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Rihanna says the key to success is only sleeping 3-4 hours a night

The internet is pretty shocked and impressed by Rihanna’s recent claim that she only sleeps 4 hours a night. While I’m not shocked, I am of course impressed by RiRi’s dedication.

Most productive people sleep only 6-7 hours according to this article “The Sleep Routines of Successful People” from the Huffington Post. Here’s a few:

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX: 6 hours per night (1 a.m. – 7 a.m.)
Bill Gates, Co-Founder of Microsoft: 7 hours per night (12 a.m. – 7 a.m.)
Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group: 5-6 hours per night (12 – 5/6 a.m.)
Jeff Bezos, Founder & CEO of Amazon.com: 7 hours per night (10 p.m. – 5 a.m.)
Ellen DeGeneres, TV Host: 8 hours per night (11 p.m. – 7 a.m.)

Rihanna is a busy woman with many things to do throughout the day. She’s a singer, a multi-business owner, the face of her Fenty Beauty collection, Harvard’s Humanitarian of the Year… There’s no way to fit her entire schedule in a day.

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There are split opinions about less sleep. Some say it’s a necessary path down to success and that sleeping less is better for you, others say it has more negative effects on the body than it’s worth.

I get my full 8 hours of sleep, so I’m not talking down on those who choose to participate in the lifestyle, but sleep is a “coveted enterprise,” as Forbes contributor Alice Walton describes. Nas has described it as “the cousin of death.”

But is it true that less sleep is better for you in the long run?

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Rihanna’s lack of sleep seems to come from the fact that she is stays up watching shows if she does get home early. She told Vogue Paris,

“I have a lot of trouble switching off. Even when I get home early, which means before 1am, I start binge-watching shows or documentaries, which I love. I can’t go straight to bed. As a matter of fact, I only sleep three or four hours a night.”

What Rihanna reminds us is that if you want to reach your highest potential, you need to set your priorities straight. Often times, sleep is worth the sacrifice.

Of course, only you know your body and what lengths you can reach in success, but the more you want to do throughout the day, the more concentration you’ll need to give things.

The most important part for a successful day and a successful sleep schedule is keeping a consistent time for sleep. If you’re sleeping between the hours of 2-6 a.m. everyday, the lack hours snoozed can be made up by the fact that your body is running on a consistent cycle.

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I seriously strive for the day where I don’t need 8+ hours of sleep anymore. 4 hours a day is an impressive feat, and definitely achievable.

Although, Rihanna, I sincerely hope you get a break in your schedule once in a while and sleep in, though you always be looking fresh-faced and energized.

Keep up the inspiring superwoman work!