WSJ: The Sleepless Elite, Why Some People Can Run on Little Sleep and Get So Much Done For a small group of people—perhaps just 1% to 3% of the population—sleep is a waste of time. Natural "short sleepers," as they're officially known, are night owls and early birds simultaneously. They typically turn in well after midnight, then get up just a few hours later and barrel through the day without needing to take naps or load up on caffeine. health, USzac russellApril 7, 2011sleep, wsj Facebook0 Twitter LinkedIn0 Reddit Tumblr 0 Likes