History Main / TheSleepless

* The protagonist of ''Film/{{Phenomenon}}'' acquires this feature as well as some other paranormal abilities. At first it seems as if he was [[TouchedByVorlons given these features by some aliens]]. Later, it's discovered that [[spoiler:his new features are actually side effects of a brain tumor which eventually kills him]].

* Cole and other Cirronians on ''Series/{{Tracker}}'' don't need sleep, possibly due to being EnergyBeings.

* ''WebOriginal/OrionsArm'' refers to these as [[https://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/51a8f53d09be3 Asomniacs]]. Very common among AI and robots, but biological people can be modified to not need sleep as well.

* Gems in ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' don't need to sleep or [[EatingOptional eat]], though they still can if they so desire, as Amethyst is often shown doing. Steven is an exception, being the resident HalfHumanHybrid. In spite of this, sleep is shown as their fastest way to treat exhaustion in "Chille Tid".

[[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Maybe.]]

In RealLife when normal people don't sleep they develop SleepDeprivation: a host of physical (weakening the immune system and decreasing tolerance to glucose) and mental (increased anxiety, stress, depression, problems with motor actions) problems, up to the point where it indirectly kills them, or directly kills in the case of certain illnesses. Surprisingly, fiction is usually quite aware of this and takes the time to either handwave the problem or make the effects a plot point. Your ArtificialHuman may or may not be able to avoid sleeping depending on how biological their body is.

A SubTrope of TheNeedless. Contrast TheInsomniac, who really ought to sleep but doesn't; people who ''cannot'' sleep might actually fall under both. The TripleShifter will be one or the other, either [[RequiredSecondaryPowers implicitly]] or explicitly. Also not to be confused with NeverSleepAgain, where a character still needs to sleep, but going to sleep could have fatal consequences. Such a character ''probably'' doesn't reside in a Webcomic/SleeplessDomain. Or [[Film/SleeplessInSeattle Seattle]].

** Only once is [[GreatDetective L]] seen sleeping, and even then he sleeps ''while sitting at his computer, in his signature crouch/sit.'' He also has huge bags under his eyes, but seems to suffer from no serious side effects beyond a certain eccentricity.

* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', within a Fanbook trivia Gotouge comically reveals all demons are actually physically incapable of sleeping, detailing the scenario that during the day demons simply fight against boredom as they hide from sunlight since they cannot take a nap until night falls; this information also makes Nezuko even more special by making her the only demon in existence that can sleep in order to replace the need of preying on humans to sustain herself and become stronger.
* Alphonse from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' discovers that his artificial body is incapable of sleep. At one point he claims the greatest reason for wanting his real body back is that he gets so lonely at night. Envy also comments upon the supreme weirdness of seeing [[spoiler:the old man]] sleeping. The regular homunculi don't appear to be incapable of sleeping, but also don't appear to actually need it based on their work schedules and things; none of them are ever actually seen to engage in sleep.
* In ''Manga/{{Gate 7}}'', Sakura cannot sleep unless he has "skin contact and human warmth" [[spoiler:since the day he has no longer an oni.]]
* ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler'''s Hayate sleeps less than an hour a night: He goes to sleep at 4 AM, and is dressed and preparing breakfast at 5 AM. He's apparently been like thissince he was six. Apparently justified due to having to work jobs repeatedly to pay off his parent's debt.

* Gaara of ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' was like this for a long time, partly because if he did fall asleep Shukaku would take over his body. This almost certainly contributed to his mental instability (though he had a few other issues too).
* The two main girls in ''Literature/ThePetGirlOfSakurasou'' are afflicted by this, for similar reasons:
** [[IdiotSavant Mashiro]] because of her tendency to work heavily on her art into the night, so she goes to bed very late and usually has to be woken up by someone else.
** [[{{Workaholic}} Nanami]] mostly because she's overworking herself by studying and working several jobs (so as to pay for her voice acting training). This catches up with her in episode 6.
** [[OnlySaneMan Sorata]] suffers from this trope occasionally due to Mashiro sleeping in his room, and especially during the SchoolFestival arc where he was working long hours to ensure his project would be done in time.
* In a flashback in ''Manga/OnePiece'', Buggy tells Shanks of a rumor that Marshall D. Teach aka Blackbeard has never been seen sleeping. The lack of a need for sleep may be part of the hinted unique body structure that allows Blackbeard [[spoiler:to host at least two Devil Fruit powers without dying.]]
* Ichico Nemuri of ''Manga/UndeadUnluck'' is the Negator Unsleep, which gives her the power of not being able to ever sleep. While she does appreciate the extra time to work on her scientific research and inventions, the sleep deprivation gradually wears on her, [[spoiler:which ends up killing her [[DeathByChildbirth shortly after giving birth to her daughter.]] In the 101st loop, Fuuko teaches her AstralProjection, which sends her power away with her soul so her body can get some sleep, which greatly mitigates the effects.]]
* ''Anime/YashahimePrincessHalfDemon'': Due to an encounter with the Dream Butterfly, Setsuna is unable to fall asleep or dream. There don't seem to be many side-effects from this however.

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

** Phoenix hosts, meanwhile, don't actually need to sleep at all - though it is generally advisable for the mental reasons.
* Zig-zagged in ''Fanfic/{{Bird}}'', Taylor's power eliminates her need to sleep, and as such spends her nights studying. But she still needs ''rest'' and if she doesn't take the time to lay down and let her body unwind, physical fatigue can catch up on her.
* ''Fanfic/DungeonKeeperAmi'': The artificial, magically powered ice golems, don't need to sleep, and neither does Ami, when she's possessing one.
* [[WesternAnimation/TheBlackCauldron The Horned King]] is this in ''Fanfic/HopeForTheHeartless'', probably due to being a [[OurLichesAreDifferent lich]] and because "there is no rest for the wicked". [[spoiler:He falls asleep for the first time in a millennium when he's in [[MoralityPet Avalina's]] garden for the first time.]]
* One of Paul's many problems in ''Fanfic/TheKeysStandAlone: The Soft World'' is that he only needs to sleep once a week or so. It wasn't a problem in ''Fanfic/WithStringsAttached'' because he could roam around the mostly deserted city or countryside practicing with his strength, but it's a ''huge'' problem in ''Keys'' because he doesn't dare go roaming for a number of reasons. To avoid going nuts with boredom, he learns how to make himself high on the “background noise” of his magic and spends hours in a happy trance.
* ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'': [[spoiler:Thanks to the [[EldritchAbomination eldritch]] [[AlienBlood blood]] flowing in his veins, ]]Kyril has no need for sleep. Since sleep never does anything for him, he would [[{{Workaholic}} work all day]] instead.
* In ''Fanfic/APieceOfRebellion'', Good Cop[=/=]Bad Cop doesn't need to sleep at all due to their condition. As a [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstructive]] touch, this probably has a lot to do with Good Cop's regular panic attacks; without sleep, he's never really able to recharge and escape the stress of their job.
* The titular badger from ''Fanfic/TheUrthbloodSaga'', a ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'' fic.
* After Paul gets empowered in ''Fanfic/WithStringsAttached'', he no longer needs to sleep when he's at high power, and barely needs any at low power. He takes full advantage of his condition to practice with his [[BlessedWithSuck overwhelming]] [[SuperStrength strength]] until he can sort of function with it.
* In ''Fanfic/SympathyForTheDevil'', the Chosen are said to not need sleep to function[[note]]though from the Assassin's postulations, they may nod off if tired enough[[/note]]. The Hunter goes even further in that [[TheInsomniac he can't sleep even if he tries to]].

* In ''{{Fanfic/Everqueen}}'', Isha, of course, doesn't need to sleep, but after her experiences, she is afraid to as well.

* In ''Film/TheAvengers2012'' it's implied that those Loki controls with his staff aren't allowed to sleep because that would break the hold he has over them. Hence why [[spoiler: Natasha breaks the hold on Clint by [[BeatTheCurseOutOfHim knocking him unconscious]].]]
* The BigBad of ''Film/DieAnotherDay'', thanks to the interference of Bond. Because of this, he has to spend an hour a day in an REM device to keep himself sane.
* ''Film/{{Dragonheart}}''. Bowen gets scooped up in Draco's mouth, [[PalatePropping but uses his sword to prevent the dragon from closing his jaws.]] That night [[MexicanStandoff they're still in the same position]].
-->'''Bowen:''' I can go three days without sleep.
-->'''Draco:''' I can go three weeks!
* The protagonist of ''Film/{{Phenomenon}}'' acquires this feature as well as some other paranormal abilities. At first it seems as if he was [[TouchedByVorlons given these features by some aliens]]. Later it's discovered that [[spoiler:his new features are actually side effects of a brain tumor which eventually kills him.]]
* Samara from ''Film/TheRing''. On the tapes of her in observation, she never sleeps over several days. [[spoiler:This is revealed to show why setting her free [[NiceJobBreakingItHero wasn't such a good idea]]]].
* ''Film/ScreamersTheHunting''. The Screamers can [[TheyLookLikeUsNow take human form]] so everyone is paranoid about who might be one. One character is accused of being a KillerRobot because he never seems to sleep. As the accuser is insane, the heroine doesn't take this seriously until she wakes from her [[HumanPopsicle hypersleep capsule]] on their return to Earth and finds the man's capsule is empty...
* ''Film/SilentNightDeadlyNightPart2''. Ricky, when asked by Dr. Bloom if he dreams, notes that he doesn't sleep.
* In John Carpenter's ''Film/TheThing1982'' the whole cast ends up staying awake over three or four days, probably not wanting to go to sleep out of fear of being vulnerable to assimilation. Naturally things get horrific when this mixes with the mass paranoia...

* One ''Series/BabylonFive'' novel, "Clark's Law", featured the Tuchanq, a sentient race whose brains were not wired for sleep. They have a longstanding enmity with the Narns, and thus, upon their arrival on the station, a riot breaks out, and the security forces respond by stunning them. The Tuchanq don't respond well to this...
* ''Literature/BeggarsInSpain'' involves genetically upgraded humans called the Sleepless (of the "cannot-sleep" variety), and the repercussions of these {{Born Winner}}s on society. Franchise/XMen meets genepunk.

* One of the genetically-modified human types in ''Literature/BlackMan'' are hybernoids -- they sleep through winter, but are hyperactive the rest of the year, requiring little or no rest. They were created for space missions so an astronaut could save resources and [[SpaceMadness avoid psychological problems]] by sleeping most of the trip.
* Literature/EvanTanner, from a series of novels by Creator/LawrenceBlock, suffered a shrapnel wound in the Korean War that removed both his ability to sleep and the need to do so.
* ''Literature/TheBoyWhoCouldntSleepAndNeverHadTo''.
* One of the stories in ''Literature/ChangingPlanes'' concerns a world where, out of fears of impending war, a nation genetically engineered a group of children to no longer require sleep by early childhood. (They still slept in infancy, after the first test revealed that sleep was necessary for newborns to survive.) Their hope was that this would create geniuses; unfortunately, it turned out that sleep was a key component of ''sentience'' - the children couldn't even pass the "mirror test", and ended up being no more sentient than some lesser primates. (One of the "failed" subjects, a girl who slept about a fourth as much as an ordinary human, was effectively autistic. This was the ''best'' they got.) All of their descendants are still sleepless after infancy, and are sequestered to an island, where they are studied rather like Goodall's chimps.
* A short story by Larry Sternig, "The Clutch of Morpheus" centers around a man who never needs to sleep. Then the Earth passes through the tail of a comet, which causes everyone else on the planet to fall asleep, forcing him to try and help find a solution. [[spoiler: He succeeds, but the counter-field, broadcast via radio stations, causes ''him'' to fall asleep for the first time in his life..]]
* ''Literature/ConsiderPhlebas''. A space pirate captain called Kraiklyn had the ability to sleep one hemisphere at the time, so no-one could sneak up on him in his sleep. However his personality changed as he was using the right or left side of his brain, so in times of crisis he'd use his full faculties (not that this always made him smarter).

** ''Franchise/{{Mistborn}}'': People with Feruchemical bronze can store wakefulness in a metalmind. They're sleepier when they're storing it, and become more alert when they're tapping it. Since bronze is the only attribute that can be stored while sleeping, this means that they have complete control over their sleep schedule; there's a reason ferrings with this ability are formally called "Sentries." And then there are bronze ''Compounders'', people who can both Feruchemically store and Allomantically burn bronze. Due to a quirk of the magic system, Compounders can break the EquivalentExchange, tapping more power than they put in and creating an infinite loop, meaning that they never have to sleep. Ever.
** ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': In ''Literature/{{Edgedancer}}'', Lift meets a [[HiveMind Dysian Aimian]] who refers to his species as "the Sleepless". Considering that Dysians are [[TheWormThatWalks hordes of thousands of cremlings]], it seems logical that they would never need to sleep--or at least not all of them at once. However, Aimians consist of a second, very different species called the Siah, so it's unclear if "the Sleepless" is just the name for the Dysians, or all Aimians.
** Also from ''Stormlight'', spren, as {{Pure Magic Being}}s, don't need to sleep. ''Rhythm of War'' does establish that they do have periods of rest in which they are less active, even if they don't sleep the way humans do.

* The narrator of Creator/FredricBrown's ''Literature/LetterToAPhoenix'' had some rare endocrine disorder and then got irradiated during a nuclear war. Now he stays awake about 30 years, then sleeps about 15 years in some hidden shelter and then emerges with a new identity. Thus he ages 1 day per 45 years. To avoid suspicions he pretends to sleep several hours every day.
* ''Literature/MartinFierro'': This is a NarrativePoem about Martin Fierro, a {{Gaucho}} who is PressGanged into {{Conscription}} trying to SettlingTheFrontier. At song III, he describes the Indians as {{Badass Native}}s like ants that are awake day and night.
* A woman from a Creator/HarukiMurakami short story finds one day that she doesn't need to sleep and has more energy. She spends her "sleep" hours reading and drinking expensive liquor.

* Rose Thorburn, in ''Literature/{{Pact}}'', has this as one of the reasons she considers herself AmbiguouslyHuman -- in addition to the fact that she doesn't breathe and lacks a heartbeat, and exists only in reflections. She puts it to use by catching up on her reading while she'd normally have to sleep.
* ''Literature/ThePrefect'' by Creator/AlastairReynolds features a woman named Jane, who had the misfortune of falling prey to one of the villain's booby traps: a mechanical scarab attached to her neck that will kill her if she falls asleep (it will also explode if anyone comes near her, thus preventing attempts at removing it). She’s been forced to use powerful drugs to keep herself awake, which by the time the novel starts has been for ''eleven years straight''.
* Nova from ''Literature/{{Renegades}}'' haven't needed to sleep - nor been able to - since her family was murdered when she was six years old. She does become capable of sleeping if sufficiently relaxed after a brush with a PowerParasite, though she figures this out by sleeping for almost an entire day, and finds it extremely disorienting.

* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' Melisandre is troubled by bad dreams, sleeps about one hour a night, and hopes for the day her god R'hllor will remove the need for sleep from her entirely. She's able to function fine on this amount of sleep and also [[TheNeedless doesn't need to eat at all]], so it's a reasonable hope. Tyrion notes that his mercenary companion Bronn never seems to sleep either, although he's otherwise an apparently normal man.

* One of the short stories in Creator/ArthurCClarke's ''Literature/TalesFromTheWhiteHart'' is about a man who loses the need for sleep.
* Vampires in ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'' can't sleep. Nor do they ever get tired. And apparently Emmett and Rosalie were InsatiableNewlyweds...

* In ''Literature/TheOutside'', [[{{Cyborg}} angels]] only sleep when sick or injured. Under normal circumstances, the technology in their brains does all the work that sleep does for mortals.

* In ''Series/ThirtyRock'' Kenneth refers to a bedroom as the place you "wait patiently for the next day to start-I mean sleep".
* In the ''Series/{{Angel}}'' episode "[[Recap/AngelS05E05LifeOfTheParty Life of the Party]]", Lorne temporarily had his need for sleep removed. [[PowerIncontinence It didn't go well]].
* [[spoiler:Cavil]] from ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'' has engineered away his need for sleep. His mother implies it had more to do with the fact that he suffered horrible nightmares about blank-headed dogs chasing him through the fog.
* Lalo Salamanca of ''Series/BetterCallSaul'' mentions he usually only sleeps for one or two hours at the most. Despite this, he doesn't seem to suffer any of the usual negative consequences, so it only serves to underscore there being something inherently off about him. It also makes things difficult for Nacho, as [[spoiler:Lalo is still awake in the early morning hours when the assassination squad Nacho is supposed to sneak in the house arrives at the door.]]
* ''Series/{{CSI}}'' likes this. Both Grissom in the original and Mac in ''Series/{{CSINY}}'' are prone to it. They're both workaholics, plus Mac is an insomniac and likely dreads the loneliness of his empty apartment after having lost Claire on 9/11.
-->'''Brass''': What do you do after work?\\
'''Grissom''': More work.\\\
'''Stella''': When's the last time you got some sleep?\\
'''Mac''': What's sleep?\\\
In a later episode:
-->'''Stella''': What do you do when you can't sleep?\\
'''Mac''': Work.\\
'''Stella''': No, what do *normal people* do when they can't sleep?\\\
In yet a later one, Stella walks into Mac's office carrying a box and catches him yawning.
-->'''Stella:''' If I told you to go home and get some sleep, you'd say...?\\
'''Mac:''' What's in the box?\\
'''Stella:''' Of course you would.
* In ''Series/Daredevil2015'', one of the things that drove Matt Murdock to become a vigilante was insomnia brought on by his inability to tune out the rest of city.
* Max of ''Series/DarkAngel'' at least claimed she didn't need to sleep. She did seem to be awake at all hours, but it was never really verified.
** In the second season, one of Manticore's former [=PsychOps=] uses poorly-explained neurological powers to make Max forget the last few minutes and be as tired as possible, to get her out of the way. The next day, Max complains that she slept for four hours, and thinks she is getting sick.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32HVBSNightAndTheDoctor "Night and the Doctor"]], a series of mini-episodes, implies that the Doctor doesn't need to sleep. While his companions are resting, he's off having more adventures.
** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E1DeepBreath "Deep Breath"]] he seems to have a hard time even comprehending the idea of sleep, although this is while he's in the grips of regeneration sickness.
** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E9SleepNoMore "Sleep No More"]], Clara asks him when he sleeps, as she's never seen him do so, and he answers, "When you're not looking." The episode itself concerns a new technology that eliminates the need for humans to sleep.
** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E4KnockKnock "Knock Knock"]], the Doctor claims that he only needs to sleep after he regenerates (the main on-screen example of the Doctor sleeping is "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E1Castrovalva Castrovalva]]"), and that sleeping in general is unnecessary for Time Lords.
** Goes back to the original series. In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E6TheTalonsOfWengChiang The Talons of Weng-Chiang]]", the Doctor has been working all night when Litefoot arises. When he expresses surprise at this, the Doctor dismissively remarks, "Sleep is for tortoises."
*** This remark was picked up and repeated in other Doctor Who media, including the novels ''The Scales of Injustice'', ''Timewyrm: Exodus'', ''The Last Dodo'', and ''Deadly Reunion'' and the audios ''The Mists of Time'', ''Red'', and ''Other Lives'', as well as getting a CallBack in "Knock Knock".
*** In the context of "Talons", the Doctor's remark is a deliberate reference to his in-episode [[Literature/SherlockHolmes Sherlock-esque behavior]], a supposition reinforced by Sherlock saying the same thing to Watson in the Doctor Who New Adventures novel ''All-Consuming Fire''.
* In ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'', Detective Chester Lake has chronic insomnia, which may have been a factor in [[spoiler:his career-ending murder of another police officer]].
* ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'' has a murder suspect with "fatal familial insomnia."
* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'': In the pilot episode, Galadriel warns Elrond that evil does not sleep, it awaits. Fast forward to episode 6, where [[spoiler:Halbrand is shown being awake in the middle of the night, watching Isildur leaving the shack to go outside and see the sunrise]].
* ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'': Hitler is a guest at a boarding house incognito (and in full Nazi regalia) as Mr. Hilter -- the hostess explains that his short temper is due to not sleeping since 1945.

* Steel from ''Series/SapphireAndSteel'' claims he doesn't sleep in "Assignment 2", and is rather disturbed when he wakes up and realizes that the supernatural force he and Sapphire are trying to fight was able to ''make'' him sleep.
* An ''Series/{{SCTV}}'' sketch has normally relaxed, affable fishing-show host Gil Fisher (John Candy) driving his musical guests to a fishing spot for four days nonstop, living on coffee and cigarettes. At a roadhouse stop, he's wired and dazed, picks a fight with a little guy, and gets his butt kicked - and has to watch it all on the film made for the show.
* Franchise/StarTrek:

*** Android Data, before his dream-program kicked in.

*** Season 4 episode "Night Terrors" used a variant; it wasn't sleep per se that the ''Enterprise'' crew and a ship full of RedShirts were deprived of, but REM sleep, meaning they were unable to dream. Cognitive impairment, hallucinations and eventually insanity followed.

* The Jaffa from ''Series/StargateSG1'' do not need sleep due to their symbiotes. They do, however, need to perform a deep meditation called Kelno'reem so that their symbiotes can properly heal their bodies.

** In the first half of season six, Sam no longer sleeps due to his [[spoiler: [[SoullessShell lack of a soul.]]]] It doesn't seem to have had any particular effect on him: his behaviour has changed, but it's attributed to [[spoiler: the soullessness]] rather than the permanent wakefulness.
** In Season 7, Sam is unable to sleep because of [[spoiler:constant hallucinations of Lucifer.]] This time, however, he almost crashes his car and later ends up in the hospital because of it, [[BadassInDistress which conveniently places him for the case of the week]].
** Castiel also mentions in 8.08 that he (and presumably all other angels) doesn't need sleep, although they can lapse into unconsciousness if dealt a severe enough injury, which seems to help them recover. Castiel does actually (semi-purposely) sleep several times in season 10, due to [[spoiler:his stolen Grace burning out, making him ill and frequently exhausted]], but he says that he doesn't dream.
* [[RobotGirl Cameron "I never sleep" Philips]] of ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles''.
* Jack Harkness of ''Series/{{Torchwood}}''.

** In "Sleepless", the VillainOfTheWeek is a Vietnam War veteran who was subject to a government experiment to remove his need to sleep. SideEffectsInclude the exhaustion of sleeplessness and evolving the ability to make others experience reality-warping hallucinations.
** The SuperSoldiers from season 6 or 7 can't sleep, as it would have been a weakness.

* ''Toys/{{BIONICLE}}'': since their evolution into gaseous {{A|ppliedPhlebotinum}}ntidermis, the Makuta do not have to eat or sleep, among other things.
* Margarita Blankenheim from the ''Music/EvilliousChronicles'' was born with a rare condition that is actually referred to as "Sleepless". She has never been able to sleep in her life and she didn't need it either, being incapable of succumbing to fatigue or exhaustion. [[spoiler:Except not really--Margarita is actually a living doll and the ''real'' reason she can't sleep is because dolls are incapable of sleep]].

[[folder:Music]]
* The Music/BarenakedLadies song "Who Needs Sleep?"
[[/folder]]

* Oathsworn from ''Arcana Evolved'' eventually no longer need to sleep.

* The ''TabletopGame/ChroniclesOfDarkness'' book ''Inferno'' has an item you can get from a DealWithTheDevil called the Restless Pendant. While you wear it, you cannot sleep. The problem is that you still feel the ''need'' to sleep - after a while, it maintains you in a constant state of "runner's high", exhausted but still awake. Turns out this item is a bit of a trap - once you put it on, taking it off requires ''another'' DealWithTheDevil.
* Part of the premise of ''TabletopGame/DontRestYourHead''. People who have gone too long without sleep, for whatever reason, gradually start to become aware of the Mad City, a DarkWorld version of reality that lies hidden behind normally invisible doors and windows. Once they've "awakened" to its existence, such people can never risk falling asleep again, or [[TheHeartless the Nightmares]] that roam the Mad City will come for them.

** In the TabletopGame/{{Eberron}} setting, the Warforged do not sleep at all because they are MechanicalLifeforms.

** Elan ([[Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick no, not that one]]) are a race of psychic humans who can spend a small amount of psychic energy to support their body without the need for food sleep or drink.

* In Steve Jackson Games ''TabletopGame/InNomine'', the vessels used by celestials (angels and demons) don't require sleep, although they can go to sleep if they want to travel [[DreamLand the Marches]]. Undead also don't need sleep and unlike celestials, CAN'T sleep.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': Archaon, the ChosenOne of [[EldritchAbomination Chaos]] does not sleep. Or eat. Or do anything but work towards the apocalypse.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'''s Adeptus Astartes are implanted with a [[BioAugmentation node]] affecting the circadian rhythm of their sleep cycle. When deprived of real sleep, it provides a substitute by switching off areas of his brain sequentially. Normally Astartes require only four hours of full sleep, but are known for going up to two weeks straight without it.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Beholder}}'' the Orwellian Ministry injects the protagonist with a sleep-suppressing serum so he can [[BigBrotherIsWatching monitor]] the tenants of his building 24/7. [[spoiler: A secret ending reveals that the injection actually put him in a coma and he dreamed the rest of the game.]]

* In ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' you don't technically need to sleep, but doing so has several bonuses, such as healing you and giving you a 10% bonus to XP gains. In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' hardcore mode not sleeping will give you penalties to endurance , intelligence and agility. Two weeks without sleep can kill you.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'': Justified, as the entire game consists of a three-day time loop. A long time to stay awake, but not inconceivable when the world is at stake. Also, it's one of the few games where you ''can'' take a nap if you want -- by listening to an exceptionally boring story. There's also a mask that makes you unable to sleep, allowing you to earn a heart container by staying awake. Apparently, that mask was originally a ''torture device''.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'': Kaidan Alenko starts having trouble sleeping.
-->'''Kaidan''': You know what, though? I feel good about our chances. Helps me sleep better at night.\\
'''Shepard''': You not sleeping, Kaidan?\\
'''Kaidan''': Maybe a little restless...
* ''VideoGame/MoshiMonsters'': It is unknown if Warrior Wombats (an animal in the Moshi Monsters universe) need sleep or not, the reason being that their eyes appear to be always open but aren't their real eyes.

* In ''VideoGame/TheSimsMedieval'', Wizards may either choose to sleep or meditate, which is why their homes don't originally contain a bed.

* The Tireless Mechanic in ''VideoGame/SunlessSea'', who pretty much gave up sleep to avoid the dream-snakes. An early event in his arc features him setting a trap for one so he can have a night of decent sleep at last.

* This is what The Robot is aiming for in ''VideoGame/DiceyDungeons''. So far as they're concerned, getting a full eight hours is just such a ''waste of time''...!
* In ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'':, player characters can stay awake as long as they wish. Sleeping only skips the night and prevents the spawning of Phantoms, who begin to appear and attack the player after three days without sleeping. With the exception of a few such as villagers, cats, and foxes, most mobs will never sleep either.
* At the end of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsFromZeroAndTrailsToAzure The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero]]'', Joachim Guenter reveals to the Special Support Section that thanks to the effects of the drug Gnosis, he hasn't slept in years. It's how he's managed to work full time as the head of a research division at St. Ursula Hospital while also managing an international cult.

* Zimmy of ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' cannot sleep, though it's the least of her problems. Her best friend does ''not'' have this ability, but she tries to stay up with Zimmy anyway. There's a reason she walks around like a zombie.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', sleep is still required to some extent but not as much as normal because players have dreamselves that wake up whenever they sleep. Karkat went almost a full month without sleeping ''once''.
** Not coincidentally, one of Karkat's defining features is the pair of ''enormous'' bags under his eyes.

* November's inability to sleep is a driving plot point in ''Webcomic/NoRestForTheWicked''.
* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', [[OurLichesAreDifferent Xykon]] mentions that, as an undead, he cannot sleep. This, plus the fact that he can only craft magical items a certain number of hours per day, is part of why he's always so bored.
* In [[https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2014-11-17 this]] ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'' comic, an alien tells a human that most advanced races figure out how to become TheSleepless since one's consciousness effectively dies during sleep and is replaced with another one upon waking up. This leads the human to desperately try to stay awake as long as possible. The votee button shows the alien peacefully sleeping, revealing it was just playing a cruel prank on her.

* The gods in ''Webcomic/Aurora2019'' have no need for sleep. Kendal, who was created from the empty body of the god Vash, assumes this means he doesn't have to sleep either, but he later collapses in chapter 11 out of sleep deprivation, having gone 11 days without rest. Erin has to talk him through the process of going to sleep for the first time.
* ''Webcomic/TheLastDaysOfFoxhound'': Sniper Wolf takes a relaxant drug to help with her sniping; the effects keep her body relaxed enough that she doesn't need to sleep... or rather, her ''body'' doesn't. [[DeconstructedTrope It's later pointed out]] that her '''mind''' still needs rest, and the drugs can't counter that completely; every few years, she goes on a hallucinatory bender that ends with her passing out.
-->'''Liquid:''' When she sleeps, she fuckin' ''sleeps''.

* In the Website/QuestDen adventure ''Catalyst'', Andrea's superpower is that she doesn't need sleep and has infinite stamina. Unfortunately it also makes her ''unable'' to sleep, so she gets pretty bored while everyone she knows is sleeping.
* There are a couple character in ''Literature/{{Worm}}'' known as "Noctis Capes" - superpowered individuals who can operate on little to no sleep.

* WebOriginal/OrionsArm refers to these as [[https://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/51a8f53d09be3 Asomniacs]]. Very common among AI and robots, but biological people can be modified to not need sleep as well.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'': In "[[Recap/AmphibiaS3E22MotherOfOlms Mother of Olms]]", Mother Olm when trying to describe [[Characters/AmphibiaTheCore the Core]] calls it "an unnatural thing that does not sleep and will not die". That being said, it did appear to be "resting" before Andrias spoke to it during its first appearance at the end of "[[Recap/AmphibiaS2E25TheFirstTemple The First Temple]]".
* In the episode "Nightmares and Daydreams" of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', Aang, stressed out by the prospect of his upcoming battle with the Fire Lord, is having terrible nightmares every time he tries to go to sleep and thus decides to stay awake for 3 days straight. In the process he becomes a nervous wreck and begins [[MushroomSamba hallucinating like crazy]].
* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', Timmy is sick of bedtime and wishes it out of existence; the inevitable "catch" is that people still get sleep-''deprived''.
* On ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', [[TheHero Goliath]] no longer turns to stone (the equivalent of sleep) when he's using [[AmplifierArtifact the Eye of Odin]]. Given that [[DarkActionGirl Fox]] was running around the city in werewolf-form all night when under its influence, it's possible the same is true for her and [[EvilSorcerer the Archmage]].

* Bill Cipher of ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' apparently doesn't need to sleep. In fact, he's so used to not sleeping that when he [[GrandTheftMe possesses Dipper's body]], he ends up exhausting himself the point of collapsing after staying awake for days.
* Topsy from ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' claims to be the guy the Music/BarenakedLadies were singing about.
* The Sandman from ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'' is tasked with putting people around the world to sleep, and can't go to sleep himself until he finishes the job -- however, since there are always people needing to be put to sleep round the clock, he never gets any himself, and unlike most on this list he clearly wants to and needs it.

* Vampires in ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' can't sleep. Nor do they ever get tired. And apparently Emmett and Rosalie were InsatiableNewlyweds...

** Justified in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', where the entire game consists of a three-day time loop. A long time to stay awake, but not inconceivable when the world is at stake. Also, it's one of the few games where you ''can'' take a nap if you want - by listening to an exceptionally boring story.
** And in ''Majora's Mask'', there's a mask that makes you unable to sleep, allowing you to earn a heart container by staying awake. And apparently, that mask was originally a ''torture device''.
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' Link does sort of sleep for seven full years in the Chamber of Sages.
** Averted in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', in which sleeping is the only way to change day into night and vice versa.
* Kaidan Alenko starts having trouble sleeping in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'':

* The two main girls in ''LightNovel/ThePetGirlOfSakurasou'' are afflicted by this, for similar reasons:

* ''Film/{{Dragonheart}}''. Bowen gets scooped up in Draco's mouth, [[PalatePropping but uses his sword to prevent the dragon from closing his jaws on him.]] That night [[MexicanStandoff they're still in the same position]].

* ''Series/TheXFiles'': The SuperSoldiers from season 6 or 7 can't sleep, as it would have been a weakness.

* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', within a Fanbook trivia Gotouge comically reveals all demons are actually physically incapable of sleeping, detailing the scenario that during the day demons simply fight against boredom as they hide from sunlight since they cannot take a nap untill night falls; this information also makes Nezuko even more special by making her the only demon in existence that can sleep in order to replace the need of preying on humans to sustain herself and become stronger.

* In Charlie Huston's SF/noir novel ''Sleepless'', insomnia is an infectious disease affecting about a tenth of the population; the sleepless die painfully after about a year as their body slowly degrades.

* The narrator of Creator/FredricBrown's ''Letter to A Phoenix'' had some rare endocrine disorder and then got irradiated during a nuclear war. Now he stays awake about 30 years, then sleeps about 15 years in some hidden shelter and then emerges with a new identity. Thus he ages 1 day per 45 years. To avoid suspicions he pretends to sleep several hours every day.

* Zig-zagged in ''FanFic/{{Bird}}'', Taylor's power eliminates her need to sleep, and as such spends her nights studying. But she still needs ''rest'' and if she doesn't take the time to lay down and let her body unwind, physical fatigue can catch up on her.

* In ''FanFic/SympathyForTheDevil'', the Chosen are said to not need sleep to function[[note]]though from the Assassin's postulations, they may nod off if tired enough[[/note]]. The Hunter goes even further in that [[TheInsomniac he can't sleep even if he tries to]].

* In ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' you don't technically need to sleep, but doing so has several bonuses, such as healing you and giving you a 10% bonus to XP gains. In VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas hardcore mode not sleeping will give you penalties to endurance , intelligence and agility. Two weeks without sleep can kill you.

* [[AllThereInTheManual According to side material]], complete magicians in ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' no longer need to sleep. They still can, they just don't need to.

** [[WearingaFlagonYourHead Miss Militia]] technically does not sleep, but instead "dreams" past experiences in perfect detail whenever she closes her eyes.

SubTrope of TheNeedless. Contrast TheInsomniac, who really ought to sleep but doesn't; people who ''cannot'' sleep might actually fall under both. The TripleShifter will be one or the other, either [[RequiredSecondaryPowers implicitly]] or explicitly.

Not to be confused with NeverSleepAgain, where going to sleep could have fatal consequences.