He is one of the most powerful people in the world. He is busy as hell. And he is one of the most consequential presidents in American history.
Being POTUS is not all fun and games! It’s hard work, long hours and tough decisions. And President Barack Obama knows exactly how to manage his time and that’s why he follows a diligent, ascetic regime.
A self-professed ‘night guy’, Barack Obama takes comfort in solitude and is awake late into the night working in Treaty Room, his private office in the White House residence. Obama gets about five hours of sleep a night – he often goes to bed after midnight and is awake by 7 a.m.
A report from The New York Times looked into what exactly the President does after dark, often until 2 a.m.
So, this is how President Obama usually spends his time at home, after a 6:30 pm dinner with the First Lady and his two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
- Obama often works on his speeches and sends late-night emails to his staff, sometimes asking them to come back into the office if the speech needs a re-writing. At times Obama and his speechwriters also pull all-nighters for particularly important speeches, writing and re-writing into the early hours of the next morning.
- He goes through the daily briefing book and reads 10 cards from ordinary Americans each day.
- Unlike us, Mr President does not turn to caffeine to stay awake. Instead he eats exactly seven lightly salted almonds every night for a snack. “Michelle and I would always joke: Not six. Not eight,” Sam Kass, the Obama family’s former personal chef, told the Times. “Always seven almonds.”
- It’s not just work but the President indulges in fun and leisure too. He watches ESPN, reads novels or plays Words With Friends on his iPad.
- He also catches up on the news – he reads The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal and watches cable.
- He loves to watch the TV shows like”Boardwalk Empire,” “Game of Thrones,” and “Breaking Bad” with his wife Michelle Obama.
The Times report further compares his nocturnal habits with former presidents like George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. While Bush was a early riser and was often in bed by 10 p.m, Bill Clinton would stay up late talking on the phone with “friends and political allies”.