Celebrity Sleep Secrets

Celebrity Sleep Secrets

Celebrity Sleep Secrets, and What You Can Learn From Them
provided by Health.com

Who's sleeping, who's not?

Celebrities lead fabulous lives-jetting across the country on a whim, partying at late-night hot spots-so it's no surprise that sleep may not always be a number-one priority. When prescription sleep medication was implicated in
Heath Ledger's tragic death in January 2008, it raised the question of whether other members of the glitterati were spending their nights tossing and turning. We've compiled a list of famous men and women, past and present, who have spoken out about or become known for their unique sleep issues. Here, see who gets too much and not enough-and what you can learn from each of them.


Martha Stewart

Convinced that there's "not enough time in the day," Stewart, 67, rises before dawn and sleeps about four hours a night, People magazine reported in 1995-an odd trait for someone who lends her name to elegant mattress and bedding collections.

But watch out: Studies show that averaging less than five or six hours a night can be hazardous to your health, compromise your immunity, and put you at risk for heart problems, which may shorten your life span.


Associated Press

Jimmy Kimmel

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, 40, told The New York Times Magazine that he suffers from narcolepsy. He said the disorder has caused him to fall asleep in his car or drift off during afternoon writers' meetings-"not the best way to make people feel good about their material," he joked. In 2003, he told Esquire that he wasn't diagnosed until adulthood and that the disorder feels like "somebody's gently sitting on your brain."


Vince Bucci, Getty Images

Cheryl Hines

Known for her role as Larry David's wife on the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, actress Hines, 43, has suffered from insomnia for more than 20 years-but a different type of insomnia than most might expect. "At first, I wasn't even aware that I was experiencing insomnia, because my issue wasn't just being unable to fall asleep when I went to bed at night. I was also dealing with waking up in the middle of the night and then not being able to get back to sleep," Hines said in a press release. Her doctor recommended a regular sleep schedule, not exercising close to bedtime, and trying Ambien CR. In 2007, Hines teamed up with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Foundation to raise awareness and provide solutions for insomnia through a campaign called "Why Count on Sheep to Sleep?"


Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

Heath Ledger

The Australian actor died in January 2008 at age 28, and the cause of his death has been linked to various prescription medications, including sleeping pills. In a 2007 interview with The New York Times, Ledger said he sometimes slept for only two hours a night when work was stressing him out, and on one occasion he took multiple Ambiens to fall asleep, only to wake up soon after.




Kevin Mazur, WireImage.com

Renee Zellweger

As a result of her busy schedule, Zellweger, 39, of Bridget Jones and Chicago fame, doesn't always have time to sleep. "Your body doesn't quite register...that it's time to sleep," she told W magazine in 2005, recalling a 10-day, 10-country promotional tour for Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. "But you don't fight it, and you don't ask questions after a while. You just kind of let it happen to you." Overworked people, celebrities or not, can have trouble winding down before bedtime and might lie awake worrying about their commitments the next day. Experts suggest a relaxing bedtime routine, starting an hour or two before lights-out time, to help your body transition into sleep.


Toby Canham,Getty Images

James Mercer

At least one source described the lead singer of indie-rock group the Shins as having "crippling insomnia" around the time of the January 2007 release of the album Wincing the Night Away. Mercer, 37, told MTV that he does struggle with some insomnia, but it's not anything he would call "crippling": "It's something I wrestle with once in a while if I've got a stressful situation or something to deal with," he said, adding that the album's "nocturnal vibe" was inspired by his wandering through his neighborhood late at night.


Karl Walter, Getty Images

Brad Pitt

Pitt, 44, has more mouths to feed and extra diapers to change, now that the Jolie-Pitt clan is six-children strong. But the kids have also been keeping him up nights, he told reporters at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival. "Everyone is healthy. No sleep though," Pitt said. "Sleep is something you long for, but it's all right. We'll get it."


Kevin Winter, Getty Images

Jennifer Lopez

Some stars make it a priority to get enough sleep. Actress-turned-singer (and recent triathlete!) Jennifer Lopez, 39, swears by eight hours a night as her number-one beauty secret. "Sleep is my weapon," she once said. "I try to get eight hours a night. I think what works best is sleep, water-and a good cleanser."


Jon Kopaloff, FilmMagic

Justin Chambers

In January 2008, Grey's Anatomy star Chambers, 38, checked into the UCLA Medical Center's psychiatric ward to get help for his long-time sleeping problem. "It's a biological sleep disorder," he told People magazine. "Your mind keeps racing, and your body is tired. It wants to go to sleep, but it can't." The father of five says he checked into UCLA after two months of sleeping no more than an hour a week.


Frazer Harrison, Getty Images