September 4, 2006 was a tragic day for the world. That is the day that we lost the legendary Steve Irwin. The 'Crocodile Hunter' passed away after he was pierced through the chest by a sting-ray barb while filming in the Great Barrier Reef. While his job often involved deadly encounters with wildlife, no one ever actually imagined him passing. Now, years after his death, his daughter Bindi Irwin revealed that Steve Irwin had been suffering from a secret disorder.
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Bindi Irwin Reveals Steve Irwin Had A Secret Disorder
While you may have thought Steve Irwin's only disorder was liking to dance with danger, Bindi Irwin revealed that that is not the only thing her father struggled with. When speaking to Sarah Grynberg on the A Life of Greatness podcast, Bindi revealed that her father suffered from insomnia.
While insomnia is a common sleep disorder in adults, it can have long lasting negative effects. Someone who suffers from insomnia has difficulty falling and maintaining quality sleep. They typically wake early, or often at least three nights of the week.
According to the National Institute of Health being sleep deficient has a myraid of health issues. Including but not limited to, difficulty making decisions, solving problems, and controlling emotions. Additionally, "Sleep deficiency has also been linked to depression, suicide, and risk-taking behavior."
When remembering her childhood, Bindi Irwin recalled that her father often started his day around two in the morning. "He had terrible insomnia," she stated. "I mean, he just never slept." Due to the fact that Steve Irwin was suffering from this secret disorder, he would typically have put in an entire days' work before anyone else had even risen for the day.
What Sparked This Realization?
It has been years since 'The Crocodile Hunter's" passing, so what made this news just emerge now? Bindi Irwin admits that she and her family were clearing out an old office, in an attempt to remodel it. While they were organizing they stumbled upon some of her father's old research.
While many people just saw him as a television personality, Bindi Irwin argued that he was far more than that. She shared that he had an incredibly "scientific mind." She shared that while going through his journals she found "thousands of pages worth of information and facts and studies and findings."
Turns out when he wouldn't sleep he would instead spend hours researching and studying new things. While the rest of us were fast asleep Steve Irwin was battling a secret disorder and uncovering the world's hidden secrets. Furthermore, his research is being put to good use. Bindi shared that "it's because of those efforts that Australia Zoo has the largest study of crocodilians in the world."
When sharing this secret information with the world Bindi admitted that she wished the world got to see this side of her father more. To prove that not only was he this electric personality on screen, but he was an incredibly gifted and talented man as well.
