Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

Arianna Huffington: 'Sleep Deprivation Is the New Smoking' The media mogul is on a mission to change the way people think about shuteye.

By Catherine Clifford

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Entrepreneurs worship hard work. The mantra of the most enthusiastic zealots is that working harder makes you both more respectable and more likely to succeed.

And at this Cathedral of Entrepreneurship, sleep is for the sad, unsalvaged souls who have no hope of achieving greatness.

And yet, one very prominent entrepreneur and media mogul, Arianna Huffington, is on a mission to change this ideology. Quite to the contrary, she wants to create a culture where sleep is revered, honored and held in the highest esteem. She recently published a book about the importance of sleep, The Sleep Revolution (Harmony, April 2016).

Related: Arianna Huffington: Talk to Your Children About Your Struggles. It Allows Them to Understand Failure as a Stepping Stone to Success.

"I feel that sleep deprivation is the new smoking," Huffington says during a video interview with Entrepreneur. In the same way that cigarette smoking used to be glamorized and celebrated, so too has sleep deprivation, she says. In addition to launching The Huffington Post, she is also the author of 15 books. She is the 70th most powerful woman in the world, according to Forbes's most recent ranking.

And Huffington, now 65, would know. She spent much of her younger life believing that she could, if she pushed hard enough, do without sleep. The results were tragic.

To hear more, watch the video embedded above.

Related: Rest Well, Live Well: 10 Sleep Hacks to Help You Live Your Best Life
Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

You Have One Month Left to Buy a House, According to Barbara Corcoran. Here's Why.

"If you are planning on waiting a year and seeing where interest rates go, you are out of your mind," Corcoran said.

Franchise

The McRib Is Back, But Only at Select McDonald's — Here's Where to Find It

This scarcity is nothing new. In 2022, McDonald's announced a "Farewell Tour" for the McRib, suggesting that it might be the last time customers could get their hands on it.

Business News

Meta Fires Employee Making $400,000 Per Year Over a $25 Meal Voucher Issue

Other staff members were fired for the same reason, per a new report.

Business News

These 3 Side Hustles Make the Most Money While Working Fewer Hours, According to a New Survey

The survey also found that having a side hustle doubled as a path to becoming more employable.

Side Hustle

In Her Late 30s, She Pursued Another Creative Side Hustle — Then Turned It Into a Multimillion-Dollar Business

Gara Post had built one successful celebrity-magnet business before, so she decided to do it again.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.