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.

Editor's Pick

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.

Operations & Logistics

PPP Forgivable Loans Will be Unforgiving for Many

Business who don't bring back their entire workforce will have their eligible forgiveness amount reduced.

Business News

Zillow Predicts These 10 Places Will Have the Hottest Housing Markets in 2025

Zillow predicted that the hottest housing market of 2025 will be Buffalo, New York. Here's why.

Business Solutions

Say Hello to the PDF Multi-Tool You Didn't Know You Needed

Get lifetime access to UPDF for just $47.99—the best price online right now.

Business News

These Are the 10 Highest-Paying Jobs That Only Require a 2-Year Degree — With Some Around $100,000 and Higher

People with two-year degrees may see career growth in the healthcare, aviation, and technology industries over the next 10 years, according to a new report.