How Much Sleep Does Donald Trump Get? When Does He Wake Up?

Written by Jill Zwarensteyn, Editor

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In This Article

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Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that Donald Trump is one of our planet’s most well-known people. So how many hours per night do you think he sleeps? And what do you imagine his daily routine is like?

On average, he gets between four and five hours of sleep per night. Want to know how he manages it? Keep reading to find out more about Donald Trump’s sleep schedule.

Then, consider exploring the mattresses used by celebrities.

Overview of President Donald Trump’s Sleep Schedule

Trump has a tough job. After all, he has to lead one of the most powerful countries in the world.

Anyway, he says that to get everything done he works until about midnight or one o’clock in the morning. Then he’s back up and at ‘em at 5 am.

During particularly busy times, those four to five hours can become as little as three. He’s been maintaining this schedule for years, not just as president, but as a businessman, too. He reasons that he’s better able to compete and accomplish more than someone who sleeps double or triple that amount of time.

What is the Thatcher Gene?

Trump may be part of a group called the “sleepless elite.” People who belong in this category can get by and even thrive with a fraction of the sleep that normal people get. It’s being attributed to a gene that people in the UK refer to as “The Thatcher Gene,” based on Margaret Thatcher’s sleeping habits of getting just four hours per night of rest.

In other parts of the world, The Thatcher Gene is simply referred to as being a “short sleeper.” This term refers to the amount of time one sleeps per night, not their height, of course. Though the percentage of the total number of people who fall into this category is small (about 1% of the population), they’re at a pretty distinct advantage because they can get by with just four to six hours per night.

Though it may seem anecdotal, there is a building body of evidence supporting a short-sleeping gene. A biologist at the University of California, San Francisco, by the name of Ying-Hui Fu started studying people with this gene just over 20 years ago.

Fu discovered what we already know as widely accepted common sense. She theorized that people are either early risers, night owls or something in the middle. But, she also found multiple genes associated with short-sleeping, and so we now also believe that this ability (or disorder as some like to call it) is genetic.

Get More Info: How Do Geniuses Sleep?

Characteristics of a Short Sleeper

Energetic

Since they don’t seem to need sleep (or at least as much of it), it makes sense that short sleepers would naturally have more energy. Annoying, right?

Outgoing

Maybe it’s all those extra hours of learning how to be social. Or maybe they get out to more parties while the rest of the world is sleeping. Either way, this group of sleepless elite tends to display more extroverted behavior.

Optimistic

This is definitely a genetic anomaly! “Normal” people are cranky and pessimistic when they don’t get enough sleep.

Ambitious

Rather than lying in bed for extra hours, short sleepers take the world by storm. They’re up and ready to go early, and they’ll keep working while the rest of us are watching American Ninja Warrior.

High Metabolism

All that energy can also translate into fidgeting and more movement. The more we move, the more calories we burn, so it makes sense that these miraculous creatures would also have a higher metabolism.

High Tolerance to Pain

This characteristic is perhaps the most magical of all. As someone with almost zero pain tolerance, I’m about ready to rip this gene out of someone and splice it onto my own. If only it worked that way. It could be that the short sleeper / Thatcher gene has other unique and beneficial characteristics. Or, it could be that their sheer optimism diminishes any pain sensations that come their way.

Conclusion

Donald Trump’s daily routine doesn’t leave much room for downtime. But that’s not to say sleep isn’t important, even for a U.S. president. Ultimately, sleep is personalized and what works for some might not work for others.

Learn more about self-care and sleep schedules, or explore the best mattresses here.