TEDWomen 2010
Arianna Huffington: How to succeed? Get more sleep
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In this short talk, Arianna Huffington shares a small idea that can awaken much bigger ones: the power of a good night's sleep. Instead of bragging about our sleep deficits, she urges us to shut our eyes and see the big picture: We can sleep our way to increased productivity and happiness -- and smarter decision-making.
Arianna Huffington - Journalist
Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and former editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of thirteen books. She is the co-host of “Left, Right & Center,” a political roundtable radio program. Full bio
Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and former editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of thirteen books. She is the co-host of “Left, Right & Center,” a political roundtable radio program. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
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My big idea
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is a very, very small idea
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that can unlock
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billions of big ideas
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that are at the moment dormant inside us.
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And my little idea that will do that
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is sleep.
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(Laughter)
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(Applause)
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This is a room of type-A women.
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This is a room
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of sleep-deprived women.
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And I learned the hard way,
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the value of sleep.
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Two-and-a-half years ago,
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I fainted from exhaustion.
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I hit my head on my desk. I broke my cheekbone,
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I got five stitches on my right eye.
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And I began the journey
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of rediscovering the value of sleep.
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And in the course of that,
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I studied,
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I met with medical doctors, scientists,
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and I'm here to tell you
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that the way to a more productive,
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more inspired, more joyful life
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is getting enough sleep.
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(Applause)
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And we women are going to lead the way
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in this new revolution, this new feminist issue.
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We are literally going to sleep our way to the top, literally.
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(Laughter)
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(Applause)
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Because unfortunately
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for men,
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sleep deprivation has become a virility symbol.
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I was recently having dinner with a guy
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who bragged that he had only gotten
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four hours sleep the night before.
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And I felt like saying to him -- but I didn't say it --
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I felt like saying, "You know what?
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If you had gotten five,
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this dinner would have been a lot more interesting."
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(Laughter)
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There is now a kind of sleep deprivation
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one-upmanship.
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Especially here in Washington, if you try to make a breakfast date,
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and you say, "How about eight o'clock?"
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they're likely to tell you, "Eight o'clock is too late for me,
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but that's okay, I can get a game of tennis in
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and do a few conference calls and meet you at eight."
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And they think that means
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that they are so incredibly busy and productive,
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but the truth is they're not,
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because we, at the moment,
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have had brilliant leaders
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in business, in finance, in politics,
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making terrible decisions.
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So a high I.Q.
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does not mean that you're a good leader,
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because the essence of leadership
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is being able to see the iceberg
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before it hits the Titanic.
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And we've had far too many icebergs
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hitting our Titanics.
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In fact, I have a feeling
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that if Lehman Brothers
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was Lehman Brothers and Sisters,
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they might still be around.
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(Applause)
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While all the brothers were busy
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just being hyper-connected 24/7,
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maybe a sister would have noticed the iceberg,
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because she would have woken up from a seven-and-a-half- or eight-hour sleep
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and have been able to see
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the big picture.
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So as we are facing
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all the multiple crises
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in our world at the moment,
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what is good for us on a personal level,
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what's going to bring more joy, gratitude,
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effectiveness in our lives
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and be the best for our own careers
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is also what is best for the world.
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So I urge you
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to shut your eyes
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and discover the great ideas
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that lie inside us,
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to shut your engines and discover the power of sleep.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Arianna Huffington - JournalistArianna Huffington is the co-founder and former editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of thirteen books. She is the co-host of “Left, Right & Center,” a political roundtable radio program.
Why you should listen
Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and former editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of many books. She is also co-host of "Left, Right & Center," public radio’s popular political roundtable program, as well as "Both Sides Now," a weekly syndicated radio show with Mary Matalin moderated by Mark Green. In May 2005, she launched The Huffington Post, a news and blog site that has quickly become one of the most widely-read, linked to, and frequently cited media brands on the Internet.
Huffington's health and wellness company, Thrive Global, is set to launch in November 2016.
Arianna Huffington | Speaker | TED.com