Sleep is vital for everyone’s health, but one of the best entrepreneurs of all time believes it’s particularly crucial for senior executives.
In a recent interview, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos highlighted the importance of sleep, particularly for those in leadership positions. His comments offer a compelling perspective on productivity, decision-making, and the overall well-being of senior executives. He emphasizes the counterintuitive idea that less sleep, despite seemingly offering more working hours, ultimately reduces both the quantity and quality of output.
“I get eight hours of sleep. I prioritize it,” Bezos stated. “Unless I’m traveling in different time zones, sometimes it’s impossible, but I am very focused on it.” He continued, explaining the personal benefits: “For me, I need sleep. I think better. I have more energy. My mood is better. All these things.”
Bezos then connected these benefits to the core responsibilities of a senior executive: “Think about it: as a senior executive, what do you really get paid to do? You get paid to make a small number of high-quality decisions. Your job is not to make thousands of decisions every day.”
He further illustrated his point with a hypothetical scenario: “So let’s say that I (sleep for) sub-six hours a day… let’s go really crazy and say, something [like] four hours a day. So now I just got four so-called productive hours back. So if I was going to, you know, have say 12 hours of productive time during any waking day, now all of a sudden I have 12 plus 4. I have 16 productive [hours]. So I have 33 percent more time to make decisions. So if I was going to make, you know, 100 decisions, now I can make 133 decisions… if I did that arithmetic wrong, I’m sorry.”
However, Bezos’s core argument hinges on the quality of those decisions: “So you make 133 decisions, is that really worth it if the quality of the decisions might be lower because you’re tired or grouchy?”
Bezos’s logic challenges the often-glorified “hustle culture” that promotes sleep deprivation as a necessary sacrifice for success. His emphasis on quality over quantity suggests that prioritizing sleep isn’t just about personal well-being; it’s a strategic advantage in the business world. A well-rested executive, according to Bezos, is sharper, more energetic, and ultimately, makes better decisions. This perspective is particularly relevant in today’s fast-paced business environment, where even small lapses in judgment can have significant consequences.
By highlighting the cognitive benefits of sufficient sleep—improved thinking, increased energy, and enhanced mood—Bezos reframes sleep as an investment rather than a luxury. This perspective shifts the narrative from one of enduring sleep deprivation to actively pursuing rest as a tool for maximizing performance. In a world obsessed with productivity hacks, Bezos’s simple advice to get enough sleep might be the most effective strategy of all, especially for those at the top.