A lot or a little: how much sleep did great men get?

A lot or a little: how much sleep did great men get?

Margaret Thatcher, Dali, Napoleon and Einstein: is it worth spending time on sleep or do only fools sleep more than 5 hours?

There is a myth that geniuses sleep little. Of course, such examples are known, but they are few. Still, most famous people slept 7-8 hours, only at different times – they practiced polyphasic sleep. The most famous examples of people who slept little are already in our selection:

Napoleon slept 4 hours. Most often from 12 to 2 am and from 5 to 7 am. He believed that men sleep 4 hours, women sleep 5 hours, and 6 hours sleep idiots.

Margaret Thatcher slept no more than 5 hours a night. She believed that it was better to sleep an hour and a half, but to have a decent hairdo.

Winston Churchill slept about 4 hours at night and 1 hour during the day. At night he usually slept from 3 to 7 hours.

Leonardo da Vinci believed that productivity increases 6 to 10 times in the morning. He developed his own regime: he slept for 15 minutes, then worked for 4 hours, and so constantly. All his dreams were short-lived.

Salvador Dali, you could say, did not sleep at all. He would put a metal tray on the floor and clasp a spoon in his fingers. As soon as he started to doze off, the spoon would fall and wake him up.

The examples of famous people who didn’t sleep much are astounding. But you should not think that if you limit your sleep, you will become a genius. Still, most people need to sleep 7-8 hours a night.

Some people think Balzac didn’t sleep enough. Actually, he just didn’t sleep at night. He went to bed at 5 or 6 pm and slept until 1 am. He was comfortable that way, and at night he preferred to create.

Albert Einstein always slept 10 to 12 hours. He considered a long and full sleep a guarantee of a clear mind, creativity and genius.

Famous people who created great works and made scientific discoveries, slept differently. Sleep has little effect on genius, creativity and potential. But to know your needs and biological rhythms is simply necessary. It will save you time, help you get rid of sleepiness and increase your productivity.