An exploration of burnout, overwork, and leadership for women of color in higher education — and why stepping back is essential for sustainability.

Sleep deprivation has become one of leadership’s most normalized sacrifices. In this essay, Chinyere Oparah explores how burnout, late-night work, and constant responsiveness undermine leaders’ wellbeing and decision-making. Drawing on coaching experience, sleep research, and critiques of grind culture, she argues that reclaiming sleep is both a leadership practice and a form of resistance. The piece offers leaders practical strategies for restoring healthier rhythms of work