Comments on: Rudd only needs three hours sleep? Tell him he’s dreaming

By: Mark Whitten

Mark Whitten — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:23:05 +0000

I seem to remember hearing that Lawrence of Arabia also was a cat napper. Hard to be caught by surprise at night that way.

Is it not the case that, compared to a single period of sleep each 24 hrs, you need less sleep in total when it broken into a series of short sleeps?

By: Sean

Sean — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:43:30 +0000

It is obvious that Kevin Rudd is sleep-deprived, just look at the odd ways he behaves. It may be a big mistake to assume that he is working when he is not asleep.

In fact, it may be a big mistake to assume he is not working when he is asleep.

Regarding the advent of Protestantism, Martin Luther was a young man at the end of the 15th C., and Lutheranism, Protestantism by name and the Reformation technically didn’t begin until the early 16th C. However, the seeds for reform had been sown in the 14th and 15 centuries.

Instant edification at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Protestantism#Roots_and_precursors:_14th_century_and_15th_century

I remember Thatcher bragging about only needing 5 hours sleep also. Nice sociological analysis here — this is the type of qualitative psychological commentary that has been lost by the university psychology courses and faculties, unfortunately, thus making most psychology graduates non-thinkers and slavish followers of ‘logical positivistic’ methods rather than interesting professionals who have something pertinent to say about modern society — which is why they seldom get interesting media spots or requests for commentary. Present-day Australian psychology faculties could do with a reformation as well.

By: Frank Campbell

Frank Campbell — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:02:40 +0000

Just as well Rudd isn’t driving trucks interstate.

Come to think of it, history is littered with sleep-deprived control-freaks…

By: Mephistopheles

Mephistopheles — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:17:23 +0000

At least this article rights the balance a bit from the vast overemphasis on so many of us being sleep deprived when the fact that so many successful people do get by well on less than six hours sleep in 24 is quite clear. BTW I noticed the 15th century dating of Protestantism which I took to include the Hussites, or maybe even the Lollards (though Wycliffe’s Bible translation was completed in 1382) but maybe I’m being charitable.

Ronald Reagain is included amongst those who pushed the idea of their not sleeping much but I thought his reputation was quite the opposite and he usually got the publicity he sought. A leader of the Opposition who couldn’t function pretty well for a long period on four hours a night (as Jeffrey Kennett certainly did) would not be able to hack it. The point about falling back on stereotypical thinking and language is spot on and means that Turnbull, who is a novice politician compared to, say Kennett, Howard or Fraser when leading the Opposition, doesn’t have such a large supply of safe stereotypes to fall back on. Rudd’s progammed responses seem to be pretty well tuned for the times even if not to make him seem a witty fascinating person.

One very old person, the parent of a famously successful person, whom I had once heard claim to turn the light out at 1.30 and wake at 4.30 nonetheless told me later that the adult lifetime average of sleep was 5½ hours in 24. The person is well known for little naps so was very likely including those. I hope the writer of the article will enlarge on the way to use naps and just how useful they are physiologically, neurologically, biochemically and cognitively.

By: bakerboy

bakerboy — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:17:20 +0000

Tom McL - Rudd had a defective heart valve replaced some years ago. This is a fairly common disorder fixable by routine surgery but nevertheless serious. If I was KR, I’d be backing off a bit with the constant pressure of the job and taking up meditation practice, if he wants to match JWH into old age. But then, it’s hard to change the ways of control freaks.

By: David1

David1 — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:14:20 +0000

Here we go, the doom and gloom merchants haven’t taken their happy pills today. Pedro and Stephen a couple of sad sacks, you were meant for each other.

By: Stephen Wong

Stephen Wong — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:01:47 +0000

It is obvious that Kevin Rudd is sleep-deprived, just look at the odd ways he behaves. It may be a big mistake to assume that he is working when he is not asleep.

By: Tom McLoughlin

Tom McLoughlin — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 04:55:01 +0000

I seem to recall during the election campaign Rudd had a ‘minor’ (whatever that is) heart complaint and surgery in his thirties.

Could chronic sleep deprivation be related to this?

By: pedro

pedro — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 04:47:41 +0000

I would not be surprised if Rudd gets less than 5 hrs a night - it would explain a lot. Then again, I would not be surprised if he and his wife are just telling another porky - it’s what they are best at!

By: Steve Carey

Steve Carey — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:58:34 +0000

The rise of Protestantism in the 15th century, eh? Perhaps the Crikey sub-editor’s sleep-deprived?

By: David1

David1 — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:56:33 +0000

I would presume the PM receives the best of medical care and has frequent checkups on his general health. Hopefully he takes the advice of his doctor and is intelligent enough to heed that advice when given.