Althouse: "Some people don’t sleep enough because they have insomnia, or work a night shift; they tend to struggle with exhaustion, cognitive impairment..."

February 18, 2026

"Some people don’t sleep enough because they have insomnia, or work a night shift; they tend to struggle with exhaustion, cognitive impairment..."

"... and even long-term health issues, such as elevated rates of depression and a higher risk of heart attack. But short sleepers, who make up less than one per cent of the population, spend significantly less time snoozing without any apparent health consequences. 'Growing up, we didn’t realize that there was anything different about us,' [Joanne] Osmond told me. Only in 2011 did she learn that she has a genetic variation linked to short sleep. Her sisters, who were tested in 2019, have variations in the same gene. Osmond, now seventy-seven, sleeps no more than four hours a night...."

From "Why Some People Thrive on Four Hours of Sleep/Short sleepers, who make up less than one per cent of the population, spend significantly less time snoozing without any apparent health consequences" (The New Yorker).

18 comments:

Roadkill711 said...: During my Navy years at sea sleep was a luxury. Between managing my Division/Department during the day and standing watch (4 hrs on, 8 hrs off, round the clock), my fellow officers and I were lucky to get 6 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period.
One compensating tactic was to take an early lunch, then nap for the rest of the lunch hour. It's what we called a “nooner.”
I also had a Captain who would often say (about sleep): Survive on 4, Thrive on 5!; 2/18/26, 5:06 PM
wild chicken said...: Scott Adams was a short sleeper too.; 2/18/26, 5:19 PM
Big Mike said...: My mother, who passed away forty years ago this month, was a short sleeper. I could have used that trait when I was an undergraduate STEM major sixty years ago. I built software for a living and trying to track down bugs at 2:00 am or thereafter could also have used the short sleep trait.; 2/18/26, 5:23 PM
Aggie said...: I've worked with guys like this, a couple of them. They never seemed to need more than 3-4 hours. With a 24-hour a day operation running, it can be a real advantage when there are problems to be solved, and both of these guys were really industrious, conscientious. It was a gift to the operation to have them, in both cases.; 2/18/26, 5:24 PM
Yancey Ward said...: From about age 9 until my mid 20s, I probably averaged 4 hours/night when I had to get up and go to school in the mornings. However, I am not a short sleeper- once I was out of school I started getting 8-9 hours of sleep/night.; 2/18/26, 6:00 PM
Wilbur said...: The older I get, the more of a short sleeper I am. 4 or 5 hours a night and I'm good, waking up refreshed and ready to go..; 2/18/26, 6:20 PM
Political Junkie said...: How much sleep does Our Hostess get each night? She rises early.; 2/18/26, 6:40 PM
tcrosse said...: I recall Althouse claiming she has two sleeps per night. I, in my dotage, do so too. I can wake in the middle of the night, do Wordle and Connections, then go back for more shut-eye.; 2/18/26, 7:07 PM
tommyesq said...: Had a relative who was a short sleeper, functioned well on 4 hours or so. Was NOT good for his marriage, however.; 2/18/26, 7:18 PM
Amexpat said...: "I recall Althouse claiming she has two sleeps per night. I, in my dotage, do so too. "

There was a post here about the Wolfstund which is the period between two sleeps. I recall that as it was a new word/concept for something that I experience most nights.

I'm experiencing it now as it's 3:00 am where I am which is about the time I need to empty my bladder. Unless I'm real tired, I'll spend about 45 minutes or so online before going back to sleep.; 2/18/26, 8:11 PM
James K said...: I do very well on 5 hours of sleep. I try to get more, but according to my Apple watch, I average about 5.5 hours. It's a struggle to get 6--I wake up after 5, and sometimes can fall back asleep. Maybe I should be happy with all that extra time, but the standard wisdom is to get at least 7 hours/night. My mother was a short sleeper (4-5 hours) until her 90s, so maybe it's genetic.; 2/18/26, 8:45 PM
Mason G said...: I sleep 9 or 10 hours, guess I'm making up for all the people who only sleep 5.; 2/18/26, 9:00 PM
wendybar said...: 5 hours is my max. I do go to bed quite early, as I am my Mom caretaker, and she tends to go in early, and get up early. I like to be up a few hours before her, so I can relax and catch up on what is happening in the world, before I start my day. I am usually up by 3 am every morning. No naps either.; 2/19/26, 2:14 AM
tim maguire said...: Like Roadkill’s captain, I can survive on 5, but I need 7 to thrive. I’ve had 3 bouts of insomnia in my life, where I’d go years on 2 or 3 hours a night, often in 20- to 30-min increments. It was miserable. The only time I wasn’t exhausted was when I was lying in bed.; 2/19/26, 4:44 AM
NKP said...: Count me in! Four on average but if mind's on overdrive, two will do. If I wake up and don't snooze again within ten; might as well get up. Ask myself WHY? when feet hit the floor. Within half a minute, it's WHY NOT? and my day is in full swing.; 2/19/26, 8:38 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: My father spent some time in the navy, and therearfter had the ability to go for long periods of time without sleep except for taking short naps. Not me. I need my 8 hours.; 2/19/26, 9:12 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: When I was younger I needed 10 hours to feel right. That's dropped as I got older. Like many "Oldsters", I'm waking up in the middle of the night and need to get up for 30-60 minutes, before going back to sleep.; 2/19/26, 9:14 AM
Anthony said...: I hate those people. . . . .

I've had three bouts of insomnia and, while it's not the worst thing in the world, it still sucks. Exhausted all the time, but when you go to bed. . . .your body still adamantly refuses to sleep. I've learned to use Ambien/zolpidem strategically, but I still have issues. 7.5 hours is my golden amount.; 2/19/26, 3:09 PM