SLEEP KINGS
Do you have the right pillow habits to be president?
FOLLOWING Donald Trump’s recent annual medical assessment, his doctor proudly proclaimed the US president had scored perfectly in his cognitive tests and only needed four to five hours of sleep a night.
“He’s just one of those people who just does not require a lot of sleep,” said Ronny Jackson, a rear admiral in the US navy and Trump’s White House physician, adding: “He’s probably been that way his whole life. That’s why he’s successful.”
Trump is not the only world leader getting by on little sleep. Margaret Thatcher was known for needing only four hours; in 2016 The New York Times reported the then president, Barack Obama, slept for five hours, as did Bill Clinton who was renowned for calling staff well into the early hours.
Outside of government, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, wakes at 3.45am and Dame Anna Wintour, US Vogue editor, arrives at her New York tennis club before 6am. The Wall Street Journal once dubbed these types the “sleepless elite”, under the headline, “Why Some People Can Run on Little Sleep and Get So Much Done”. This was after scientists found around 1% of the population were natural “short sleepers”, meaning they were early birds and night owls in one. And hugely successful ones at that.
A University of Pittsburgh study suggested some short sleepers could have hypomania, which involves racing thoughts and few inhibitions. “These people talk fast. They never stop. They’re always on the up side of life,” says Dr Daniel Buysse, who led the study.
However, Dr Buysse also says for every 100 people who think they are short sleepers, only five really are. The other 95 are just kidding themselves – and are sleep deprived.
“Some people are naturally short sleepers,” says Neil Stanley, a sleep expert. “Sleep is like height – some of us are tall, some of us are short. Some are long sleepers – and need around eight hours to function well – others are short sleepers and need half that.
“Your sleep needs are genetically determined and you can’t really change them. It’s possible that President Trump is a short sleeper. But it’s also possible he’s boasting. It’s like being asked by your GP how many units of alcohol you drink a week. There’s a temptation to give a number you think sounds impressive.
“And not needing a lot of sleep does sound impressive. It implies you’re tougher, smarter, more successful or hard-working. But if you’re not a naturally short sleeper – and remember, only a tiny percentage of people really are – then you’re going to end up short-tempered and run down.”
However, other scientists are challenging the eight-hour rule that has been drummed into us as the healthy ideal. They argue that short bursts of sleep are much better for us. Winston Churchill famously took a nap every afternoon and Nick Littlehales, an elite sports sleep coach, says napping could be the key for people who aren’t getting enough hours at night.
“Sleep is a mental and physical recovery process that we all need to function well,” says Nick, who has sleep-coached players at Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid and is author of Sleep: The Myth of 8 Hours, The Power of Naps.
“However, as humans, we’ve evolved from the old way of going to sleep when it gets dark and waking when it gets light. We’re not all getting eight hours,” he says.
“Each generation creates new lifestyles and the human body is continually able to adapt and cope with what it’s asked to do. A new parent can survive on little and broken sleep. A single-handed roundthe-world sailor can sleep in short bursts for months at sea. Night-shift workers, nurses and so on can cope on little sleep, and so can presidents and CEOs.
“However, whether that’s the ‘right’ thing to do? We’re still investigating. On the one hand, research shows that sleep is important and if you don’t sleep enough, for your needs, you’ll burn out and can increase your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
“But certain people – presidents, parents, CEOs – have to remain alert 24 hours a day. Some feel fresh, fully motivated, alert and with their full beam on. But some do it and feel tired, rely on caffeine and sugar, and just about operate through the fatigue.”
To those, Nick suggests naps: “A lot of my athletes adapt from little sleep at night to napping during gaps in their schedule, although the best naps are at midday and early evening.”
Nick also says a lot of successful people who get up early probably go to bed early. And the ones who don’t probably adopt a similar approach to his athletes: “It’s about marginal gains.”
In fact, a study from the University of California found napping can give you the benefits of eight hours: “With an hour to an hour-and-ahalf, you get close to the same benefits in learning consolidation that you would from a full eight-hour sleep,” said Sara Mednick, who worked on the study.
Nick, who advises his athletes on the best hotel rooms, beds and even mattresses, also says quality is every bit as important as quantity.
He suggests blackout curtains, a bedtime routine, a room temperature between 16-18ºC and limiting exposure to artificial light before bed.
“You need three things for good sleep,” says Neil Stanley. “A bedroom conducive to sleep, a relaxed body and a calm mind.
“You can’t sleep properly if you’re worrying, stressing or constantly arguing with people either in real life or online.”
So perhaps that’s the real reason behind Trump’s four hours …