Unveiling the Sleeping Habits of Successful People

Experts say at least 7 hours of sleep every night will keep the mind and body healthy. Getting enough hours, along with the quality of your sleep, matters so you can feel rested and ready for the next day.

However, some of the famous and rich do not stick by the rules and have their own sleeping habits, which may be the reason why they are in the place they are.

The Importance of Quality Sleep

Sleeping is a big part of our lives and is extremely important to allow our bodies to rest and gain energy for the next day. Of course, the length of your sleep matters, but why?

Getting enough sleep has many benefits, such as:

• Getting sick less often
• Lowering the chance of serious health problems
• Reducing Stress
• Improving your day-to-day mood
• Better decision-making

Finding the perfect sleep pattern will happen over time and may take time to adjust if you haven't had a usual bedtime schedule. Options like a new sleeping position, air conditioning, or, most importantly, a comfortable bed and mattress to allow that well-needed sleep.

Sometimes it's difficult to find the perfect mattress for you. That's why we allow customers to come into the showroom to lie down and try some of the mattresses we display on the website, ranging in firmness ratings. If you are looking for a soft/medium mattress, we recommend the Sleep Sanctuary Monet 1000 Pocket Mattress, a hypoallergenic 1000 pocket sprung mattress that allows for that soft, comfortable feel when getting into bed. If you are looking for something a bit more firm, we recommend the Millbrook Ortho Deluxe Wool Pocket 1000 Mattress. This mattress has a firmer feel, allowing for better back support. It also comes with a 60-night trial, which, if you do not like the feel, you can return for an exchange to another Millbrook mattress. We also have a night trial on the Sleep Sanctuary OneLife Memory Pocket Mattress, which is in the medium rating when it comes to firmness, allowing for 100 nights to try and return if it doesn't match your needs. 

Ronaldo's Five-a-Day Naps vs. Messi's Marathon Sleep

On the pitch, they are and will be known to many as the greatest football players to ever live. On many occasions, they have come against each other in the field of play, mainly during their days in the Spanish League. But what about their sleeping habits?

Cristiano Ronaldo, known best for his stints at Manchester United and Real Madrid and his unreal body image, is known to have a very different sleep schedule than most. Ronaldo is said to sleep 10 hours; however, it isn't in one sleep. He is known to take five 90-minute naps throughout the day and then another 2 and a half hours from 3 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. It is known to sleep in a foetal position due to its health benefits, such as back issues and posture improvement.

His known competitor and rival, the successful Lionel Messi, is known for his time at Barcelona and his eight Ballon d’Ors, the most by an individual footballer. His sleep schedule slightly differs from that of Ronaldo. Messi is said to have a 9-hour sleep during the night, sleeping between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. with an hour of nap time.

It seems to be a draw between the football icons, with both totalling around 10 hours of sleep, including napping. Messi, however, wins in terms of sleeping during the night. 

World Leaders: Sleepless at the Helm?

Ruling a whole country or kingdom can definitely put a strain on your sleep. From answering late-night calls to early-morning travels, how well do our current and former leaders of the world fare in terms of nightly sleep?

Barack Obama, the 44th President of America, was said to have around 6 hours of sleep a night, sleeping from about 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. His successor, Donald Trump, was said to have as little as 3–4 hours of sleep a night, similar to UK former PMs Margaret Thatcher and Boris Johnson, who say he only needs 5 hours of sleep a night.

Early Risers vs. Night Owls

A few we have mentioned follow in the lines of both of these categories. A night owl is someone who enjoys working until late into the night or early hours of the morning. Some enjoy the night in their super king beds to sleep and prefer to wake up and get to work early. Here are a few examples:

Early Risers:

• Messi and Ronaldo are both enjoyers of early wake-up calls, as seen above, waking up at 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m., respectively.
• Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a man of many talents, is another early riser, with his known schedule to start at 4 a.m. to get a workout in before a busy day.
• Tim Cook, Apple CEO, is also an early riser, opting to be in the office at 4:30 a.m.

Night Owls:

• The two former presidents listed above can both be deemed night owls, as they would work until early hours in the morning.
• Winston Churchill was also known to stay up late but would also be a napper during the day, insisting he gets his vital nap to be more productive.
• Kim Kardashian, the reality TV star, is a night owl, as she is more productive at night when things are quiet.

Consistency is the key to success!

As we have previously stated, having a good sleep schedule is extremely important. Not only to get energy for the following day but also for your mental and physical health. So how do you go about getting a consistent sleep pattern? Here are some tips:

• Prioritise Sleep! You shouldn't be skipping out on that extra sleep if possible, so cut out those extra episodes of your favourite TV show and get those extra hours of rest, keeping to the 7-9 hours experts recommend.
• Limit alcohol and caffeine! Both are known to be damaging to your sleep schedule. Alcohol may cause you to feel sleepy; however, it can cause poor quality sleep and cause you to wake during the night. Caffeine is known to keep you awake, and it lingers in your system, leading to restlessness. It would be best to reduce or eliminate the use of these substances to allow your body to get used to a consistent sleep schedule. 
• Stick to a routine! Stick to the same pattern when it comes to going to bed. This could be as simple as reading a book, then brushing your teeth, allowing your body to realise it's time for bed. Over time, your body will realise these are cues for you to go to bed, allowing you to fall asleep much easier.
• Having a good mattress! It's not only beneficial for your body; a good mattress allows your mind to relax, and a good mattress contributes to a calmer mood and overall well-being. It can be a big investment; however, the longevity and positives outweigh the negatives. It is also possible to split the payment with Klarna. 

Emulate the Sleep Habits of Successful People

Now let's look into how those in the limelight and what their routines look like:

• Elon Musk, Tesla and SpaceX founder, says that even though he only sleeps 6 hours a night, that is, in his words, the perfect amount of sleep for a productive day. He also says he avoids eating for 3 hours before going to sleep.
• ‘Clean sleeping’ is how Gwyneth Paltrow talks about her routine. She has banned all technology from the bedroom and avoids late-night snacks to prevent sleep disturbances and weight gain. 
• Jennifer Aniston keeps her phone at least five feet away from her and does a quick meditation and yoga before getting into bed. She has said how much this has helped her sleep pattern. 

Conclusion

We understand that it can be hard to always get that 7-9 hours of sleep, and as you can see, not all successful people also get that amount of sleep a night. We highly recommend that you try to be as consistent as you can to help improve your mental and physical health. Try out some of our tips when it comes to bedtime rituals and keep at it to get your body to understand its time to sleep. We also recommend you get yourself a high-quality mattress that suits your comfort, as old and low-quality mattresses can massively affect your sleep, causing disturbances and low-quality rest.