Sleep is for the weak.
It's one of the biggest lies out there.
Just ask Arianna Huffington.
“Discover the great ideas that lie inside you by discovering the power of sleep.” Arianna Huffington
Arianna is no stranger to success.
She, of course, is the co-founder of Huffington Post and is now the CEO of Thrive Global. Plus, she’s written 15 books and has been named to Time Magazine's list of the world’s 100 most influential people and the Forbes Most Powerful Women list.
With all this success, you might be surprised that Arianna is an advocate of sleep. She even wrote a book called The Sleep Revolution. In it, she sounds the alarm on the worldwide sleep crisis.
So, why is sleep so important anyway?
Consider the following research findings:
"Sleep duration (both short and long), insomnia, sleepiness, and snoring were all associated with decreased work productivity." - Oxford University Press [on behalf of the Sleep Research Society]
“Insufficient sleep costs the United States between $280 and $411 billion each year in economic output.” - National Center for Biotechnology Information
"...compared to those who regularly got 7 to 8 hours of sleep, those who reported getting 5 to 6 hours experienced 19 percent more productivity loss." - American Academy of Sleep Medicine
But sleep wasn’t always seen as essential in someone's drive for success.
In fact, it was considered the complete opposite.
Just look at the popular sleep-related catchphrases...
"You snooze, you lose."
"The early bird gets the worm."
“Stay up and really burn the midnight oil. There are no compromises.”
But research has proven over and over again that lack of sleep is one of the worst things we can do for ourselves – and our productivity.
So if your goal is to build your own business and have enough time to spend with your family and balance your day job...sure you can do it by forgoing sleep. But only for a short period of time.
If, however, you’re looking for long-term success ala Arianna Huffington, there’s an essential key to achieving it–
A good night's rest.
Here's one more nugget of knowledge from Arianna:
“By helping us keep the world in perspective, sleep gives us a chance to refocus on the essence of who we are. And in that place of connection, it is easier for the fears and concerns of the world to drop away.”
Time to turn in and get some ZZZs.
You do the same!
Paul Hanson
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