Arianna Huffington’s #SleepRevolution Tour stops by USC

Do you think you’re getting enough sleep? You probably aren’t, according to Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington, who stopped by USC this week to talk about her #SleepRevolution; a call for change in the way that sleep is prioritized in the lives of most people, especially college students.

Her new book out April 5^th titled The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time inspired her to take her message a step further and embark on a tour to universities across the nation, educating students on why sleep should be significantly more important than most of us make it.

Her new book out now is titled The Sleep Revolution

It seems that everywhere I turn, I see someone bragging about their dismal sleep habits, essentially glamorizing something that has poor impacts on your health.  “I only get three hours of sleep a night because I’m just so involved in school and such a hard worker”.  Getting eight hours of sleep in college is often times looked at as selfish and unproductive.

Sleep as an afterthought is a dangerous message among peers at some of the brightest and most competitive universities today.  We should all be able to be successful without having to sacrifice our own personal health; after all, how can you take care of business if you aren’t taking care of yourself?

She wandered through the crowds in the sponsor area before she took the stage, sharing stories with students and posing for photos

After meeting Arianna at Wednesday’s USC stop on her Sleep Revolution Tour, I honestly have to say that she was one of the nicest and most down-to-earth people I’ve ever met.  She mingled with the crowd before the talk began on Wednesday night, getting to know those who came to the event and taking photos with them, but the poise and approachability she had was remarkable for someone so influential and well-known.  I’ve met some famous and successful people before but she was by far the most genuine and it really left an impression on me.

Some of her biggest tips for better sleep include:

We should all be getting around 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

All night-ers are probably the worst thing you can do for your body’s natural circadian rhythm. Late nights at the library stretching into the a.m. hours almost always aren’t worth the energy drain they cause the next day.

Those times when you’re falling asleep in class and your head keeps jerking up, or “micro-sleeps” as she calls them, are detrimental to the body’s sleep patterns and may impact your ability to sleep at night.

We’ve all heard it a million times, but the bed should be a smartphone-free zone.  She has a ritual of taking a nice warm bath with Epsom salts and candles before bed, and usually settles in with a book (physical copy, no iPads remember) to calm herself in bed.  There should be a clear distinction between sleep time and work time, but too often we take life’s stresses with us into bed.

Most importantly, sleep is more essential than exercise.  Ideally you should incorporate both into your daily routine, but if you’re having to sacrifice precious hours of needed sleep to make that 6am workout happen, you’re better off sleeping in.

The #SleepRevolution was inspired by her own personal relationship with sleep.  While starting the widely-renowned Huffington Post in the mid 00s and working non-stop as most entrepreneurs do as they grow their company, she collapsed from exhaustion in her office one day and broke her cheek bone.

She says now that she gets 8 hours of sleep over 90% of the time, her life has changed and it has had a significant impact on her mood and outlook.  At this week’s event she even called out Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump’s lack of sleep (he claims he gets 3-4 hours a night) as a possible explanation for some of his outlandish and rash behavior.

Tons of sponsors were giving away health and sleep related products

Her sponsors, including brands like Sleep Number and KIND Snacks were out in full force after the talk and book signing with freebies, contests, and giveaways for students who attended the event.  I even won a Sleep Hoodie from Aros; a really comfortable sweatshirt with an inflatable hood that’s perfect for resting on the go!

Hopefully her message makes an impact with students and they realize the value in getting a good night’s sleep.

Success is not defined by how many hours you work, and just keep in mind what Arianna says: “Sleep your way to the top!”

The pillow says it all