In the short run, maybe. When it's crunch time at work or in school, sacrificing a few hours of sleep to work can pay off. But over any appreciable length of t

In the short run, maybe. When it's crunch time at work or in school, sacrificing a few hours of sleep to work can pay off. But over any appreciable length of time, the sleep debt and stress accumulate, the law of diminishing returns kicks in, you run out of steam, and you burn out. It's like sprinting. You can't sprint a marathon, it isn't possible. Some people can run a marathon faster than others, but no one can run at their top speed for such a long distance. If you try, you will quickly run out of gas and need to rest. If you're in a game that resembles a 100m dash (like a tech startup or a Wall Street finance or making partner at a white shoe firm) then yes, you can sprint in the hopes of crossing the finish line and getting rich before you burn out. But for most career paths you need to pace yourself.