August 22, 2018
The very public discussion between sleep guru Arianna Huffington and Tesla CEO Elon Musk about the merits of rest is about much more than getting enough Zs. It speaks to the broader struggle in Silicon Valley -- and beyond -- of achieving a healthy life-work balance.
To recap their conversation, Musk, in an emotional interview with the New York Times last week, called the past 12 months "the most difficult and painful year" of his career. He admitted that he has great difficulty refueling and recharging, doesn't spend enough time with his family, and takes Ambien to help him sleep.
Its not just about Elon Musk: Heres why sleep is important
Huffington, who runs wellness startup Thrive Global, published an open letter urging him to ease up on the 120-hour weeks and to quit sleeping at the Tesla factory. In the wee hours Sunday, Musk tweeted back, "You think this is an option. It is not."
She refused to let him off the hook. In a statement, she said the nation's work culture deludes people into believing burning out is the price of success. "As all the recent scientific findings show, the opposite is true," she wrote.
She's not wrong.
Studies show a definitive link between getting enough sleep and being an effective leader. Research by the management consulting firm McKinsey shows a strong correlation between the amount of rest executives get and both their leadership performance and a company's organizational health. Research from Harvard Medical School shows that a lack of sleep creates heightened emotional reactivity, and that stress negatively impacts quality of sleep.
Jeff Bezos, the world's wealthiest person and one of the world's leading CEOs, has said he makes a point of getting eight hours of shuteye each night. "If you shortchange your sleep, you might get a couple of extra 'productive' hours, but that productivity might be an illusion," he told Thrive Global in a 2016 interview.
Of course, this isn't really about how much time Musk or Bezos or anyone else spends sleeping. It's about the go-go-go pace too many executives and entrepreneurs set for themselves.
"Sleep is a proxy for a larger discussion, which is about exhaustion," said Jerry Colonna, a former venture capitalist turned "CEO coach" and founder of Reboot, a life-coaching firm that works with hundreds of tech companies, including Lyft, SoundCloud and Etsy.
"Investors thrive on entrepreneurs who work themselves to death -- and I'm not speaking metaphorically," he added. "I'm not kidding when I say people sit around and talk about how they'll sleep when they're dead."
Relying on medicinal assistance to sleep is a troubling, and not uncommon, trend.
"Ambien or weed," Colonna said. "They're high so much of the day that they cannot get down."
The tech sector tends to attract people who are predisposed to working hard. While some may let themselves rest after work "sprints," others may continuously cycle through periods of great stress without taking care of themselves. Colonna said high levels of stress often provide people with a measure of validation but can mask deeper problems like bipolar disorder.
"Understand that the industry thrives on people who will commit to depleting themselves," Colonna added. He said he'd ask anyone who feels a need to work relentlessly to ask themselves a few questions: What are you chasing? What are you running from? What would happen if if you don't achieve the thing that you think you need to achieve?
All of this talk about sleep might leave you thinking it's a matter of getting eight hours and everything will be fine. Not so, said Diana Chapman, co-founder of The Conscious Leadership Group, which has worked with entrepreneurs like Dustin Moskovitz, a cofounder of Facebook and Asana.
"I don't go into the hours because it is arguable and everybody is different," she said. "But, if you're honest, do you feel well rested?"
The challenge, she said, is overcoming the threats and fears -- real or perceived -- that lead people to work themselves to exhaustion. Some entrepreneurs, she said, worry that it's those threats and fears that keep them productive. It's far better, she said, to be driven by a true love of the job. "You'd find motivation from a real passion," she said she tells them.
Lack of sleep, poor eating habits, and not getting enough exercise are "a terrible recipe for a burnout," she said. Getting enough rest and leading a healthy lifestyle contribute to something she called "the power of body intelligence."
"Your instincts are a big part of how you make decisions and if you're tired, accessing your [body intelligence] is really difficult," Chapman said.
All of this underscores the point Huffington and those who share her opinion are making. People simply do not "understand the diminishing returns of overwork," said Phil Wickham, a veteran venture capitalist who has worked with Chapman for many years.
"Sleep is the neglected stepchild of health concerns," said Wickham, who is a participant in a medical study where sleep is a component. He has been meticulously assessing his own sleep patterns, and said it's recalibrated is approach to life. He's started prioritizing rest, exercise, and eating well. Those things come first now, and work comes second. He said it has made a positive difference, and he suggests that others do the same.
Related Stories
Latest News
Top news around the world
Academy Awards

‘Oppenheimer’ Reigns at Oscars With Seven Wins, Including Best Picture and Director

Get the latest news about the 2024 Oscars, including nominations, winners, predictions and red carpet fashion at 96th Academy Awards

Around the World

Celebrity News

> Latest News in Media

Watch It
Millie Bobby Brown & Jake Bongiovi Celebrate “Three Years of Bliss” Ahead of Wedding
March 24, 2024
C4Ehegcq1-A
Kate Middleton & Prince William "Enormously Touched" by Public Support
March 24, 2024
s8fig-RCjFc
Gisele Bündchen Denies Cheating on Ex-Husband Tom Brady
March 23, 2024
_SpRMagA8BM
Eminem, 50 Cent & Snoop Dogg Present Dr. Dre with a Star on the Walk of Fame
March 19, 2024
4bNLs1hxVp8
Opening Remarks for the Variety Summit October 20th, 2023 Jay Penske
March 18, 2024
c6Z707iLq8E
'Everybody Was S----ing Their Pants': Nick Thune Jokes About Being Born in the '70s and Fatherhood
March 16, 2024
mm7Baf6o2d8
Gunna Says Tour Will Up Creativity in Rap, Endorses Flo Milli | TMZ
March 22, 2024
QfMU24fw-Qo
Reporter Taylor Lorenz Says Palace Botched Kate Cancer News Rollout | TMZ Live
March 22, 2024
o43ZucdiyEo
Riley Strain's Body Found After Going Missing in Nashville 2 Weeks Ago | TMZ NOW
March 22, 2024
1m1zM-4_Cs8
Kyle Richards hasn’t spoken to co-star Dorit Kemsley, denies sending her a ‘manipulative’ text
March 24, 2024
LqLZzDP1hm4
Jordan Emanuel on her connection to 'RHOSLC' star Meredith Marks, advice from Amanda Batula
March 24, 2024
5NPAwlOov1Y
Kate Middleton’s uncle Gary apologizes after slamming ‘fickle’ Meghan Markle in scathing interview
March 24, 2024
JWG9kitALZk
TV Schedule
Late Night Show
Watch the latest shows of U.S. top comedians

Sports

Latest sport results, news, videos, interviews and comments
Latest Events
20
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
SK Brann W - Barcelona W
20
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Hacken W - PSG W
19
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
SL Benfica W - Lyon W
19
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Ajax W - Chelsea W
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Atletico Madrid - Barcelona
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester United - Liverpool
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Inter Milan - Napoli
17
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Brighton - Manchester City
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Chelsea - Leicester City
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Roma - Sassuolo
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Verona - AC Milan
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Genoa
16
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Darmstadt - Bayern Munich
16
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester City - Newcastle United
16
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Fulham - Tottenham Hotspur
16
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Osasuna - Real Madrid
13
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Atletico Madrid - Inter Milan
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Barcelona - Napoli
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Arsenal - Porto
11
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Chelsea - Newcastle United
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Liverpool - Manchester City
10
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Real Madrid - Celta Vigo
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Aston Villa - Tottenham Hotspur
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Atalanta
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Fiorentina - Roma
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
AC Milan - Empoli
Find us on Instagram
at @feedimo to stay up to date with the latest.
Featured Video You Might Like
zWJ3MxW_HWA L1eLanNeZKg i1XRgbyUtOo -g9Qziqbif8 0vmRhiLHE2U JFCZUoa6MYE UfN5PCF5EUo 2PV55f3-UAg W3y9zuI_F64 -7qCxIccihU pQ9gcOoH9R8 g5MRDEXRk4k
Copyright © 2020 Feedimo. All Rights Reserved.