That's not true. I've been working hard on my side projects after work time and I don't have much sleep unfortunatley. I feel exausted all the time and not exactly hungry, plus to be honest I lost appetite. I'm quite skinny, lean muscle, etc.
I think it's implicit with practically every study that the results aren't necessarily applicable to everybody.
"Well, it says 'one'; that's a small number out of all the people in the study."
High energy all day with less time, or low energy all day with more time? I think the latter is worse.
Its less brutal now he's older and better able to sleep through the night, but I've had weeks where I was working normal hours and getting 3-4 hours of broken sleep a night, somehow the body adapts to it. I wouldn't say I was doing my best work during that time, but I was definitely more productive than I'd expected to be.
Trust me, I always want to get a full night of sleep but I've learned that sometimes it's not even worth bothering until 2-3 am when my mind lets go.
Also, anecdotally, I agree with the munchies conclusion.
Even with flexible working hours, I still come to work in the early morning.
I work all day and then commute back home. I then do the chores and make supper.
By the time I am done with all that stuff, it's already 8PM or 9PM. I then get together with some night owls friends for a few beers, read all night, watch a movie or a tv show, or spend the night awake talking with my signifiant other (who is also a night owl).
If I have a really entertaining night, I might drop to 3 hours of sleep.
I don't have an energy problem and am wide awake. That being said, I have been living that way for as long as I can remember. I take naps when I do get tired.
What's next? "I don't understand how people don't have money"?
I'd love to get 8 hours a night, and I definitely would make time for it. But I can't.
Enjoy your good sleep health!