Melinda French Gates Says Trend of CEOs Who Shirk Sleep in Favor of Productivity Is ”So Dumb”

by | Published: September 25, 2024
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These days, it seems like every CEO and billionaire out there are all bragging about how little sleep they get each night. With each celebrity or CEO that reveals their sleep schedules or habits, it can feel like they are all competing to have the most outlandish sleep routine possible. 

Compare OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s sleep routine with Nike CEO John Donahoe. Altman praises the use of marijuana and low-dose sleeping pills to help him drift off at night (alongside an elaborate day-time routine) while Donahoe tries to get seven hours of sleep a night, but when he misses this goal, he shoots to get 70 hours over ten days. 

However, billionaire and philanthropist Melinda French Gates is bucking that trend, and in an interview with Vanity Fair, called the trend of CEO’s claiming to sleep “so dumb.” (1) It seems like Melinda might be on to something, with Elon Musk changing his tune on his sleep schedule, telling CNBC that he now shoots for six hours of sleep a night (2). Jeff Bezos has also shared how he has been prioritizing sleep to up his productivity.  

If you’re curious about how Melinda actually gets to sleep, and how sleep can help your productivity, keep reading. 

How Does Melinda French Gates Prioritize Sleep? 

Melinda told Vanity Fair that she shoots for anywhere from 7-8 hours of sleep a night. (1) Which, for the record, seven hours (or more) is the amount of sleep that is recommended for adults by the CDC. (3)

On the subject of the CEO’s who sleep for 3-4 hours a night, Melinda had this to say to Vanity Fair: “Some of us didn’t want to be around them! Let’s be honest!” (1). Again, she’s on to something here, since insufficient sleep can impact mood, focus, and your reactions. (4)

How Do Other CEOs and Billionaires Sleep? 

Celebrity, CEO, and millionaires all have pretty unique sleep habits, with habits that range from extreme under sleeping to extreme oversleeping. For example, Martha Stewart and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson both falling on the shorter end of the spectrum, with Martha claiming to sleep for 4 hours a night and Dwayne claiming to sleep anywhere between 3-5 hours a night. Lebron James, however, claims to sleep for 12 hours a night. 

Granted, we don’t really know how much these celebrities, CEO’s, and billionaires actually sleep each night. However, it’s still best to shoot for the CDC recommended seven hours a night. (3) 

How Does Sleep Impact My Productivity? 

Sleeping the appropriate amount can actually boost your productivity in the workplace. A 2023 study found that getting proper sleep can improve your productivity by up to 40 percent. (5)

Additionally, not sleeping enough can impact your ability to learn, your focus, your reaction times, and your ability to judge the moods of others. You might also feel more anxious, depressed, and irritable if you aren’t getting enough sleep each night. In the long term, a lack of sleep might mean that you could face more serious health consequences like diabetes, obesity, stroke and more. (4)

What Can I Do To Get Better Sleep? 

First things first, prioritizing getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night is critical to improving your sleep. You can do this a couple of different ways, but here at Sleepopolis, we recommend sleep hygiene as the way to prioritize your sleep. Sleep hygiene includes doing things like maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, not using screens before bedtime, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed, sleeping in a cool, quiet, and dark environment, and emphasizing a climbing bedtime routine.  

Sources

  1. Weir, Keziah. Melinda French Gates embraces a new era and gets political—even when it’s uncomfortable. Vanity Fair. September 11, 2024. https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/melinda-gates-interview-politics?_sp=3adf1d39-eefb-4f9c-992b-2070941c5bd7.1726583518652
  2. Jackson, Ashton. Elon Musk says he’s upped his sleep to 6 hours per night—and that his old routine hurt his brain. CNBC. May 18, 2023. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/18/elon-musk-sacrificing-sleep-for-productivity-gave-me-brain-pain.html
  3. FastStats: sleep in adults. CDC. May 15, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data-research/facts-stats/adults-sleep-facts-and-stats.html

  4. What are sleep deprivation and deficiency?. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. March 24, 2022. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation

  5. Reynolds, Amy C., Coenen, Pieter, Lechat, Bastien, et al. Insomnia and workplace productivity loss among young working adults: a prospective observational study of clinical sleep disorders in a community cohort. Medical Journal of Australia. 2023. DOI: 10.5694/mja2.52014
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