Famous People Who Suffered From Insomnia
Throughout history there have been great numbers of famous people who are known to have suffered from insomnia. The list below includes writers, poets, scientists, political leaders and many others in different walks of life.
In spite of their inability to enjoy the benefits of a full night of deep, peaceful, relaxing sleep, these gifted individuals had the strength of character to cope with their sleep problems and achieve eminence in their lifetime
NAPOLEON: Napoleon is a striking example of a person who managed to get by on as little as three hours sleep. Another famous personality who appeared to need very little sleep was Winston Churchill.
WINSTON CHURCHILL. It is a well-known fact that, for the most part of his life, Churchill suffered from insomnia. He also suffered from severe bouts of depression that persisted until old age. Churchill referred to this depressive state as his “black dog”.
SIR ISAAC NEWTON: The famous British mathematician, astronomer and philosopher, one of the leading pioneers of scientific discovery, whose name is associated with the laws of gravitation, was also known to have suffered from inability to sleep and also severe depression.
THOMAS EDISON, the most famous and prolific inventor in history also had great difficulty in falling asleep.
ROBERT BURNS The Scottish poet, in his personal writings frequently referred to his inability to enjoy the comfort of a full night’ sleep and his fits of melancholy and anxiety.
JOH STUART MILL The famous English economist and philosopher John Stuart Mill was also known to have suffered from bouts of depression and as a result found great difficulty in falling asleep.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, who achieved world renown not only as a statesman and diplomat, but also a scientists and inventor, is also someone who suffered from severe bouts of insomnia.
American presidents who were also insomniacs were
ABRAHAM LINCOLN and THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
And in more modern times the name of MARGARET THATCHER has been mentioned as someone who had great difficulty in falling asleep.
Well known writers, who were known to have suffered from insomnia were Shakespeare, Dickens, Marcel Proust, and Scott Fitzgerald.
Actors and actresses were also not immune: The names of Cary Grant and Marilyn Monroe come to mind.
In spite of the discomfort, frustration, stress and tension these famous people must have suffered from insomnia, they still managed to achieve distinction in their chosen fields. They never allowed their insomnia to stand in the way of their goals.
It is interesting to note however, that so many of these famous people, forced to cope with their sleep problems, also suffered from problems of depression and anxiety.
It is very difficult to know whether these moods of depression were the result of their insomnia or whether they were due to other unrelated factors. The fact that they were able to achieve such success in spite of their difficulties deserves our admiration and respect. But it is highly likely they would have accomplished very much more had they been able to enjoy the benefits of comforting sleep every night.
The benefits to both mind and body of deep, relaxing, refreshing sleep every night are universally recognized. People are able to function physically far more effectively. They are also able to think far more clearly and work far more productively.
Adverse effects on the body of insufficient sleep.
A great deal of research has been carried out recently with regard to health problems that can result from insufficient sleep. There is strong evidence to suggest that sleep deprivation can lead to serious health problems. There appears to be greater risk of heart attacks, diabetes and gastro- intestinal problems.
There are people who sleep only a few hours a night because of the demanding nature of their work. They feel they are able to “get by” with very little sleep. In doing so they disregard the potential damage they are doing to their bodies. Insufficient sleep, researchers tell us, eventually takes its toll on one’s health. Sleep is a time for rejuvenation.
Those who sleep very little at night because they choose to do so, are far better off than insomniacs. Once they realize the damage it is causing their bodies they can make a definite decision to change their sleeping habits.
Insomniacs, on the other hand, for a variety of reasons, find it very difficult indeed to sleep. They feel they have no option but to resign themselves to the fact that they will be lucky if they are able to sleep even an hour or two at night.
But insomniacs do have an option. There are positive techniques available that can help them fall asleep more easily and enjoy the health-giving benefits of peaceful, relaxing sleep every night.
To read more about these techniques go to http://www.effectivesleepsolutions.com