Jeff Bezos explains why getting 8 hours of sleep is important when making important decisions

Amy Harris/AP Photos

• Jef Bezos said he makes sure to get 8 hours of sleep every night, explaining that he doesn't want to risk making poor executive decisions because he's "tired or grouchy."
• The Amazon CEO also said he will only take on "mentally challenging" discussions and decisions before lunch - otherwise he leaves it for the next morning.

To ensure he's not "tired or grouchy" when making important decisions, Jeff Bezos says he makes an effort to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night.

In an interview with David Rubenstein, co-founder and co-executive chairman of The Carlyle Group at the Washington Hilton, the Amazon CEO discussed some of his habits and daily life at Amazon. 

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"I prioritize (sleep)," Bezos said. "I think better. I have more energy. My mood is better."

"As a senior executive, you get paid to make a small number of high-quality decisions. Your job is not to make thousands of decisions every day," Bezos said. "Is that really worth it if the quality of those decisions might be lower because you're tired or grouchy?"

Bezos has talked about the importance of getting 8 hours of sleep before.

"Eight hours of sleep makes a big difference for me, and I try hard to make that a priority. For me, that's the needed amount to feel energized and excited," Bezos said in a 2016 interview. "Mostly, as any of us go through our lives, we don't need to maximize the number of decisions we make per day. Making a small number of key decisions well is more important than making a large number of decisions. If you shortchange your sleep, you might get a couple of extra 'productive' hours, but that productivity might be an illusion. When you're talking about decisions and interactions, quality is usually more important than quantity."

Speaking to the crowd at the Washington Hilton, Bezos also said he only does his "high IQ" meetings that could be "mentally challenging" before lunch - otherwise he waits until the next day.

"I go to bed early and I get up early," Bezos said. "I like to putter in the morning. So I like to read the newspaper. I like to have coffee. I like have breakfast with my kids before they go to school."

Watch the full interview with Bezos here: