Sleep Habits of the Third American President

What did the third U.S. president think about sleep?

Short answer: he loved it, but not too much.

Thomas Jefferson is best known as one of the founding fathers of the United States- and the one who wrote the Declaration of Independence.

But there's also something else important he wrote down:

His sleeping habits.

While handling the daily responsibilities of being a president, the early American leader stuck to a regular sleep schedule. He never slept in. He got up early and went to bed early in the evening.

During his time people knew about electricity, but its power wouldn't be harnessed until 1879. Now, almost 150 years later, we have access to advanced electronic tools which can supplement your life and help you get great sleep.

Before bed, he would read for a half hour to an hour. Importantly, he used candlelight, which emits warm-toned, reddish-orange light which relaxes your brain, and not the blue light that modern smartphones emit, which signals to your brain that a new day is just getting started.

In 1802 he brought a new recipe from France to the United States. The new recipe described something called "pommes de terre frites a cru en petites tranches", which translates to "deep-fried potatoes in small cuttings".

French fries.

Even though a late night run to McDonalds is a beloved part of our culture today, it's not good if you're trying to get better sleep. However many he ate, he never had them right before bed.

He ate with his family twice a day: breakfast at 8 AM and dinner in "late afternoon", which is between 3 to 6 PM. That's early by today's standards, but the wisdom of not eating late is correct- your body rests, instead of working on digestion.

The dining room in his estate, the Monticello.

Thomas Jefferson lived to be 83 years old in good health. With the right sleep habits and access to modern tech, you can reach his age too (kudos if you're already there).

https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/incandescent-light-bulb.html

https://www.monticello.org/exhibits-events/blog/4-foods-jefferson-helped-popularize-in-america

https://www.monticello.org/house-gardens/the-house/room-furnishings/dining-room/