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Super-Successful People On How Much Sleep They Actually Get A Night

Emma Loewe
Author:
January 17, 2018
Emma Loewe
mbg Sustainability + Health Director
By Emma Loewe
mbg Sustainability + Health Director
Emma Loewe is the Senior Sustainability Editor at mindbodygreen and the author of "Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us."
January 17, 2018

1. Oprah.

In 2015, Oprah told Fast Company that she averages around 5.5 hours a night, but now she's trying to make shut-eye more of a priority. "The older I get, the more I realize that the real joy in achieving anything is the level of vibrancy and aliveness you can bring to it. You don't want to miss out on life," she recently told Arianna Huffington.

2. Bill Gates.

"Even though it’s fun to stay up all night, if I have to be creative I need seven hours," the philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder told the Seattle Times. To start his days off right, he gets on the treadmill first thing in the morning.

3. Karlie Kloss.

While a jam-packed schedule leaves the model with less downtime than she'd like, she catches up on sleep whenever she can. "Sleep is my favorite indulgence. I like to spoil myself by taking a day off and sleep in; it's the best and most generous thing you can do for yourself," she told the Washington Post. "Sleep is such a big part of one's beauty."

4. Tom Brady.

The 40-year-old athlete is usually early to bed, early to rise, averaging nine hours a night. "I think sleep is so important because I break my body down so much with my sport. It’s the only place to get the recovery that I need. There are so many people studying sleep now who realize that this is important; it’s not something you can skip for years and years and years and think you can get away with it," the star QB (with a seriously impressive diet) told ABC News.

"There’s always so much to do, but it’s very important to get enough rest," Kerr told Vogue. To keep her sleep routine in check, the model uses the Sleep Cycle app. "The app tells me my average time in bed is seven hours. I’d really like to have eight hours but if I get that, it’s like, 'Hallelujah!'"

5. Norma Kamali.

The acclaimed designer shared her advice for a more restful routine in her mbg podcast episode. For her, it's all about sneaking in little restorative moments like a quick midday exercise or meditation session (sometimes locked in a bathroom stall—any way to fit it in, right?). For her, a good night's sleep is the ultimate act of self-care, and she is all about keeping caffeine intake to a minimum and crafting an inviting sleeping space.

6. Jennifer Aniston.

As someone who struggles with occasional insomnia, Aniston keeps an arsenal of sleep hacks in her back pocket. "My one key tip is to sleep with my phone at least 5 feet away from me. And I also do a quick meditation before I get into bed, even if it’s just for five minutes. There are also some yoga poses that I’ve found to be quite helpful in relaxing my mind, even if it’s just a simple downward dog and some stretching," she tells the Huffington Post. "But the biggest thing is the electronics shutdown, ideally an hour before I turn off the lights. It’s really a big deal."

7. Miranda Kerr.

"I put on the Sleep Cycle app, I turn my phone on airplane mode," Kerr says of her recipe for a good night's sleep. “The app tells me my average time in bed is seven hours. I’d really like to have eight hours but if I get that, it’s like hallelujah! There’s always so much to do but it’s very important to get enough rest.”

8. Jennifer Lopez.

Lopez has dubbed sleep her secret weapon to looking and feeling her best. She told OK! magazine that she always aims for eight hours a night and keeps her nightly routine simple and straightforward: "I think what works best for anti-aging is sleep, water, and a good cleanser."

9. Sheryl Sandberg.

For Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, the sleep epiphany came later in life. "When I became a mother, I realized how important sleep was to my children when they were babies, or they were little, and as they were growing up. If they missed a nap, if they didn’t get a good night’s sleep, everything was harder. And I realized that even though I was an adult, I’m the same way! When I get a good night’s sleep, whatever the challenges are, I can keep it in check and handle it," she wrote on Thrive Global. Now, she gets seven to eight hours a night and encourages bosses everywhere to make their employees' rest a priority. "We have to acknowledge that not everyone can get the sleep they need. So many people out there, so many single mothers and others, work multiple jobs, and we don't have the safety net we need for people to make sure that they can take care of their own health, and that we help take care of them."

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