Great,People,Sleep,Less？,那些历史风云人物睡眠少？

据说许多历史风云人物的睡眠时间都极短，他们还为此颇感自豪。但在“睡眠不足”的情况下，他们如何干出一番大事业、创造出伟大的作品呢？然而还有一些历史风云人物的睡眠时间则比较长，他们反对牺牲睡眠来工作。到底哪一种更有道理呢？看完下文再做评判也不迟。

Scientists say that sleeping 7～8 hours a day is normal. If you sleep less， your health can suffer from that. Though sleep requirements vary from person to person， some people are naturally short sleepers or long sleepers. There are so many myths and legends around them that it"s difficult to say something for sure. But I"ll try to write the most interesting facts in this article.

科学家称正常情况下人一天要睡7～8个小时。如果你睡眠较少，你的健康就会因此受损。尽管对于睡眠的需求因人而异，但是有些人天生就睡眠少或者睡眠多。关于他们有太多的传言和传说，以至于很难下定论。但是，在这篇文章中我会尽量写一些最有趣的事实。

Short Sleepers 睡眠少者

Leonardo da Vinci 列奥纳多·达·芬奇

1452～1519，是一位思想深邃、学识渊博、多才多艺的画家、雕塑家、发明家、哲学家、音乐家、医学家、生物学家、地理学家、建筑工程师和军事工程师。

Some sources claim that the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci was able to stay awake and alert almost 22 hours of every day， all the while working on brilliant artworks and inventions. He slept only 1.5～2 hours a day， taking a nap 15～20 minutes for every four hours that he was awake.

Nowadays this sleeping system is called polyphasic1） sleep. Its followers try to use it and say that the system works fine for them. However， its opponents say that da Vinci"s sleeping habit is just a myth and there are no trusted sources to confirm this fact about the great artist.

一些信息来源称，传奇艺术家列奥纳多·达·芬奇每天差不多有22个小时都能保持头脑清醒和思维敏捷，在此期间一直创造杰出的艺术品和发明。他每天只睡1.5～2个小时，即清醒的时间里每四个小时小睡15～20分钟。

如今，这样的睡眠法被称为多相睡眠。它的追随者尝试采用这种睡眠法并声称这一睡眠法对他们而言很管用。不过，它的反对者却认为达·芬奇的睡眠习惯只是谣传，并没有可靠的信息来源证实这位艺术巨匠有这样的习惯。

Thomas Jefferson托马斯·杰斐逊

1743～1826，美国第三任总统，《美国独立宣言》主要起草人，美国开国元勋中最具影响力的政治家。 除了政治事业外，杰斐逊同时也是农业学、园艺学、建筑学、词源学、考古学、数学、密码学、测量学与古生物学等学科的专家，又身兼作家、律师与小提琴手，还是弗吉尼亚大学的创办人。

Thomas Jefferson is considered to be a polyphasic sleeper. He slept only 2 hours a day. Though， in letters to Doctor Vine Utley （1819）， Thomas Jefferson wrote about his sleep habits. We can conclude that his sleep was not very regular. He would go to sleep at different times （often late into the night）. He would always devote at least 30 minutes to reading before sleep. He would fall asleep later if the reading was of particular interest， and he would regularly wake up at suise.

托马斯·杰斐逊被认为是一位多相睡眠者，他每天只睡两个小时。不过，（1819年）托马斯·杰斐逊在给瓦因·厄特利医生的信件中写到了自己的睡眠习惯，我们可以从中推断出他的睡眠并不是很规律。他入睡的时间不尽相同（通常都在深夜）。他在睡前总会进行至少30分钟的阅读。如果对阅读的内容特别感兴趣，他就会再晚些入睡。他通常会在日出时分醒来。

Napoleon Bonaparte拿破仑·波拿巴

1769～1821，19世纪著名军事家、政治家，是法兰西第一帝国的缔造者。

Some sources say that Napoleon slept only from 12 p.m. to 2 a.m.， and then he woke up， worked and went to bed again at 5 a.m. and woke up at 7 a.m. It means he slept only 4 hours a night. Napoleon Bonaparte once said， "Different subjects and different affairs are arranged in my head as in a cupboard. When I wish to interrupt one train of thought， I shut that drawer and open another. Do I wish to sleep， I simply close all the drawers and then I am—asleep."

Some publications claim that he advocated 6 hours of sleep a night for men and 6 for women.

The officers of Napoleon have reported that even in a battlefield after long hours， Napoleon had the amazing ability to energize2） himself within half an hour. He handed over his command to his subordinates3）， giving them instructions that he was not to be disturbed under any circumstances for the next half an hour. Then stretching out in his tent he would enter into scientific sleep and precisely within half an hour he would come out energized， fresh and ready again for an action.

According to Polyphasic Sleep： Facts and Myths， he is indeed said to have slept little and frequently suffer from insomnia4） at times of great stress. He was also often interrupted by messengers that might perhaps increase his propensity5） to napping at daylight. Yet he was to be woken up only with bad news. The hard rule was that the good news could wait. His memoirs indicate that he did not mind dying young. Consequently， he would disregard his doctors on the matter of sleeping little and drinking buckets of strong coffee. A low sleep diet did not translate well to Napoleon"s military skills. Some contemporaries attribute his errors at Waterloo to sleep deprivation. Yet， during slower days he would sleep for a sound seven hours， waking up at 7 a.m. and often lazing until 8 a.m. Then he would yet add a nap in the afternoon. Records also indicate that at Saint Helena he was a normal sleeper， and while stress was replaced with boredom， he often slept late.

一些信息来源声称拿破仑只从午夜12点睡到凌晨2点，然后就醒来工作，直到凌晨5点再上床睡觉，早晨7点醒来。这意味着他每晚只睡四个小时。拿破仑·波拿巴曾说：“不同的主题和不同的事务被有序地排列在我的头脑中，就像摆在橱柜里一样。当我想要中断一个思路的时候，我会关闭那个抽屉，然后打开另一个。当我想要睡觉的时候，我只需关闭所有的抽屉，然后我就——睡着了。”

一些出版物声称拿破仑·波拿巴提倡男性每晚应该睡六个小时，女性每晚也应该睡六个小时。

拿破仑的官员们声称，即便在战场奋战很长时间后，拿破仑仍有惊人的能力让自己在半个小时内就变得精力充沛：他把指挥权交给下属，并且命令他们在接下来的半个小时内不管遇到任何情况都不要打扰他。而后，他便在自己的营帐里舒展身体，进入有条不紊的睡眠。他会在正好半个小时后精力充沛、神清气爽地走出营帐，准备下一场战斗。

据《多相睡眠：事实与谣言》一书所述，据说他的确睡得很少，而且经常由于压力巨大而饱受失眠的折磨。他还常常被信使打扰——这或许让他更倾向于在白天小睡一会儿。不过，只在有坏消息时才可以把他叫醒，他的硬性规定就是好消息可以等。他的回忆录表明他并不介意在年轻的时候死去。所以，在睡得少和喝大量的浓咖啡这些事上，他不会理会他的医生们所说的。睡得少对于拿破仑的军事技能并没有什么好处。一些同时代的人将他在滑铁卢战役中所犯下的错误归咎于缺少睡眠。但是，在相对悠闲的日子里，他会睡整整七个小时，早晨7点起床，还经常赖床到8点。在午后，他还会再小睡一会儿。诸多记录显示，在圣赫勒拿岛的时候，他的睡眠还算正常，然而当压力取代乏味后，他就常常睡得很晚。

Nikola Tesla 尼古拉·特斯拉

1856～1943，塞尔维亚裔美籍发明家、物理学家、机械工程师、电气工程师，被认为是电力商业化的重要推动者，并因主持设计了现代交流电系统而最为人知。

One of the greatest inventors claimed to sleep just 2～3 hours a day. Nikola Tesla once said， "I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success ... Such emotions make a man forget food， sleep， friends， love， everything."

According to Polyphasic Sleep： Facts and Myths， Tesla who could indeed work throughout the night， would often crash for the entire day of sleep after his exploits. He exhibited classic signs of manic6） creativity， which might have been interrupted by short recuperative7） naps or long recovery sleep. Otherwise， Tesla was nothing more than a short sleeper.

这位最伟大的发明家之一声称自己每天只睡2～3个小时。尼古拉·特斯拉曾说：“我认为再没有任何一种狂喜能像一个发明家看到自己的一些脑力创作逐渐走向成功那样激动人心……这种情绪让人忘记吃饭、睡觉、交友、恋爱甚至一切。”

据《多相睡眠：事实与谣言》一书所描述，特斯拉确实能够通宵达旦地工作，但他经常在高强度工作后立马倒头睡上一整天。他表现出了典型的创造狂特征，而这原本可能会被具有修复性的打盹或者长时间的补觉打断。否则，特斯拉只是个短睡眠者而已。

Long Sleepers 睡眠多者

Calvin Coolidge卡尔文·柯立芝

1872～1933，是美国第30任总统。

Calvin Coolidge slept 8 hours a night， plus 2 or 3 hours in the afternoon. In fact， his very first act as president of the United States was to go to sleep. It is said that Calvin Coolidge got more sleep in the White House than any other president.

卡尔文·柯立芝每晚睡八个小时，下午还要睡两三个小时。事实上，他当选美国总统后的第一个举动就是去睡觉。据说卡尔文·柯立芝在白宫里的睡眠时间超过历届美国总统。

Winston Churchill温斯顿·丘吉尔

1874～1965，英国政治家、历史学家、画家、演说家、作家、记者，1940～1945年和1951～1955年两度出任英国首相，被认为是20世纪最重要的政治领袖之一，领导英国人民赢得了第二次世界大战的胜利。

Winston Churchill was said to sleep 5 hours a night on average， but he did at least advocate a substantial daily nap on top of that modest allowance.

He would wake at 8 a.m.， spend the morning in bed reading papers， dictating letters， etc.， take a long nap at tea time， and work till as late as 3 a.m. He averaged 5～6 hours of sleep per day.

Winston Churchill once said， "You must sleep some time between lunch and dinner， and no halfway measures. Take off your clothes and get into bed. That"s what I always do. Don"t think you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day. That"s a foolish notion held by people who have no imaginations. You will be able to accomplish more. You get two days in one—well， at least one and a half."

Winston Churchill had twin beds and when he couldn"t fall asleep in one he changed to the other one.

据说，温斯顿·丘吉尔平均每晚睡五个小时，但至少他提倡除了这一适中的睡眠时间外，每天还要进行较长时间的午睡。

他早上8点起床，整个上午都会在床上读报纸、口授信稿以及做其他的事情，在下午茶时间睡上一大觉，而后一直工作到凌晨3点那么晚。他平均每天睡5～6个小时。

温斯顿·丘吉尔曾说：“午餐到晚餐之间你必须找时间睡上一觉，没有什么折中的办法。脱掉衣服，钻进被窝，我就经常这样做。不要觉得白天睡觉了，你做的工作就会变少。没有想象力的人才会有这样愚蠢的想法。你将能完成更多的工作。你在一天里可以使用两天的时间——好吧，至少是一天半的时间。”

温斯顿·丘吉尔有一对单人床，当他在其中一张床上难以入睡的时候，他就会换到另一张床上去睡觉。

Albert Einstein阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦

1879～1955，著名的犹太裔德国理论物理学家、思想家及哲学家，是现代物理学的开创者、奠基人。

The story goes that Albert Einstein liked to sleep 10 hours a night—unless he was working very hard on an idea. He claimed that his dreams helped him to invent.

Also he felt that naps "refreshed the mind" and that they helped him to be more creative.

据说阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦喜欢每晚睡十个小时，除非他正在非常努力地钻研一个想法。他声称他做的梦对他的发明创造有所帮助。

此外，他觉得白天小睡一会儿可以“消除思维疲劳”，使他更具创造性。

Now I understand that it doesn"t matter how much you have but it does matter how you use what you have. And I think that everyone should listen to their body and feel what it really needs. Do not be too lazy and sleep more than you need and do not be too hard-working and neglect your health.

现在我懂得了，真正重要的是你如何利用自己所拥有的睡眠时间，而不是你拥有多少睡眠时间。而且我认为每个人都应该听从自己的身体，感受身体真正的需求。不要因为太懒惰而睡得太久而超出身体的需求，也不要因为过于勤勉而忽视身体健康。

1.polyphasic [ˌpɒliˈfeizik] adj. 【生理】一昼夜活动和休息多次的；多相的

2.energize [ˈenədʒaɪz] vt. 使精力充沛

3.subordinate [səˈbɔːdɪnət] n. 下级，下属

4.insomnia [ɪnˈsɒmniə] n. 失眠

5.propensity [prəˈpensəti] n. 倾向

6.manic [ˈmænɪk] adj. 疯狂的

7.recuperative

[rɪˈkuːpərətɪv] adj. 有恢复力的

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