Is Donald Trump's Bizarre Behavior Caused By Sleep Deprivation?

Could an extreme lack of sleep be the cause of Trump's recent outbursts?

Is Donald Trump suffering from a serious case of sleep deprivation?

A New York Times columnist says Trump's behavior on the campaign trail may be caused by extreme lack of sleep.

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Timothy Eagan wrote: “Trump gets by on barely half the amount of sleep recommended for a healthy life....three or four hours, and sometimes just 90 minutes.”

The Times says sleep deprivation makes people “cranky and temperamental,” “impulsive,” and “smaller things set them off.”

The newspaper suggests that may account for his outbursts on the campaign trail where the GOP front runner said he wanted to punch a protester and told a venue to keep the lights off as he was speaking.

Sleep deprivation expert Dr. Steven Feinsilver says lack of sleep may also explain some of Trump’s fits and disposition. 

"Sleep deprivation has effects on both physical well being and mental well being and actually emotional well being," he told IE. "We are all designed to get at least seven-and-a-quarter hours of sleep. If you get less than that, it is associated with making a lot of errors." 

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The latest controversy is Trump's failure to immediately disavow the support of white supremacist David Duke and the KKK.

He was asked about the endorsement on CNN’s State of the Union and blamed a bad earpiece on his failure to answer the question.

On Monday, Trump told the Today show: “I was sitting in a house in Florida, with a bad earpiece. I could hardly hear what he's saying. I hear various groups. I don't mind disavowing anyone. I disavowed Duke the day before at a major conference."

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