The famous person most associated with "only taking naps" to sleep is Leonardo da Vinci, who reportedly followed a polyphasic sleep schedule (Uberman cycle) of short, frequent naps (like 15-20 minutes every 4 hours) instead of one long night's sleep to maximize creativity, though historians debate the strict accuracy of these accounts. Other notable nappers include Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison (who also believed sleep was a waste), and JFK, all using naps for clarity and productivity, notes Bedworks.
Even Edison couldn't truly escape from the sandman. Leonardo da Vinci, the Renaissance artist and inventor, was probably the most extreme napper of them all. Instead of getting eight hours of sleep every night, he napped fifteen minutes every four hours, for a total of one and a half hours of sleep every day.
Thomas Edison: The famous inventor only required about three to four hours of shut eye each night, according to The New York Times. He regarded sleep as "a heritage from our cave days." Benjamin Franklin: In his autobiography, Franklin published his typical daily schedule.
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
He developed his General Theory of Relativity and was awarded a Nobel Prize for Physics due to this work. Einstein was a copious sleeper, up to 10 hours each night, and it's said that he would also take short cat naps in his armchair with a spoon in hand.
The British Prime Minister followed the same routine everyday regardless of the situation. Even at the peak of World War II, Winston Churchill would take a nap and rest after every two-hour lunch.
Arnold Schwarzenegger famously advocates for getting only six hours of sleep a night, claiming he consistently slept that amount while achieving immense success in bodybuilding, acting, and politics, famously telling critics they just need to "sleep faster" to fit more into their 24-hour day. While younger, he needed more sleep (around nine hours), but as he aged and his intense training lessened, six hours became sufficient, allowing him more time for his goals.
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.
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.
Yes, the 8-minute Navy SEAL nap is a real, popular power-napping technique popularized by former SEAL Jocko Willink, involving elevating your legs above your heart for about 8-10 minutes to achieve quick alertness and energy without grogginess, by improving circulation and promoting relaxation for a fast reset. While not a replacement for full sleep, it's used to combat fatigue during intense schedules.
The French Emperor Napoleon was not shy about taking naps. He indulged daily.
Which jobs have the highest rates of sleep deprivation? Transportation workers (especially truck drivers), healthcare workers, manufacturing employees working night shifts, and business executives have the highest rates of occupational sleep deprivation.
Wilt Chamberlain
In his 1991 book A View from Above, the NBA Hall of Famer claimed to have slept with 20,000 different women over the course of his life. "Yes, that's correct, 20,000 different ladies," he wrote. "At my age, that equals out to having sex with 1.2 women a day, every day since I was 15 years old."
Typically, children stop napping during their toddler years, sometime between 3 and 4. By the time your child is 5, they'll probably be ready to get all the necessary sleep at night without needing any daytime naps.
Most Geniuses Perfected the Power Nap
Hence, they'd reduce the time they rest at night in order to have more functional, waking hours. Instead, they'd take advantage of the so-called “power nap”. Both Nicola Tesla and Thomas Edison were famous advocates of this principle.
The 2-3-4 nap rule is a popular baby sleep guideline for babies around 6 months and older, suggesting wake windows: 2 hours from waking until Nap 1, 3 hours from Nap 1's end to Nap 2, and 4 hours from Nap 2's end to bedtime, creating a balanced 2-nap-a-day schedule with about 3 hours of total nap time. It helps structure days and build sleep pressure but isn't for every baby, as individual needs vary.
Own Your 3-Foot Space In Navy SEAL training, there's a simple but profound principle: Own your 3-foot space. It means focusing on what's directly within your control—your actions, your attitude, your effort—no matter how chaotic the environment around you becomes.
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).
Napping with your legs elevated is a key part of the Navy SEAL nap, and it has several benefits for your overall health. Improved circulation: Keeping your legs elevated promotes better circulation, helping blood return to the heart more efficiently.
Thomas Edison, inventor and father of the light bulb is said to have slept as little as four hours a night, compensating with frequent catnaps throughout the day.
Elon Musk has publicly stated he has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, which he disclosed during his 2021 appearance on Saturday Night Live. He described his traits as including taking things literally, struggling with social cues, and finding reward in intense focus, suggesting it aids his work. His comments sparked conversations about autism and how individuals, particularly high-profile ones, experience it.
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).
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.
🐌 Did You Know this amazing animal fact? A snail can sleep for up to 3 years! Yes, some snails can hibernate or go into deep sleep to survive harsh weather.