Please Sleep: It Makes You More Charismatic with Dr. Christopher Barnes

Please Sleep: It Makes You More Charismatic with Dr. Christopher Barnes

From The Anxious Achiever by Morra Aarons-Mele

April 2, 2026 · 34 min · Episode 308

About this episode

This episode discusses the impact of sleep deprivation on productivity and leadership with Dr. Christopher Barnes.

Are you actually more productive when you work longer hours or just more exhausted? In this episode, I talk with Christopher Barnes, Professor of Management and the Michael G. Foster Endowed Professor at the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, about the ingrained belief that sacrificing sleep is the price of success and why that belief is costing you more than you think. Chris shares how leaders create “sleep-deprived cultures” through their behavior, from late-night emails to rewarding constant responsiveness. We break down what really happens to your brain when you’re sleep-deprived, the vicious cycle between anxiety and insomnia, and why being tired makes everything feel bigger, harder, and more urgent than it actually is. Tune in to learn how better sleep can make you sharper, calmer, and more effective. Check out our sponsors: Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to ⁠http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever⁠ Notion - Notion is an AI powered, connected workspace for teams. Try custom agents now at ⁠https://notion.com/achiever In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Why working more hours doesn’t mean better performance. 02:15 Are leaders…

People in this episode

Host: Morra Aarons-Mele

Guest: Dr. Christopher Barnes

Topics covered

  • sleep deprivation
  • productivity
  • leadership
  • anxiety
  • insomnia
  • work culture

Keywords

  • sleep
  • productivity
  • anxiety
  • insomnia
  • leadership
  • work culture
  • performance

Sponsors

Shopify, Notion

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Washington

More episodes of The Anxious Achiever

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Anxious Achiever podcast page.