6 reasons entrepreneurs need to invest in sleep
Sleep used to feel like weakness to me. I very much lived by the age-old idiom “sleep when you’re dead.” Taking a break felt like such a waste, and napping was out of the question. I was a much different person four years ago. Two, even. Work came before every single thing — I was marketing director of Bareburger by day, and CEO of my startup through the night. I ran on caffeine and Chinese food. I blew up on people at the drop of a hat. My fuse was embarrassingly short.
I hate that guy now. I hate even talking about him. But on so many platforms I see entrepreneurs in that very same mindset — that sleep is good time wasted. It will take your own losses to learn this lesson, but perhaps I can at least plant the seed. Just look at the stats. I know you like stats.
1. Reduces anxiety & stress
As you overwork your brain, anxiety creeps in to further remind you of your shortcomings. With anxiety almost always comes stress. And stress, your true entrepreneurial enemy, makes you more forgetful, more aggressive and ironically, more fatigued. Your body’s functions go into high alert, causing high blood pressure (which puts you at risk for heart attack and stroke) and the production of stress hormones (which make it harder to fall asleep). It’s a terribly vicious cycle.
2. Supports general health
In 2014, The National Sleep Foundation launched a new annual general population poll to track American’s sleep behaviors. They call it The Sleep Health Index. Each year, those who report poor sleeping habits also report poor health. So much so that the SNF suggested that doctors in America start stressing the importance of sleep as a vital sign of health and wellness. Lack of sleep is associated with higher blood pressure and cholesterol, which, as mentioned above, increases your risk for heart attack and stroke.
3. Conquers costly mistakes
This is probably the big one for most of you. Screw mental and physical health, right? God forbid sleep deprivation messes with our coin. American organizations lose $31 billion every year due to sleep-related accidents and errors. Whether an inability to solve a problem, a general lack of efficiency or a careless injury, mental and physical fatigue are very often the culprit. Efficiency is an entrepreneur’s very best friend. How ironic that we so often lose it while trying incessantly to gain it?
4. Replaces the need for caffeine
I used to drink so much caffeine that I would have a slight tremble in my hand when it was idle. I would make jokes about how my hands could never be lazy. I’m surprised my heart didn’t explode. Now, I rely mostly on sleep for my energy. One cup of coffee every morning, sure, but as long as I remain rested and relatively active, I find myself at a very peaceful wakefulness. The kind of alert that allows me to solve problems and complete tasks without feeling the anxiety of 500+mg of caffeine.
5. Improves your memory
Research shows that sleeping facilitates memory consolidation. While your body rests during sleep, your brain reflects, making connections between events, senses, feelings and memories. Deep, high-quality sleep allows your brain to store daily happenings in your memory, and improves your ability to process things. A sharp memory is an extremely valuable tool to have in that belt. Never underestimate the power.
6. Helps your body repair itself
Your cells produce higher amounts of protein when you’re asleep, and, as we learned in 6th-grade biology, proteins form the building blocks of cells. Every time you fall asleep, you’re checking yourself into the mechanic, and making sure all the bumps, bruises, stresses and scars are being repaired on the fly. Without sleep, you will break. Only a matter of time.
It’s been about a year since I started eating better, working out regularly and making sure to sleep at least 7 hours every night. And guess what? I’m about ten times more successful in all of my many ventures and projects. As razor sharp focus took the place of my stress, I have been able to accomplish a lot more using a lot less energy. Plus, my friends actually like me now. People like working with me. Health is wealth. Go figure.
SOURCES:
https://allonehealth.com/the-many-dangers-of-sleep-deprivation/
https://www.asaporg.com/articles/efficiency/stressed-out-sabotage
https://www.verywellhealth.com/top-health-benefits-of-a-good-nights-sleep-2223766
