As one of the greatest minds and foremost polymaths in history, Leonardo da Vinci (15 April 1452 – 2 May 1519) really needs no introduction. An accomplished painter, architect, scientist, theorist, and much more, it can never be said that Da Vinci wasted his life.
So the natural question to ask is how he did what he did. More to the point, what did he do on a daily basis that allowed him to be so creative?
There appear to be many different qualities attributed to Da Vinci's habits and daily routines, not least his apparent sleep schedule of 20 minutes every 4 hours, which seems to be a fabrication given that these sources never provide evidence for this information. Da Vinci may well have had an irregular sleep pattern, but not exclusively 20-minute naps as some claim.
One of the best eyewitness accounts of Da Vinci's routine comes from the monk Matteo Bandello:
"He would arrive early, climb up on to the scaffolding, and set to work. Sometimes he stayed there from dawn to sunset, never once laying down his brush, forgetting to eat and drink, painting without pause. At other times, he would go for two, three, or four days without touching his brush, but spending several hours a day in front of the work, his arms folded, examining and criticizing the figures to himself. I also saw him, driven by some sudden urge, at midday, when the sun was at its height, leaving the Corte Vecchia, where he was working on his marvellous clay horse, to come straight to Santa Maria delle Grazie, without seeking shade, and clamber up on to the scaffolding, pick up a brush, put in one or two strokes, and then go away again."
We can see that whatever his sleep schedule, Da Vinci was an early riser.
Further, it's interesting that Da Vinci appears to have been a chronic procrastinator, as many of us can relate to. This has led some to suggest that he may have had ADHD (link below), but such claims should always be taken with a pinch of salt as diagnosing historical figures has various limitations.
Outside of his work, Da Vinci was also an avid musician, specifically with the lyre, and a lover of nature, going for walks and contributing to his athletic build.
Sources:
https://dailyroutines.typepad.com/daily_routines/2020/03/leonardo-da-vinci.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6536914/
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