If you’re an entrepreneur, your to-do list is long. And, since you can’t afford to wait on an opportunity, every hour of the day is precious. Learn why good sleep is essential to entrepreneurs.
If you’re an entrepreneur, your to-do list is long. And, since you can’t afford to wait on an opportunity, every hour of the day is precious.
At times, you may have even considered sacrificing a good night’s sleep for a few extra hours of productivity. As tempting as this may be, it can come at a cost. While you may be able to increase the quantity of your output by cutting into your sleep schedule, the quality of it could begin to suffer.
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If you’re still not convinced, here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t skip out on a restful night of good sleep.
The Link Between Sleep and Creativity
Entrepreneurialism often involves coming up with a creative solution to a complex problem affecting many people—and sleep breeds creativity.
Throughout a night of sleep, we all go through several sleep stages, including light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. While all of the stages are critical to our health, REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is most closely associated with creativity. During this stage of sleep, the brain draws connections between concepts that are, on the surface, unrelated.
At its core, creativity is the ability to see a connection between ideas most others cannot. Successful entrepreneurs are among the most creative people out there since their work involves creating new products, services, and business processes from scratch. So, if you’re an entrepreneur who finds yourself stuck trying to solve a complicated problem, try getting some good sleep.
A Lack of Sleep Can Affect your Mood
Even if you’re launching a business as a sole proprietor, you still need to work closely with others. From suppliers to investors and customers, human interaction is a constant when starting a new business.
Unfortunately, lack of good sleep can put some of the most agreeable entrepreneurs out there in a bad mood—even after they have had their morning coffee. Studies have found that sleep-deprived individuals report increased stress, anger, and irritability levels. Over time, a lack of sleep may result in severe mental health issues such as depression and generalized anxiety.
Some may dismiss moodiness as trivial—after all, many successful entrepreneurs throughout history are infamous for being mercurial. But in the early stages of launching a company, you need to be able to work with individuals whom you do not directly manage. This often involves influencing and persuading skeptics and convincing others to buy into your vision. Some may question your abilities as a leader if you appear to lack “people skills.” Luckily, you can avoid these types of mishaps by burying yourself in some luxurious bedding and getting a full night of good sleep.
Good Sleep Lead to Good Decisions
The average adult makes 35,000 decisions per day. It’s safe to say entrepreneurs make many more than that.
Sleep deprivation has a profound impact on our ability to form, consolidate, retain, and recall memories. For founders, an impaired memory can have dire consequences. Decision-making is closely related to one’s ability to recall past experiences and use them as guidance when deciding between several options.
This is especially true for those tasked with making strategic decisions. Strategic decisions are complex since they involve being able to anticipate future risk, determining how this risk will be addressed, and assessing how the final decision will affect the organization as a whole. Making decisions of this kind requires individuals to retain and synthesize a considerable amount of complex information.
Poor decisions can be costly for entrepreneurs. Don’t risk making one by skipping out on sleep.
Sleep May Keep the Doctor Away
As an entrepreneur, you likely cannot afford to get sick. Not only will it slow the progress you’re making with your business, but it may potentially force you to pay out-of-pocket expenses for trips to the doctor’s office and medicine.
A lack of good sleep prevents your immune system from operating as effectively as it should. Those who skip out on sleep often come down with illnesses like the cold and flu if they are exposed to others who are sick. Once they come down with an illness, they typically remain sick longer than those who are diligent about getting shut-eye.
Rather than taking a few sick days or working through your sickness, protect your health by getting just a few more hours of good sleep each night.
Sweet Dreams
While some may swear they can operate on only a few hours of good sleep, don’t risk it. If you want to operate at your best, ensure you get enough rest each night.
