Bill Gates realised that all-nighters, combined with almost never getting eight hours of sleep, took a big toll on him.
Founders and entrepreneurs are no stranger to pulling all-nighters, especially on the eve of a big pitch or investor meet. But Microsoft founder Bill Gates is urging more founders to prioritise sleep and sharing a few practical tips from his own arsenal.
A Slight Handicap “Back in my early Microsoft days, I routinely pulled all-nighters when we had to deliver a piece of software. I knew I wasn’t as sharp when I was operating mostly on caffeine and adrenaline, but I was obsessed with my work, and I felt that sleeping a lot was lazy,” Gates wrote in a recent blog post.
Back in my early Microsoft days, I routinely pulled all-nighters when we had to deliver a piece of software. I even… https://t.co/7d5mb62pOi
It wasn’t until Gates read Matthew Walker’s 'Why We Sleep', on the recommendation of his daughter and American investor John Doerr, that he realised how sleep deprivation had slowly cost him.
In the book, Walker, the director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Human Sleep Science, explains how neglecting sleep undercuts your creativity, problem solving, decision-making, learning, memory, heart health, brain health, mental health, emotional well-being, immune system, and even your life span.
“I realize that my all-nighters, combined with almost never getting eight hours of sleep, took a big toll,” he wrote.
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Gates’ Top 4 Tips to Sleep Better While Gates doesn’t necessarily subscribe to all of Walker’s reporting, he still believes that 'Why We Sleep' is a fascinating book and credits it with helping him understand the importance of getting a good night’s sleep.
The Microsoft founder ended his post with a few practical tips that any founder can employ to sleep better. He recommended:
Replace any LEDs bulbs in your bedroom, because they emit the most sleep-corroding blue light.
Set your bedroom temperature to 65 degrees at the time you intend to go to sleep.
Limit alcohol. While it might help induce sleep, it “is one of the most powerful suppressors of REM [rapid-eye-movement] sleep,” Walker says.
Short midday naps (no later than 3 pm) are likely to improve creativity and coronary health.
Bill Gates, Ratan Tata, Jack Ma: Business Leaders Who Accepted Their Biggest Mistakes
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Bill Gates recently said that his ‘greatest mistake ever’ — reportedly worth $400 billion — was to not create Android at Microsoft. A look at other regrets of businessmen.
(In pic from left: Bill Gates, Ratan Tata, Jack Ma)
Bill Gates recently said that his ‘greatest mistake ever’ — reportedly worth $400 billion — was to not create Android at Microsoft. A look at other regrets of businessmen.(In pic from left: Bill Gate..
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In April 2018, Mark Zuckerberg told reporters that he made a ‘huge mistake’ in failing to take a broad enough view about Facebook’s responsibility to the world. This statement was also in the context of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which the data mining firm misused data to try and influence elections. In March 2018, Zuckerberg said that “one of the biggest mistakes” of Facebook was not digging deeper into the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
In April 2018, Mark Zuckerberg told reporters that he made a ‘huge mistake’ in failing to take a broad enough view about Facebook’s responsibility to the world. This statement was also in the context..
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The year 2015 marked the 50th anniversary of Warren Buffett and his partners’ decision to take control of Berkshire Hathaway. In his letter to the shareholders, Buffett shared his biggest investment mistakes. He said that buying Berkshire was a “monumentally stupid decision” and that he had only bought the company because it was cheap. Buffett kept investing money in Berkshire’s textile mills, eventually shutting operations in 1985.
The year 2015 marked the 50th anniversary of Warren Buffett and his partners’ decision to take control of Berkshire Hathaway. In his letter to the shareholders, Buffett shared his biggest investment ..
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In July 2015, Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts and former head of Tata Sons, said his greatest mistake was branding of the Nano car as the cheapest instead of the ‘most affordable’, which was the intention of the company. Branding the car as the cheapest created a negative impact on the market, he said. “Success comes i f one took decisions that one thinks are the right ones,” Tata said.
In July 2015, Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts and former head of Tata Sons, said his greatest mistake was branding of the Nano car as the cheapest instead of the ‘most affordable’, which was the ..
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In March 2018, Elon Musk participated in a Q&A at South by Southwest. While answering a variety of questions, the Tesla CEO said that the biggest career mistake he made was not being more involved with Tesla in its initial days. From 2004 to 2008, Musk was a lead investor in Tesla, but he was the CEO of SpaceX, a space exploration company. At the event, Musk said, “I think that was probably the biggest mistake of my career. Whenever you think you can have your cake and eat it too, you’re probably wrong.”
In March 2018, Elon Musk participated in a Q&A at South by Southwest. While answering a variety of questions, the Tesla CEO said that the biggest career mistake he made was not being more involved wi..
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In April 2016, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba’s founder and CEO Jack Ma spoke at the 20th St Petersburg International Economic Forum. At the event, Ma reportedly said, “My biggest mistake was I made Alibaba. I never thought that this thing would change my life. I was just trying to do a small business and grow that big [sic], take that much responsibility and got so much trouble. Every day is like as busy as a president, and I don’t have any power. And then I don’t have my life.” In January 2018, Alibaba became the second Asian company to break the $500-billion valuation mark.
In April 2016, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba’s founder and CEO Jack Ma spoke at the 20th St Petersburg International Economic Forum. At the event, Ma reportedly said, “My biggest mistake was I mad..