How much sleep = success? Hint: it’s less than you expect

Have you ever wondered about the sleeping habits of the rich and famous?

It is often believed that highly successful people run on very little sleep, but this is just not true.

Contrary to popular belief, being productive and highly successful at what you do doesn’t necessarily mean that you are active at all hours of the day and night.

In fact, it seems that in order to be successful, sleep is a highly important factor to consider. After all, it is just as important to our health as diet and exercise.

It has been drilled into us that getting 7-8 hours of sleep is optimal, but let’s take a look at the sleeping habits of 10 highly successful people- perhaps they know something that we don’t?

1. Bill Gates (7 hours)

This American billionaire was one of the founders of Microsoft and is considered to be one of the most powerful businessmen in the world.

Bill Gates goes to bed typically around 12am and wakes up at 7am, for a total of 7 hours.

2. Richard Branson (5-6 hours)

This serial entrepreneur is most known for his company the Virgin Group.

Richard Branson goes to bed around 12am and wakes up between 5 and 6 am, giving him a total of 5-6 hours of sleep per day.

3. Tim Cook (7 hours)

Following in the steps of Steve Jobs, Tim Cook is the CEO of the tech giant Apple Inc.

Tim Cook goes to bed around 9.30pm and wakes up at 4.30am, giving him a total of 7 hours sleep every night.

4. Arianna Huffington (7 hours)

The owner of the hugely popular news website, The Huffington Post, Arianna is also an author and sleep advocate.

Arianna Huffington goes to bed around 10pm and wakes up around 5am, giving her a total of 7 hours sleep per night.

5. Indra Nooyi (5 hours)

Indra Nooyi is the CEO of PepsiCo and also the current Chairperson.

Indra Nooyi goes to bed around 11pm and wakes up around 4am, giving her a total of 5 hours of sleep.

6. Barack Obama (6 hours)

Obama is the 44 th president of the United States and is considered to be one of the most powerful people in the world.

Barack Obama reportedly goes to bed around 1am and wakes up around 7am, giving him a total of 6 hours sleep per day.

7. Marissa Mayer (4-6 hours)

Marissa Mayer is the president and CEO of Yahoo and was also a former spokesperson for Google.

Marissa Mayer goes to bed around 12am and wakes up between 4 and 6am, giving her approximately 4 to 6 hours sleep per night.

8. Elon Musk (6 hours)

Elon is the founder and CEO of Tesla Motors, founder and CEO of SpaceX and is also the chairman of SolarCity.

Elon Musk goes to bed around 1am and wakes up around 7am, giving him a total of 6 hours sleep per night.

9. Ellen DeGeneres (8 hours)

Ellen is a popular American comedian and actress, and is also the host of her own talk show.

Ellen DeGeneres goes to sleep around 11pm and wakes up around 7am, giving her a total of 8 hours sleep each night.

10. Jeff Bezos (7 hours)

Jeff Bezos is the founder and owner of Amazon and has played a key role in the growth of online shopping.

Jeff Bezos goes to bed around 10pm and wakes up around 5am, giving him a total of 7 hours sleep per night.

It seems that when it comes to the sleeping routines of the highly successful, there are very few surprises.

Most of the rich and famous sleep 7 hours per night, which is consistent with the recommended guidelines from the National Sleep Institute.

So, as you fall asleep tonight on your plush and supportive mattress, remember that sleep is not just good for your health, but perhaps for your success as well.

Sweet dreams, Koalas.

The post How much sleep = success? Hint: it’s less than you expect appeared first on Counting Koalas.