Ask HN: Is it normal for founders of startups to not sleep?

First you have to define normal, it certainly isn't normal by the standards of the rest of society. Many of the successful startup founders are along the bipolar spectrum, some without even realizing it, and most productive when in a hypomanic state. This allows them to sleep very little and be especially creative. Hypomania has produced some of the greatest creative works in human history so this is not necessarily a bad thing. However, the danger arises when hypomania becomes mania and the person becomes delusional and actions start to not make sense anymore. The problem for an outsider is recognizing when the line to irrational is crossed and getting the person help. Also, every positive feedback loop, like little sleep, is eventually followed by hysteresis and a crash.