From Margaret Thatcher to Marilyn Monroe, a Raw Story news report takes a look at seven famous insomniacs.

Abraham Lincoln

Insomnia should be listed in the job description for U.S. President, as it was a factor for many leaders including Bill Clinton, who regularly existed on five hours of sleep a night and claimed that every poor decision he made throughout his life was a direct result of him excessive fatigue, and Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln, often restless, would regularly take long walks at midnight to ease his mind and ready it for sleep. It was also suspected for a time that his insomnia was caused by Blue Mass, a mercury pill prescribed for digestion. We could also think of one or two outside factors that may have led to his sleep loss, however.

Marilyn Monroe

The late Norma Jean Mortenson died from an overdose of barbiturates in her home on August 5th 1962. Though her death spawned many conspiracy theories (it was ruled a suicide, but come on) her addition problem stemmed from studio pressure to stay thin — and insomnia: it’s reported that she had issues falling asleep and these spells, often coupled with emotional swings, led to sleeping pill and barbiturate dependency.

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