Geniuses have varied sleep patterns, but many prioritize rest (like Einstein's 10+ hours), while others (Da Vinci, Tesla, Edison) used polyphasic or short-burst napping to maximize waking hours, totaling 2-4 hours of sleep or short naps every few hours for creative boosts, though these extreme schedules aren't universally effective. Most brilliant minds, including those with unusual cycles, still aim for adequate rest, averaging around 7.25 hours in some analyses, highlighting the importance of sleep for cognition.
Albert Einstein is said to have slept 10 hours per night, plus regular daytime naps. Other great achievers, inventors, and thinkers – such as Nikola Tesla, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill, Leonardo da Vinci, and Sir Isaac Newton – are said to have slept between two and four hours per day.
It's common knowledge that sleep is good for your brain – and Einstein took this advice more seriously than most. He reportedly slept for at least 10 hours per day – nearly one and a half times as much as the average American today (6.8 hours).
Tesla also only slept two hours per day but in an arcane manner. He said, “When I sleep, I sleep profoundly.
Leonardo da Vinci
He followed a polyphasic sleep pattern with a 20-minute nap every four hours. Given his expertise in so many things -- invention, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, music and more – the unconventional schedule must have worked for him.
Musk goes to bed around 3 a.m. and gets about 6 hours of sleep every night. Although he's not getting eight hours a night, Musk has upped his sleeping schedule from being nearly nonexistent in the past. In May 2023, Musk told CNBC that he's no longer pulling all-nighters.
John F.
JFK's workdays were over 12 hours long, but it's said that he would take a two-hour long siesta every afternoon which allowed him to gain more energy for work in the evening. He apparently picked up his nap habit from his predecessor, Dwight Eisenhower.
The koala is famous for sleeping around 20-22 hours a day, which is about 90% of the day, due to their low-energy diet of eucalyptus leaves that requires extensive digestion. Other extremely sleepy animals include the sloth (up to 20 hours) and the brown bat (around 20 hours), with some snakes like the ball python also sleeping up to 23 hours daily.
Jeff Bezos on sleep: "I get 8 hours of sleep, I prioritize it - I think better, I have better energy. You get paid to make a small number of high quality decisions." Staying up all night working is not a badge of honor. You're never going to survive long term that way.
• Tesla believed that the numbers 3, 6, and 9 were of unique significance, referring to them as the “key to the universe.” • He often referenced patterns in nature, geometry, and mathematics that involve these numbers, suggesting a hidden order in the cosmos.
The 30th president of the United States would often sleep up to 11 hours a day, including his two-to-four-hour afternoon naps.
Because they are high achievers, they're often able to take on more than most. Even so, they eventually find their breaking point, and must start looking for a new solution to the problem of their limited time. Rather than scaling back commitments, high achievers double down and work even harder by sacrificing sleep.
He had gotten into the habit of napping during World War I, when he was First Lord of the Admiralty, and even during the Blitz, Churchill would retire to his private room in the War Rooms after lunch, undress, and sleep for an hour or two.
Sleep-wake patterns show substantial biological determination, but they are also subject to individual choice and societal pressure. Some evidence suggests that high IQ is associated with later sleep patterns.
The 80/20 Rule means that you stick to your healthy, consistent sleep schedule 80% of the time. You then can make exceptions to your schedule 20% of the time. The 80/20 Rule allows you to “live life” and enjoy those special moments with your family.
Yes, the Navy SEAL sleep trick (an 8-minute power nap with elevated legs) is a real technique for quick rest, popularized by former SEAL Jocko Willink, that helps improve alertness and reduce fatigue, though its effectiveness depends on individual relaxation skills and it's not a substitute for full nighttime sleep. The method involves lying down, elevating your feet above your heart (on a chair or couch), relaxing facial muscles, dropping shoulders, and clearing your mind for about 8-10 minutes to promote relaxation and blood flow, preventing grogginess.
Replying to a post on Threads, his new social media app, asking how much sleep people get at night, the Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg casually admitted to getting between seven and eight hours' slumber daily — but it comes at a cost.
Everyone sleeps differently. For example, some billionaire entrepreneur philanthropists like Richard Branson and Bill Gates begin and end the day with a heavy and light workout, respectively. They require over 7 hours of uninterrupted shut-eye before beginning the day anew.
School-age children and teens on average need about 9.5 hours of sleep per night. Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep a night, even older people. However, older people may have more trouble getting enough sleep and are more likely to take medications that can interfere with sleep.
Among the most rested countries surveyed by Sleep Cycle, an app that tracks how much shuteye people are getting, New Zealand comes top with the average Kiwi clocking up in excess of 7.5 hours per night. Finland, the Netherlands, Australia, the UK and Belgium all rank highly for sleep, too, with Ireland close behind.
10 hours before bed: No more caffeine. 3 hours before bed: No more food or alcohol. 2 hours before bed: No more work. 1 hour before bed: No more screen time (shut off all phones, TVs and computers).
Polyphasic sleep involves sleeping more than twice per day and is often used as a way to spend less time in bed. While Da Vinci utilized 20-minute naps throughout the day, there are other formats for polyphasic sleep.
High Performers Who Nap
Napping is hardly a new idea — it's been a productivity hack for generations. Famous nappers include: Winston Churchill, who believed naps helped him make critical wartime decisions. Albert Einstein, who used short naps to enhance his creativity.