Tesla Chief Elon Musk Says He Sometimes Takes Ambien to Sleep

Billionaire Elon Musk lives the life most people dream about, but is he putting his health and company at risk because he’s sleep-deprived?

Musk recently told The New York Times he’s exhausted, "working a lot — up to 120 hours per week lately."

He also told “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King how he sometimes doesn’t leave his factory for days on end and sleeps on a couch in a conference room. 

"It is often a choice of no sleep or Ambien,” Musk told the Times. Ambien is the powerful sedative to help him when he does take a snooze.

Sleep expert Dr. Raj Dasgupta said Musk is making a big miscalculation. 

“Your body needs to relax rest, your brain needs to go into deeper stages of sleep such as REM sleep — that is where we rejuvenate, that’s where we make better decisions,” Dasgupta told Inside Edition. “Many people who are sleep-deprived suffer from depression.”

The doctor also cautioned against relying on Ambien.

“Ambien has its own side effects. Whether it be taking it at 2 at night and being groggy,” he added. 

Musk ignited concern about the state of his mental health when he tweeted two weeks ago about taking Tesla private, which reportedly resulted in an ongoing SEC investigation. 

“When you are sleep-deprived, it affects your memory, it affects your cognition, it affects your decision-making,” Dasgupta said. 

The doctor recommends seeing a sleep expert and maintaining a regular sleep schedule.

“You need to have set bedtime and wake time even on weekends even on holidays,” Dasgupta said. 

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