Goodbye 4 a.m. Grind—Elite CEOs Say Sleep Is the Ultimate Productivity Hack

Forget 4 a.m. wakeups — top executives are now prioritizing rest as a performance tool, fueling a booming global sleep economy worth over $500 billion, Fortune reported. 

Cannabis company 1906 CEO and former finance executive Peter Barsoom said he once thrived on just a few hours of sleep. "My view has evolved like a total 180," he told Fortune, adding that he now gets six to eight hours a night and uses the Calm app's sleep stories to wind down.

Sleep Is the New Status Symbol

A growing number of business leaders are rejecting hustle culture in favor of ‘sleepmaxxing,' a trend that began on TikTok and is now gaining traction among corporate executives.

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"People now know that that's not the way to actually have success long term," MyOutDesk CEO Daniel Ramsey told Fortune. Once drawn to the hustle mindset, Ramsey now tracks his sleep and prioritizes recovery, saying better rest helps him lead more effectively. 

Thrive Global CEO Arianna Huffington has long advocated for healthier habits after collapsing from exhaustion in 2007. She calls her night routine ‘a sacrosanct ritual’ — one that includes tea, printed books, and no phone in the bedroom.

Even Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos has publicly emphasized the importance of getting eight hours of sleep, saying that better rest helps him make fewer but higher-quality decisions as a senior executive.

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The Sleep Economy Surges

As awareness around sleep deepens, the market is booming. According to Fortune, the sleep aids industry alone is expected to reach $150 billion by 2034. Devices like the OURA ring, which tracks biometric sleep data, have sold more than 2.5 million units.

Ramsey, who now uses mouth tape and sleeps on a $20,000 bed, said better sleep helped him become a better entrepreneur and father. Huffington travels with the Therabody SleepMask and blackout tape for hotel lights. 

LYV Wellness CEO Kayla Barnes has invested more than $23,000 in optimizing her sleep setup, spending over $11,000 on an organic mattress, over $2,000 on an EMF-blocking Faraday cage, and upwards of $10,000 on elite blackout shades, Fortune reported.

At just 24 years old, Sotira CEO Amrita Bhasin is part of a younger generation also embracing sleep as a performance tool. She told Fortune she budgets about $150 per month on products such as blackout curtains and sleep masks. "The Silicon Valley era of sleeping in the office on air mattresses? I'm past that," she said.

Why Sleep Is a CEO's Secret Weapon

Experts say the science supports the shift. "If you are trying to be a top performer, you really must make sleep a core part of your performance regimen," RAND Corp. Senior Behavioral and Social Scientist Wendy Troxel told Fortune.

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She added that sleep is tied to emotional regulation, decision-making, and mental clarity — essential traits for high-pressure leadership roles. "Athletes are recognizing that recovery is often that knife-edge of performance," she said. 

But Troxel warns that sleep tech obsession can backfire, pointing to the rise of ‘orthosomnia,' or stress caused by sleep tracking itself.

How to Sleep Like a CEO — Without the Price Tag

Troxel recommends simple, proven habits that cost nothing. She suggests maintaining a consistent sleep and wake schedule to align with the body's circadian rhythm. Creating a calming nighttime routine — such as reading, journaling, or taking a warm shower — can help ease the transition into rest. She also advises sleeping in a cool, dark, and quiet environment and avoiding heavy meals or screen time in the hours before bed.

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