Japan’s prime minister currently appears to occupy the extreme end of the political sleep spectrum.

Takaichi said in July that since becoming prime minister she normally gets between zero and three hours of sleep a night. She described managing five uninterrupted hours during a public holiday as “a blessing”.

Her comments, reported by AP, prompted concern in Japan and renewed discussion about the country’s culture of long working hours.

The issue has particular resonance because of Japan’s decades-long struggle with karoshi — death linked to overwork.

US President Donald Trump has long described himself as a short sleeper.

In a 2017 interview with Fox News, Trump said he frequently slept for only four or five hours a night. AP reported at the time that Trump said he generally worked until midnight or 1am and was awake again at around 5am.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has publicly described himself as someone who sleeps considerably less than the amount normally recommended for adults.

During his 2019 interview with Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, the conversation turned to Modi’s sleeping habits.

Modi said his body cycle was such that he generally slept for three to four hours, adding that he slept soundly during that time.

French President Emmanuel Macron has also been reported to operate on remarkably little sleep, although the figure comes from earlier in his presidency rather than a recent disclosure.

Former US president Barack Obama was another well-known White House night owl.

The New York Times reported in 2016 that Obama generally slept about five hours a night. After having dinner with his family, he would often spend several more hours working alone late at night, reading briefing papers, writing and preparing for the following day.

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel had a memorable way of describing her ability to cope temporarily with insufficient sleep: she compared herself to a camel.

Reuters reported Merkel saying she could manage for several days on only a few hours of sleep provided she subsequently had an opportunity to catch up.

Her “sleep camel” description is important because Merkel did not portray herself as someone who permanently required almost no sleep. Rather, she suggested she could accumulate a sleep deficit during periods of intense work and recover when circumstances allowed.

Long before smartphones, round-the-clock news and today’s constantly connected political world, Margaret Thatcher helped create the image of the political leader who seemed barely to need sleep.

The political fascination with leaders who sleep for only a few hours reflects a wider tendency to associate sleeping less with stamina, productivity and commitment.

But sleep specialists offer a more complicated picture.

A small number of people appear naturally able to function well on unusually little sleep, with research suggesting that genetics can play a role in so-called natural short sleepers. They are, however, considered unusual.

For most adults, regularly getting too little sleep is not regarded as an advantage. The CDC recommends at least seven hours for adults aged 18 to 60 and says sufficient sleep helps improve attention and memory, among other health benefits.

For people entrusted with decisions that can affect millions, the important question may not simply be how long they can stay awake.

It is how clearly they can think while doing so.