It is often noted that the best amount of sleep is between six to seven hours a night, but for some, that can be either too little – or for fewer, too much.
Burning the midnight oil may be a sign of unnatural strength, but insomnia is no trivial matter; for the political titan, the late Margaret Thatcher, it was something of an characteristic.
Considered a mark of endurance, the late-to-bed-early-to-wake routine may be something of a superhuman power, but how good is it in the long-run?
In a high-profile, heavily-demanding job, the pressures of a businesslike lifestyle is not one that should be taken lightly. Whilst something of a trophy, surviving on four hours of sleep is not the sign of a healthy body or a sound mind; although, in some cases, there is competition to see which person has the least amount of sleep.
The hours are long, the time is short and having free time is something of a luxury.
It is suggested that the type of job that you have will adjust your need for sleep accordingly. According to the BBC, Prof James Horne, at Loughborough’s sleep research centre, says that mood is important. If you are working in a militaristic or another high-adrenaline job, then you need less sleep. “It all depends if one gets a buzz out of what one’s doing. If you’re despondent, you tend to sleep more; if you’re excited you need less. Margaret Thatcher was someone who felt on top of things.”
The suggestion that our jobs make us who we are can attribute to our methods and behaviours within that environment.
Some however, disagree.
It is suggested by fellow MPs that a lack of proper sleep may take its toll, leading to poor decisions. It is recalled that whilst Thatcher’s posture was that of a woman on top of things, her eyes portrayed an individual who was exhausted.
Perhaps enthusiasm isn’t everything.
On the other end of the scale, sleep deprivation or insomnia is suggested to lend its hand towards the creative mind, adding to the love seat of a libertarian or hedonist lifestyle.
That is, of course, unless you pass out in the midst of enjoying yourself.
Loved or hated, the Iron Lady was a woman whose insomnia was legendary, able to balance out political power between her short-lived nights.
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