President Donald Trump recently assured the world that he is not a ‘sleeper’. Not only that, he generously handed the same sleeplessness certificate to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as if insomnia were a Nobel-worthy virtue. According to Trump, both men are far too busy thinking about their countries to waste time on such trivial matters as REM cycles. Unfortunately for this heroic narrative, cameras have been repeatedly rude enough to disagree.
There he was, eyes sealed, chin drifting south, gently rocking in the chair during official events. Social media, ever the unpaid opposition party, quickly crowned him ‘Sleepy Don’. Trump, however, doubled down with full presidential confidence and energetically attacked his favourite target, Joe Biden, for oversleeping. Biden, he claimed, sleeps day and night, on land and sea, possibly even between syllables. If there were Olympic medals for presidential naps, Biden would apparently break all records, assisted by a silk pillow and beachfront breeze.
But Trump made one thing clear. He and MbS are different. They talk at crazy hours, think at crazier hours, and dream of prosperity for their nations at the craziest hours. Sleeping, in their philosophy, is for ordinary citizens, not for messianic leaders saving the world while blinking slowly.
This sleepless leadership trend is not confined to the West. The Third World has long mastered the art of holy insomnia. Take Bangladesh for instance. Former powerful leaders turned sleepless saints overnight. One stayed awake for Tahajjud Naamaj, whispering heartfelt duas for the people. Another woke before sunrise, performing Fajr Naamaj and spinning tasbih beads with divine dedication. The nation assumed that surely such devotion would turn the country into a paradise.
Reality, however, arrived like a rude alarm clock. During these spiritually charged administrations, thousands of crores vanished into foreign banks, corruption flourished like seasonal mangoes, and citizens lost sleep worrying about abduction, murder, and mysterious midnight knocks. The only ones enjoying deep, peaceful slumber were offshore accounts, comfortably resting in Swiss serenity.
So, what exactly is this obsession with glorifying sleeplessness? Leaders proudly declare that they never sleep, as if exhaustion is proof of patriotism. Yet a sleep-deprived brain is not visionary. It is confused, irritable, and prone to decisions that belong in a late-night infomercial.
Here is a revolutionary idea. Sleep is not treason. Sleep is biology. A rested leader thinks clearly. A clear mind makes better decisions. Better decisions mean better governance. Better governance means citizens can actually sleep without checking the door lock.
So dear leaders of the world, from Washington to Riyadh to Dhaka, please do us all a favour. Sleep properly. Rest your eyes. Embrace the pillow. And while you are at it, allow your people the same luxury. Let them sleep without fear, without sirens, without the anxiety of disappearing democracy.
Because in the end, a nation does not need heroes who stay awake all night dreaming of their own greatness. It needs leaders who sleep enough to wake up sane, sensible, and ready to actually serve.
Until then, the Global Insomniacs Club of Power may continue its noble mission of yawning through history while calling it patriotism.
