Celebrities with insomnia: Celebrities Who Struggle With Sleep and Insomnia

19.07.202214.07.2023 by alexxlab

Celebrities Who Struggle With Sleep and Insomnia

A glamorous lifestyle doesn’t automatically come with high-quality R and R. These celebrities have talked about struggling with sleep (and in some cases insomnia).

By Katherine LeeMedically Reviewed by Chester Wu, MD

Reviewed: August 31, 2022

Medically Reviewed

A-list status does not come without its (sleep) problems.

Getty Images; AP Photo; Shutterstock

Insomnia is one of those universal equalizers that can affect everyone and anyone. Insomnia has a simple definition: It means having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. It can be a temporary, short-term problem caused by stress or a traumatic experience. Or insomnia can become persistent or chronic, meaning that you have trouble sleeping at least three nights a week in a three-month period, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Factors that can contribute to insomnia are ones that we all might face at some point in our lives: depression, anxiety, going through an emotionally upsetting event such as divorce or the death of a spouse, or having certain medical conditions (such as those that cause chronic pain, like arthritis, or those that cause breathing problems, like asthma). Menopause and hot flashes, or gastrointestinal problems such as heartburn, are other conditions that can contribute to insomnia, according to the National Institutes of Health. And traveling frequently across different time zones can wreak havoc on sleep, too.

If you have problems with sleep, it’s important that you get help as soon as possible. Unaddressed sleep problems tend to get worse and get tougher to treat the more habitual they become.

In the meantime, know that there are a lot of people out there struggling with sleep just like you, including these celebrities who have helped raise awareness about how debilitating not sleeping can be, and why it’s so important to get help.

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George Clooney

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In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2012, the actor, director, and producer George Clooney revealed that he routinely has a “tough time getting to sleep,” and that he woke up as many as five times per night. In another interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, which was published three months after the birth of his twins, Clooney shared that he had resolved his earlier issue with insomnia, but that it had been replaced by another source of sleep deprivation: being a parent of newborns.

As any parent of young children knows all too well, duties like multiple feedings and diaper changes in the night can do a number on a night’s sleep, and with twins, Clooney and his wife, Amal Clooney, were no doubt getting far short of the rest they needed, according to what he told The Hollywood Reporter.

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Mariah Carey

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The singer-songwriter Mariah Carey has talked about her search for sleep for many years. In a November 16, 2002, interview with The Guardian, Carey discussed having a recent breakdown caused, she said, by working too much.

“’The bottom line is that I was severely exhausted,” Carey said. “I’ve always had trouble with insomnia. It’s more falling asleep than staying asleep, especially when I’ve been performing or doing interviews — there’s a certain amount of adrenaline that goes along with that — and when I’d finally unwind and go to sleep I’d be woken in another couple of hours to speak to someone in Australia, and then they’d say ‘Oh, there are just a couple more reporters and they’re going to ride with you in the car,’ and there was no downtime. ”

In 2018, Carey revealed that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2001, which was likely the root cause of her earlier sleep problems. In an interview with People in 2018, she noted that she was getting treatment that doesn’t make her feel tired or sluggish anymore, and that she is “in a really good place.”

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Chuck Palahniuk

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In an article he wrote for The Guardian, the author Chuck Palahniuk shared his theory about insomnia being a sort of muse for creative people like himself. Palahniuk, well-known for his novel Fight Club, about a protagonist who suffers from insomnia because of job stress and frequent travel for work, suggests that writers are inspired by things that are related to shock or suffering. “Fasting works. Rejection, too. Insomnia works wonderfully,” Palahniuk wrote.

According to Palahniuk, Fight Club was inspired by his own insomnia. “In 1993, I found myself stranded in Reno, Nevada, with no money and nowhere to stay,” Palahniuk wrote. “At night I wandered sleepless through the empty all-night casinos and restaurants, exhausted, delirious, and inventing a story about a man who thought he had insomnia but was actually living a double life: whenever he thought he was asleep, his alter ego would venture forth to have all the adventures he, himself, could never consciously dare.”

Palahniuk recognized, though, that the insomnia lifestyle is not a healthy one. “To be honest, Ambien helps me sleep more nights than I care to admit — although I’m uncertain about the quality of that sleep,” he wrote.

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Renée Zellweger

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Jet-setting to different parts of the world for filming and premieres may sound glamorous. But the constant travel that comes with making and then promoting a film (constantly shifting time zones and sleeping in unfamiliar places) in reality can be a recipe for insomnia. In 2005, the actress Renée Zellweger shared with W magazine that because of her busy schedule, she often didn’t have time for sleep.

Recalling a 10-day promotional tour for Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason that had her traveling to 10 countries, Zellweger told W, “Your body doesn’t quite register that you’re supposed to eat at a certain time, or that it’s time to sleep.”

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Roxane Gay

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Roxane Gay has written short stories, criticism, essays, and more, including the 2014 collection of essays Bad Feminism, and her 2017 memoir, Hunger. Across multiple pieces, Gay has written about her struggle with insomnia. In a 2014 interview with Specter Magazine, she said, “I suffer from insomnia.”

In an August 2019 interview with Medium’s Elemental, she added that she is a “night owl” and gets most of her work done from about 7 or 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. “I try to go to bed before midnight, but that rarely happens.”

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Kim Cattrall

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Kim Cattrall has spoken publicly about her battles with insomnia, which has affected her ability to work. In 2015, the actress pulled out of a play she was scheduled to perform in at London’s Royal Court Theatre. The reason, she later disclosed, was insomnia, the BBC reported in 2016.

In an interview with BBC Radio, also in 2016, Cattrall described her insomnia as “like being pinned down by a three-ton gorilla.” She also shared part of her diary entry from her stay in London in which she wrote, “I think I’m losing the ability to think clearly. Words are harder to remember without sleep. I can’t grasp, hold on, to ideas, thoughts, even tasks. They’re slipping away from me since I got here and I can’t sleep. … Without sleep, there is no way to wash away the debris that collects throughout any given day, no way to clear and cleanse the thoughts that bracket morning through night.”

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Jennifer Aniston

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In a 2016 interview with HuffPost, the actress Jennifer Aniston spoke about her struggles with insomnia and what habits have helped improve her sleep. Aniston described her insomnia experience as being like having a “committee in my head,” she noted. “If I wake up at 3 in the morning, I just start having conversations and they won’t shut up and then I can’t get back to sleep.”

“I think it started somewhere in my thirties or even earlier, but you just don’t start to notice the effects of a lack of sleep when we’re younger because we’re so invincible,” she added to People in 2022. “It began as something that I would just accept and then all of a sudden you realize the effects of your lack of sleep and how it affects your day and your work and your mind function and your physique.”

One thing that further fueled her insomnia? Watching the clock, “a big no-no,” because then she started obsessing about the time that was passing by. “And the more I worry about it, the harder it is to fall asleep,” she said.

Aniston told HuffPost some things that have helped her with insomnia include sleeping with the phone at least five feet away, doing a quick meditation before getting into bed, and doing some stretches and yoga poses. She also recommends turning off electronic devices an hour before turning off the lights.

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Pete Wentz

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The Fall Out Boy musician Pete Wentz opened up to Rolling Stone in April 2013 about how his sleep issues led to his abuse of Xanax and Klonopin. “I was probably physically and mentally addicted,” he said. “It started from insomnia and anxiety from flying, then it spiraled.”

Eventually he became paranoid. “I was scared of everything. I thought there were always people listening to me,” he confessed. “Like, I had my house searched for bugs. It was crazy.”

Since then Wentz has opened up about dealing with bipolar disorder in a 2015 interview with HuffPost. He takes care of himself, he explained, by exercising, meditating, talking things through, and having a schedule with his family.

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Christina Applegate

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Christina Applegate has been outspoken about her insomnia, and has worked to help others who are struggling to sleep. In 2017 she told Self magazine that she had struggled with insomnia for 20 years. “I could sleep a couple hours and then be up for four hours and then fall asleep again right before my alarm goes off,” she said.

She says learning more about insomnia, and which daytime and nighttime routines can contribute to it, has helped her make changes that have helped her sleep. “I didn’t even realize that the contributing factors to my insomnia were simple things that I could start to change,” she told Self. Some things that have helped include: a five-minute bedtime meditation and staying off her phone before sleep (and if she wakes up during the night).

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Rihanna

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Singer and actor Rihanna has discussed her sleeping troubles in multiple interviews. In the December 2017 issue of Vogue Paris the singer revealed that her racing mind is the culprit. “I have a lot of trouble switching off,” she said.

“Even when I get home early, which means before 1 a. m., 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.”

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Jennifer Lopez

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Singer and actor Jennifer Lopez is regularly praised for being one of the hardest working celebrities in Hollywood. However, in a 2022 edition of her newsletter, On the JLo, she revealed how her nonstop lifestyle led to serious health issues, Vanity Fair reported in July.

“There was a time in my life where I used to sleep three to five hours a night. I’d be on set all day and in the studio all night and doing junkets and filming videos on the weekends,” she wrote. “I was in my late twenties, and I thought I was invincible.”

One day while spending time in her trailer on the set, the lack of sleep caught up with her. She “went from feeling totally normal to thinking about what I needed to do that day — and all of a sudden I felt as if I couldn’t move,” she continued.

“I was completely frozen,” she said. She noted that it affected her vision and walking. She feared she was going insane, but maintains it was a “classic panic attack brought on by exhaustion.” She went to the doctor, and she asked him if she was going crazy.

“He said, ‘No, you’re not crazy. You need sleep.'” He explained that she was suffering from severe exhaustion and needed to sleep for seven hours or more. “I realized how serious the consequences could be of ignoring what my body and mind needed to be healthy — and that’s where my journey to wellness began,” she said.

With additional reporting by Leah Groth.

Celebrities with Sleep Disorders – Sweet Sleep Studio

70 million-plus Americans suffer from sleep deprivation. Celebrities are not immune.

Below is a list of celebrities and sleep disorders in which they have admitted to suffering from.

Insomnia is a consistent problem with falling asleep and staying asleep. It is the most common sleep disorder in as many as 70 million Americans at some point in their lives. It has been reported that 10 – 15% of the population suffers from chronic insomnia and that women are 3 times more likely to suffer bouts of insomnia than men.

Celebrities with Insomnia:

Madonna
In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine Madonna discusses how she has been plagued with decades long insomnia stating “…one of my assistants just found one of my journals from 1991. I’m complaining the same way about not being able to sleep in 1991 as I am right now. Like, some things never change…”

George Clooney George Clooney has admitted on various occasions that he doesn’t sleep well. His mind will race and to turn it off he will watch TV to drown out his thoughts. Sleep experts know this isn’t the best way for insomniacs to get sleep and would most likely suggest he go through some cognitive behavior theory to treat his insomnia.

Lady Gaga

Similar to Madonna in more ways than one, Lady Gaga also suffers from sleep deprivation. Her ability to perform consistently weighs heavy on the star and in 2017 she was quoted saying by the UK’s OK! Magazine “…my passion is so strong I can’t sleep – I haven’t slept for three days.”

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form of sleep apnea. This condition happens during sleep when your breathing stops periodically in the night for a few seconds. These lapses in breathing can occur for up to ten seconds or more and can happen up to hundreds of times a night in severe cases.

Rosie O’Donnell

Rosie O’Donnell was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2007. She openly discussed her diagnosis when she was a co-host on The View. Her polysomnogram revealed she had 200+ micro-awakenings a night and once stopped breathing for 40 seconds.

Shaquille O’Neal

In 2015 Shaquille O’Neal (Shaq) was featured in a sleep apnea video created by the Division of Sleep Medicine at the Harvard Medical School. This video in an excellent resource to learn about sleep apnea and its effects, what to expect from a polysomnogram (sleep study), and how important it is to find the perfect CPAP mask to fit your face.

Reggie White

Reggie White, known as the “Minister of Defense” was a famous NFL hall of famer, part time minister, WWE wrestler and twice named NFL Defensive Player of the year. In 2004, White was at home when he suffered a fatal cardiac arrhythmia (heart attack) compounded by complications of sleep apnea. Untreated sleep apnea creates great stress on the heart. He was 43. His memory continues in the form of The Reggie White Foundation for sleep disorder research and education.

Restless Leg Syndrome is a neurological disorder that is characterized by a persistent, sometimes overwhelming need to move one’s legs. The need to move the legs is often (but not always) accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the legs that can range from mildly unpleasant to quite painful.

Jon Stewart

Not only did Jon Stewart state he suffers from insomnia he also revealed he suffers from restless leg syndrome or what he joking refers to it as “the Jimmy Legs”.

Keith Olbermann

Keith Olbermann reflects about his restless nights and interview with President Bush in a 2008 interview with the New Yorker. Olbermann left the NBC News election studio on May 13th, having spent five hours on the air, co-anchoring coverage of the West Virginia Democratic primary. He had a short ride home from Rockefeller Plaza to his condominium, and he was in bed by 2 A.M. But he lay wide awake, overcome by an urge to get up and move about. He had been given a diagnosis of Wittmaack-Ekbom’s syndrome, also known as “restless-legs syndrome,” a neurological disorder that produces a prickling, itching, or crawling feeling in the legs, profoundly disturbing sleep.

Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder where the brain does not have the ability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally. Those with narcolepsy experience bouts of extreme daytime sleepiness and sudden uncontrollable urges to sleep that can come about at any time.

Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill is the most famous narcoleptic “You must sleep sometime between lunch and dinner… Take off your clothes and get into bed… You get two days in one. Well, at least one-and-a-half.”

Jimmy Kimmel

Comedian and Late Night Talk show host, Jimmy Kimmel, discussed his narcolepsy in a column for Esquire magazine back in 2013: “I have a pretty mild case with no other symptoms. Some narcoleptics experience cataplexy, which is a limpness in the arms and legs. I don’t have that. I’d like to, though. It sounds great.”

A parasomnia is abnormal or unwanted behavior of the nervous system during sleep. They can include sleepwalking, night terrors, sleep paralysis, sleep talking and bedwetting to name a few.

Florence Welch

Florence Welch (lead singer from Florence and the Machine) spoke about her childhood sleep terrors to the Irish Independent saying, “I have it when I’m tired or stressed, or over-tired. My body just keeps me on overdrive. I’m just dreaming loads. I can’t quite sleep in a dark room by myself, because I’m always imagining something creeping in the dark corner, or looking through the window.”

Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston is an apparent sleep walker. She discussed how her sleep walking scared her then-husband Brad Pitt: “I sleepwalk. I set off our alarm once. I was outside…and I was out by the pool equipment in the back. I don’t know what I was doing. I heard this yelling because he’s terrified, he hears the alarm and I’m not there!”

If you live in the Kansas City area and are looking for a quality sleep clinic or a board certified sleep doctor to help you with your sleeping problems, contact Sweet Sleep Studio @ 913-309-5963 to connect with Sleep Specialist, Dr. Abid Bhat, who can help you determine if a sleep study is right for you. If you want to get a feel for the kind of services we provide and check us out in person click here for a list of our facilities and locations.

5 celebrities with sleep disorders

Walking along the red carpet in the rays of world fame, they often seem inaccessible to diseases and problems that bother “ordinary mortals”. But in fact, they, like many adults, are prevented from sleeping by worries and a busy schedule. Poor sleep, in turn, can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease … So which of the stars toss and turn at night? And what can you learn from their experience?

Walking along the red carpet in the rays of world fame, they often seem inaccessible to diseases and problems that bother “ordinary mortals”. But in fact, they, like many adults, are prevented from sleeping by worries and a busy schedule. Poor sleep, in turn, can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease. .. So which of the stars toss and turn at night? And what can you learn from their experience?

Rihanna: Sleepless on social media

The singer often flickers on Twitter and opens up about her sleep problems. For example, after completing her 2011 world tour, she wrote, “Waited all year. Finally, there is free time, time for rest and relaxation. Suddenly my thoughts drowned out the silence! Can’t sleep” and later started adding the hashtag #GOtoSLEEPRObyn to some of her tweets.

When you surf the internet, check your email, or tweet before bed, signals are sent to your brain that interfere with your natural sleep processes.

George Clooney: Blue Screen Nights

The Oscar-winning actor told reporters about how difficult it turns out for him to fall asleep without a TV. “One has only to turn it off, as all sorts of thoughts begin to bother me. But even with the noise of the TV, it’s hard for me to sleep. I usually wake up five times a night “.

Although many people say that they sleep better with the TV on, it actually disrupts the normal flow of sleep. Your brain continues to react to everything that happens around you, even when you are sleeping.

Lady Gaga: Evening Overclocking

There is no doubt that the pop star is truly passionate about everything she does. But it is precisely this excitement that deprives her of peace. “My passion is so strong that I can’t sleep – I haven’t slept for three days,” she says. “I lie in bed and try to pray and breathe. I have a very hyperactive mind .”

Whether you really mean 72 hours of uninterrupted insomnia or just three nights of bad sleep, sleep deprivation can have serious consequences. For example, a slow reaction, which can be life-threatening when you are driving.

Shaquille O’Neal: Forgetting to breathe

The basketball giant agreed to undergo a sleep apnea test at the insistence of his companion, who was alarmed by his snoring – at night it seemed to her that his breath was interrupted.

Sleep apnea, which is associated with temporary pauses in breathing during sleep, is common in people who are overweight and/or have a thick neck. With his height of 216 cm and 147 kg of weight, Shaquille, of course, falls into their number. Now he will have to resort to CPAP therapy (artificial lung ventilation) and breathe through the mask at night, like Darth Vader. The star plans to wear it at night, and jokingly says that she can also go out into the city in it.

Sandra Bullock: Mothering

After the appearance of her adopted son Louis, the actress’s sleep time was drastically reduced. She admits that she was content with only three hours a night, but it was not difficult. “ I don’t want to give someone else the pleasure of changing [him] diapers, ,” she says, “there’s nothing difficult about loving Louis.”

It may be true, but Sandra’s lack of sleep can actually hurt little Louis. In order to provide the best possible care for the baby, parents should first of all not forget about themselves.

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TOP 9 celebrities who suffer from insomnia

Insomnia is a condition in which you cannot sleep. It can be a temporary short-term problem caused by stress or traumatic experiences, or it can be permanent or chronic if you have trouble sleeping at least three nights a week over a three-month period.

Factors that can trigger insomnia include depression, anxiety, experiencing an emotional event (divorce or death of a spouse), or the presence of certain medical conditions (eg, chronic pain from arthritis, or breathing problems from asthma). Menopause, fever, gastrointestinal problems, and frequent travel can also contribute to insomnia.

If you have trouble sleeping, it is important to get the help you need as soon as possible. But beyond that, we want you to know that you are not alone. Plenty of people around the world struggle with insomnia just like you, including celebrities who have helped raise awareness about how debilitating sleep deprivation can be and why it’s so important to seek help.