The Power of Sleep

“It’s also our collective delusion that overwork and burnout are the price we must pay in order to succeed.” - Arianna Huffington ⁠

We are in the midst of a sleep deprivation crisis, with profound consequences to our health, our job performance, our relationships and our happiness. According to Huffington, what we need is nothing short of a sleep revolution: only by renewing our relationship with sleep can we take back control of our lives. In The Sleep Revolution, Arianna explores all the latest science on what exactly is going on while we sleep and dream. She takes on the sleeping pill industry, and all the ways our addiction to technology disrupts our sleep. She also offers a range of recommendations and tips from leading scientists on how we can get better and more restorative sleep, and harness its incredible power.⁠

Here’s an excerpt from her Huffington Post article on sleep:

“We need to reclaim this special realm -- not just because sleep makes us better at our jobs (though there's that) and not just because it makes us healthier in every way (there is that, too), but also because of the unique way it allows us to connect with a deeper part of ourselves. Because when we are asleep, the things that define our identity when we're awake -- our jobs, our relationships, our hopes, our fears -- recede. And that makes possible one of the least discussed benefits (or miracles, really) of sleep: the way it allows us, once we return from our night's journey, to see the world anew, with fresh eyes and a reinvigorated spirit, to step out of time and come back to our lives restored. These two threads that run through our life -- one pulling us into the world to achieve and make things happen, the other pulling us back from the world to nourish and replenish ourselves -- can seem at odds, but in fact they reinforce each other.”

"Even when we fight against it, it's like an intense, on-again, off-again relationship with an ex who's never moved out. Sometimes it's healthy and supportive of everything we do while we're awake, and sometimes it's wildly dysfunctional and destructive."

"Every night can be a reminder that we are more than the sum of our successes and failures, that beyond all our struggling and our rushing there is a stillness that's available to us, that comes from a place deeper and more ancient than the unending noise that surrounds us." 

"Sleep is, after all, at the center of our overall vitality. When we sleep well, we feel better, and vice versa. We may be what we eat, but also, to be sure, we are how we sleep."

So maybe stay in bed this Sunday and read Huffington's book The Sleep Revolution. Or follow the advice of our founder, Anit Hora, who values the restorative power of sleep. Spraying one or two pumps of her Luminous Rose Mist, Sophia, onto her face at night is a perfect way to begin to relax and allow herself to sleep peacefully. 

For more of Arianna’s thoughts on sleep, read her “Six Rules for Better Sleep” from Time Magazine or “The Joy of Sleep” from Thrive Global.