Arianna Huffington's Dramatic Lesson After 'Coming to in a Pool of Blood and Realizing Nobody Had Shot Me' The media mogul and entrepreneur started her investigation into sleep because she herself wasn't getting enough rest.

By Catherine Clifford

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Arianna Huffington was trying to be the perfect entrepreneur and perfect mother at the same time when she collapsed, "coming to in a pool of blood and realizing nobody had shot me," she says.

At the same time that she was growing a fledgling media company, Huffington was working to honor her oldest daughter's rule that her mother should stay disconnected from her devices -- and her work -- while they were touring colleges. Huffington, now 65, did just that, but she didn't get away with it. In a dramatic wake-up call, Huffington lost consciousness and broke her cheekbone.

Related: Arianna Huffington: 'Sleep Deprivation Is the New Smoking'

"Building the Huffington Post, I had bought into the mythology that everything was dependent on me -- and that I had to do everything at the expense of sleep, health," Huffington says during a video interview with Entrepreneur.

Huffington recently published a book about the importance of sleep, The Sleep Revolution (Harmony, April 2016). In addition, she is also the author of 15 books and is the 70th most powerful woman in the world, according to Forbes's most recent ranking.

Related: Arianna Huffington: Talk to Your Children About Your Struggles. It Allows Them to Understand Failure as a Stepping Stone to Success.

To hear how Huffington learned from her scary experience and changed her life, watch the video embedded above.

Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Leadership

7 Telltale Signs of a Weak Leader

Whether a bully or a people pleaser who can't tell hard truths, poor leadership takes many forms.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

'Everyone Can Profit From It': What Is DeepSeek? China's 'Cheap' to Make AI Chatbot Climbs to the Top of Apple, Google U.S. App Stores

DeepSeek researchers claim it was developed for less than $6 million, a contrast to the $100 million it takes U.S. tech startups to create AI.

Business News

Elon Musk's DOGE Is Hiring People Eager to 'Work Long Hours' to Eliminate 'Waste, Fraud and Abuse' in the Government. Here's How to Apply.

The Department of Government Efficiency is hiring U.S. citizens to help cut spending and headcounts in the federal government.

Business News

'I Love Doing Product Reviews': Bill Gates Stepped Down from Microsoft in 2020, But Admits He Still Spends 15% of His Time Working at the Company

In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Gates also said he is still close with Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella.

Leadership

Strong Leaders Thrive in Complexity — Here Are 5 Leadership Level-Ups for 2025

Leadership isn't static. It's a journey of continual learning and evolution. Here are some lessons for leaders this year.