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Why these stars aren't getting any sleep!
Celebs may advocate good sleep as a beauty tip, but most of them are struggling for 40 winks!
Last week, Vidya Balan went on record to say that she is still trying to overcome her insomnia, which made it difficult for her to lose weight in the past.
The actress invited some unflattering comments on her weight and sartorial choices during Heyy Babyy, but Vidya puts the blame on her inability to sleep.
"My weight had become a talking point, an issue people were writing about at that time. It was affecting me. It was not like I was overeating or not working out. But I was not losing weight and it was primarily because of sleep and also because I used to have long gaps in between meals," Vidya, who is the brand ambassador for 'Sleep Awareness Month' told PTI.
The actress said she has been suffering from this problem since her childhood from the age of 12.
And Vidya's is not a case in isolation. More and more famous folk are succumbing to the pressures of celebrity and as a result, start suffering from insomnia.
In the following pages, we take a look at other B-Town and Hollywood biggies who endure sleeping difficulties.
Inputs: PTI
Shah Rukh Khan
Vidya Balan has also said that her sleep habits were influenced by stories she heard about King Khan, who is known to sleep only three or four hours a night.
Shah Rukh has a reputation as a night-owl -- he is usually up well into the wee hours and catches little more than a long nap daily. He has affirmed the same in several interviews over the years and writes off his insomnia as part of his work.
Lady Gaga
We're guessing you saw this one coming! With her rapid rise to superstardom in the last two years, it's not surprising that the irrepressible Lady G is struggling to hit the sack.
In a 2010 interview with OK! Magazine, the 25-year-old singer said, ""My passion (for music) is so strong I can't sleep -- I haven't slept for three days. I lie in bed and try to pray and breathe. I have a very overactive mind. I'm the sort of person who'd never take medication to calm myself. It's maddening."
A R Rahman
Closer to home, musical maestro A R Rahman seems to have the same trouble as Gaga.
His music keeps him awake nights -- literally. Rahman is in the studios till dawn and rests during the day; in fact, moviemaker Subhash Ghai was shocked several years ago, when he was summoned to a music sitting by the composer at 5 am!
And it's become the norm since -- the music genius meets his movie clients only post midnight and the likes of Mani Ratnam, Ashutosh Gowarikar and Aamir Khan have all spent sleepless nights ferrying themselves all the way to to Chennai for nightly consultations!
Lindsay Lohan
While Vidya claimed to have gained weight thanks to insomnia, troubled actress Lindsay Lohan blamed her alarmingly scrawny frame two years ago on the same problem.
Lohan stated that her insomnia and stress were to blame for her emaciated look and it's old news that she has been in and out of rehab to combat her addiction to prescription drugs, in which sleeping pills figure strongly.
Amitabh Bachchan
Other than SRK, Big B is the only other Bollywood male A-lister to admit he is suffering from insomnia.
Bachchan Senior sleeps only two hours a night, between 3 and 5 am -- that's less than some people's afternoon siestas! So how does he while away the rest of his time? He reads voraciously and spends hours blogging.
Rihanna
Hmmm. Wonder if it's pop rival Lady Gaga who's behind Riri's lack of sleep?
The 23-year-old Barbadian beauty is also going from strength to strength when it comes to her musical career -- and that's just what seems to weigh on her mind when it's time for rest and relaxation.
In October last year, the Daily Star quoted her as saying, "Every time I listen to new songs, I'm making up videos in my head or thinking about how I would perform it live -- that's why I don't sleep."
No wonder she wrote a song called Insomnia -- and it was a big hit to boot!
Johnny Depp
Are you knackered from struggling to get some shut-eye every night?
Johnny Depp, who has had his share of insomniac trouble, recommends a pair of cotton pajamas if you want sound sleep!
In December last year, the actor was quoted by The Sunday Times as saying that a big, baggy pair eliminated his problem -- apparently, sleepwear is important!
Sonam Kapoor
It's not only the seniors of the entertainment industry who are given to bouts of sleeplessness.
The young and pretty Sonam Kapoor also belongs to the midnight owl club -- she has tried reading in a bid to get some shut-eye, but it hasn't helped. A few months ago, The Hindustan Times quoted her as saying, ""Insomnia! reading books isn't helping either. It is just making me think more."
The result -- she reads all night and falls into bed every morning.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs
The rapstar is rich and famous beyond anyone's wildest dreams, but just like any ordinary person struggling with an overactive mind, he's tossing and turning in his hideously expensive bed each night.
In June last year, TheMusicFizz.com quoted his as saying, "You understand that when you're not able to close your eyelids, you're on the brink of losing your mind. If I got more sleep, I'd be a better person, a healthier person. I'd be able to see a bit clearer. It's a problem -- and I'm looking to get help."
Let's hope he's been snatching 40 winks since then.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
It's not just one person who's passing sleepless nights in the Bachchan household.
Big B's bahu Ash also suffers from insomnia -- in fact, it's something she's been dealing with long before she married.
Wonder if both of them keep each other company when they're struggling to get some R'n'R?