In 2007, Arianna Huffington said that she collapsed from sleep deprivation and burnout.
“After that I became more and more passionate about the connection between sleep and well-being and productivity,” said the Huffington Post founder. “That led me to write my books ‘Thrive’ and ‘The Sleep Revolution.’ I was able to really investigate the science about how sleep is the key to all the ingredients of success.”
Sleep your way to success
A media maven, Huffington leads a busy life but still she’s serious about sleep. She encourages others to make time for slumber. Especially since these days, many people pride themselves on getting less sleep than they need. Huffington says the outdated “more work, less sleep” concept dates back to the Industrial Revolution; people started to see sleep as one more time to be “colonized and monetized.”
Huffington says the idea that “burnout and sleep deprivation are just the price we have to pay for success,” is misguided. Overworking yourself isn’t a sign of dedication to your job. “We now know that we’re more productive, creative, focused and energized when we prioritize our well-being,” she says.
Savoring sleep
In a fast paced society, sleep may seem like a luxury but Huffington knows it’s a necessity. A “sleep evangelist,” she’s founder and CEO of Thrive Global, a company whose mission is to end stress and burnout by improving the well-being and performance of individuals.
cus on sleep and wellness routines, Huffington and her Thrive Global team have a focus on sleep and wellness routines. Their goal? To help people “reclaim their lives and move from merely surviving to thriving.”
Hang up on technology
Bedtime routines typically involve brushing your teeth and fluffing your pillow. However, Huffington says there’s one thing everyone should do — sleep with your phone outside of your bedroom. “Phones are repositories of everything we need to put away to allow us to sleep — our to-do lists, our in-boxes, our anxieties,” says Huffington, an advocate of unplugging from technology as a way to get rid of distractions and refresh the mind and spirit. “[In the morning], you’ll be much more likely to wake up as fully charged as your phone.”
