Are you a 'Short Sleeper'?


How 5 Famous People Accomplished More by Sleeping Less…

...Without Sacrificing Their Health in the Process.

You’ve heard the standard advice... that you need 8 solid hours of sleep every night. Most of us don’t even get close to that.

Instead, we’re left exhausted, trying to find ways to catch up. In this busy world it seems like it’s impossible to get the rest you need.

With so much to do every day, you might be tempted to get by on just 4 or 5 hours of sleep. You’d get a lot more done, right?

You’re probably expecting us to warn you against doing that — to tell you why you’d be crazy to even try…

But that’s not the case.

Maybe you can do it…

Maybe you’re one of the few who really can get by on half the sleep…

…without feeling exhausted…and without having to take naps throughout the day.

In fact, I’m going to share with you 5 famous people who did just that…they got by on very little sleep, year after year. Without getting sick.

How’d they do it?

These special people — the ones who are truly able to get by on much less sleep than the rest of us — are called short sleepers.

According to Dr. Daniel J. Buysse, a psychiatrist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and a past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine…

Many people who think they can get by on very little sleep are simply fooling themselves.

Fact is, only 5% of the people who think they can get by on less sleep really can.

These people are not simply “troopers” who forego sleep in the name of productivity, living out their days like zombies…

Short sleepers never feel lethargic. And they never sleep in. They wake up naturally at 4 or 5 a.m., all the time.

They’re not pushing themselves to get up early so they can get more work done.

They just don’t need the same sleep as the rest of us.

They are generally thinner and happier than the rest of us. And they tolerate pain better too.

Imagine how much more you could get done if you only needed to sleep 4 hours per night…and you were never tired.

Some people can do just that. It’s not a myth. It’s scientifically proven.

Yes, although short sleepers are outliers, they definitely do exist.

Are you one of them? If so, you’ve got some interesting company…

Here are 5 Famous Short Sleepers:

1) Leonardo da Vinci

You probably know Leonardo da Vinci as the guy who painted the Mona Lisa. That’s true.

But did you know that da Vinci also…
  • invented scuba gear in the year 1500
  • invented the parachute (on paper at least…his design was never actually built until the year 2000 when, even though it had a wooden frame, it flew as he’d envisioned)
  • invented a “flying machine” (the precursor to modern airplanes)

Yes, da Vinci was a busy guy. Artist and inventor.

But as it turns out, he had lots of time on his hands…

da Vinci slept just 1.5 to 2 hours per day plus a 15-20 minute nap every 4 hours while he was awake.

All totaled, that’s less than 4 hours of sleep per day. And da Vinci was fine with it. No wonder he got so much done.

2) Sir Isaac Newton

Like da Vinci, Newton was a busy guy.

He’s the guy that — as the story goes — the apple fell on his head and he discovered gravity.

But did you know that Newton also “invented” calculus?

That’s right, he helped create a whole math language, one that’s widely taught in high schools and universities today.

How did Newton accomplish so much?

Like da Vinci, Newton was a short sleeper, sleeping just 3-4 hours per day.

That left him plenty of time to discover.

And there are plenty of modern-day short sleepers too…

Newton also discovered the three laws of motion that still get taught in schools today.

You know, the laws about objects in motion staying in motion and objects at rest staying at rest? That’s Newton.

Those are some pretty incredible accomplishments.

3) Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart — television personality, business woman and convicted felon — is also a short sleeper.

That might explain how she got so much done.

Before going to prison, Stewart was everywhere. She had her hands in dozens of business deals and ventures.

Stewart was quoted as saying, “I find that when you have a real interest in life and a curious life, that sleep is not the most important thing.”

Easy to say when you don’t really need the sleep!

4) Margaret Thatcher

Thatcher was the longest serving Prime Minister of England.

She famously kept her cabinet ministers up until the wee hours of the morning…

…and then she’d be up every day, first thing, to listen to Farming Today.

She just didn’t need any more sleep than that — and couldn’t understand why anybody else would.

Recently, the British Telegraph reported that researchers had isolated the “Thatcher gene”: the gene responsible for allowing people to get by on so little sleep.

What about you? How much sleep do you need?

Even if you’re not a short sleeper, can you get by on less?

On the next page I cover simple strategies to get more bang for your buck when it comes to sleeping…to make better use of the time that you do have.

But let’s not forget…

5) James Franco 

James Franco (who played Harry Osborn in the Spider Man trilogy) is also a short sleeper.

Perhaps that’s how, even though he’s not yet 40, he’s filmed 79 movies and dozens of television shows.

Yes, getting by on 4 hours sleep has its privileges.

You might be asking yourself…

How Come Some People Function so Well with so Little Sleep?

Can YOU do the Same?

…or are You Doomed to Chase 8 Hours of Sleep Every Night for the Rest of Your Life?

The answer is that it depends. It depends on how you’re wired.

Short sleepers have a mutated gene known as hDEC2.

HDEC2 allows them to get by on far less sleep. They feel as great with 4-5 hours of sleep as we do with a solid 8 hours.

Do you have the hDEC2 gene?

Chances are, if you wake early every morning after only 4 or 5 hours sleep, feeling truly rested, then maybe you do.

But the odds are, you don’t. Only 1-3% of people do.

Assuming you’re not a true short sleeper, how much sleep do you really need?

Should you blindly follow the “8 hours” rule?

On the next page I’ll answer the question, “Just how much sleep do you need?”

It’s an important question…

Studies have shown that too little sleep may kill you…

I’ll show you why sleep deprivation causes weight gain, heart problems, diabetes and raises your risk of early death by 15%!

But don't sleep too much...

Because too much sleep can hurt you too!

The truth is, getting the proper amount of rest — even if you’re busy, even if you’re sleep deprived today — is not that hard.

If you’re not lucky enough to be a short sleeper, then what you need are simple strategies…

  • Strategies and tips that you can use to get the best, most peaceful, most restorative sleep you can…
  • So you wake each morning full of vigor, ready to take on the day.

When’s the last time you felt like that?


If you’d like to learn more about the importance of good sleep for your health, and many more tips for improving yours no matter where you are or what your schedule is like, then you’ll want to check out our new book:

Sleeping Without Pills: 28 Natural Solutions for Helping You Fall Asleep Faster, Stay Asleep Longer and Wake Up Feeling Refreshed.