The Sleep-Deprived King of France

Imagine ruling a kingdom… while trying to train your body to never sleep again. Yeah — one king

actually believed sleep was a weakness he could conquer. This was King Louis XI of France,

and he was terrified that if he fell asleep, his enemies would strike.

So he created a schedule that would make modern insomniacs cry. He slept in tiny

10-minute micro-naps, waking every hour. He demanded servants shake him awake the moment he drifted

off. He even wore bells on his clothes so guards would hear if he collapsed.

Doctors warned him he’d lose his mind. He fired them and hired new ones who agreed that sleep

was optional for kings. Did it work? Not even close. Louis started hallucinating,