Arianna Huffington, who’s launching a health startup company called Thrive Global, says getting enough sleep is critical for mental and physical health.
Sleep deprivation is a major crisis that fuels obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, said Huffington.
“No matter who we are, we share a common need for sleep,” Huffington wrote in The Sleep Revolution. “People want more sleep.”
Health and fitness experts agree that getting enough sleep aids weight loss and has a host of anti-aging health benefits.
“A good night’s sleep is the foundation for a healthy, happy, productive existence,” said Mark Sisson, author of Primal Endurance. “Good sleep keeps us lean and thinking clearly.”
Similarly, Oscar winner Jane Fonda says getting enough sleep is one of her anti-aging health and beauty secrets at age 78.
“I make sure I get 8 or 9 hours of sleep a night,” said Fonda.
Arianna Huffington learned the importance of sleep in 2007 after a frightening accident caused by sleep deprivation.
Huffington suffered a broken cheekbone and got a gash over her eye after a fall caused by chronic sleep deprivation. That’s when she realized her success was jeopardizing her well-being.
“Our current definition of success is literally killing us,” Huffington wrote. “[We should all] get 30 minutes more sleep a night than we’re getting now.”
Arianna launched the Huffington Post in 2005 and sold it to AOL for $315 million in 2011.
While the Greek media mogul is rich and successful, she said fame and fortune does not guarantee happiness.
In order to be truly successful, you need to take care of your health, Arianna wrote in her bestselling book Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefing Success.
Arianna Huffington’s secrets for mental and physical fitness include meditation, a healthy diet, and exercise.
“We know that physical activity is an incredibly powerful component of our overall well-being,” said Huffington. “If we’re going to redefine success to include well-being, we also need to redefine getting in shape to include mental and soul fitness.”
Related: Jane Fonda stuns at 78: Diet, exercise, beauty secrets