?
According to a study published in the National Bureau of Economic Research, there is a clear correlation between when your birthday falls and how smart you are - and this is how they came to that conclusion.
The research by the University of Toronto, the University of Florida and Northwestern University in Illinois analysed the cognitive development of 1.2 million school children in the US to determine which month seems to produce the smartest people. The participants of the study, named School Starting Age and Cognitive Development, were from public schools in Florida and ages ranged between six and fifteen years old.
It determined that those born in September had a higher grade average than those with birthdays during other months, likely because they are that bit older when they start school. This can reportedly have an impact on development, considering that they are eleven months older than some of their August classmates. Furthermore, those born in August had the lowest average - appearing to back up the theory. Researchers also believe that September babies have a greater chance of going to university as their average could improve over time.
However, it's not all bad news if you were born later in the academic year. The 'under performing' children eventually catch up to their older counterparts, the study reports, so don't fret if you're a spring or summer baby.
The study also found that those born in the ninth month of the year are less likely to go to prison.
Interesting.
