Entrepreneurs Don’t Sleep – 6 Sleep Tips For Entrepreneurs

Most everyone knows that lack of sleep can be harmful since sleep affects a number of aspects including mood, risk of depression and certain psychiatric disorders, immune system health, and cardiovascular disease. Yet the high stress of working extra long hours and running a successful company often finds entrepreneurs trying to function on very little sleep. Getting a good seven or eight hours of restful sleep a night is a very important element to the success of any entrepreneurs’ business. Sleep directly affects executive function, which is the part of the brain that’s responsible for key decision making, memory, response time, and creative thinking. Consider the following six sleep habits that can lead to higher levels of success overall.

1. Power Down All Electronics Before Going To Bed

Shut off all your electronic gadgets at least an hour before you intend to go to bed. The light they emit causes your neurotransmitters to go into ‘awake’ mode. Also, electronic gadgets force the brain to remain active when it should be de-stressing and relaxing. Part of the process of becoming drowsy at the end of the day includes your core body temperature starting to drop so make sure to spend the hour before going to sleep doing something very enjoyable and relaxing like talking to your partner about something pleasant or reading a book. It’s also very important to create the ideal sleep atmosphere. The best sleep environment includes creating a space that’s quiet, dark, and cool. Be sure to remove any light and noise disturbances by charging your phone or other gadgets outside your bedroom so you won’t be tempted to respond.

2. Sleep On A Comfortable Mattress And Pillow

Having a mattress that is suited for your body type can drastically improve the quality of your sleep. Most people don’t know that the firmness of your mattress is dependent on your body type and helps with the curvature of your spine. Choose a mattress that will align your spine and still be soft enough and comfortable enough to help you sleep. Make sure to replace your mattress after so many years or with signs of age as mattresses don’t last forever. If budget is an issue, consider getting a mattress topper to provide extra comfort, support or protection. As for pillows, you want to make sure they’re not more than 3 years old and make sure they’re still plump, or even consider sleeping without a pillow.

3. Relieve Your Worries By Writing Them Down

If you go to bed and your mind keeps racing about certain events of a particularly stressful day, write down the issues that are troubling you in a journal. For people who are stressing over extensive to-do-lists, write them all down on paper as well. This tells your mind that it’s okay to rest now since you can revisit the list in the morning and start getting things done.

4. Avoid Drinking Alcohol Before Going To Sleep

Although alcohol can help many people fall asleep, it negatively impacts the quality of sleep. Alcohol-induced slumber is somewhat lighter, which means there’s significantly less REM, the most vital phase of sleep. Also, alcohol can easily wake people up during the night. In fact, most people will naturally wake up after approximately four hours since that’s about how long it takes to normally metabolize alcohol. However, once they’re awake they often have a difficult time going back to sleep. Even though studies show that a single glass of wine during dinner can positively affect cardiovascular health, experts say to avoid consuming alcohol at least two or three hours before going to sleep.

5. Wake Up To Natural Light

Both morning and evening are critical to your general sleep habits. Waking up to natural sunlight resets the circadian rhythm of your body by making sure you get more tired during the evening hours. Start your day right by sipping your coffee while watching a beautiful sunrise.

6. Avoid Eating Sugar-Laden Foods Before Bedtime

If it’s almost bedtime and you’re craving a snack, grab something that’s rich in protein or healthy fats like yogurt instead of one high in sugar and starch. Sugary snacks or simple carbs give the body energy that’s generally followed by a crash, which can disrupt your normal sleep pattern.

Manage Your Sleep Habits

Although some people require less sleep, it’s quite rare to continue doing this without it eventually impacting their health. This concept is the same as eating a poor diet over a number of years and although you may still be able to function, eventually the affects will catch up. Because many individuals aren’t aware of the negative effects that poor sleeping habits can potentially have on their overall health, they often mistake the key symptoms with other causes, such as lack of exercise, aging, or stress. Experts agree that while it’s probably challenging to modify your sleep habits, it can indeed be done. In fact, in most cases it only takes a few weeks overall. But, this means altering your lifestyle in addition to changing your actual bedtime. For most people, this can be rather difficult. It may mean no more late night TV or surfing the Web. When it comes to the actual amount of sleep that’s necessary for optimal function, everyone is different. The key is to be in control of your specific sleep patterns no matter how stressful your job or busy schedule keeps you running all day long.

 

Frank is the author and founder of www.thesleepjudge.com. A blog all about improving your nights rest with the best advice and sleep products on the market. Connect with me on Google+, Facebook, Twitter, About.me

10comments
GalenRoach218 - August 15, 2015

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Addiction To Technology Growing Health Concern - cbc negotiations - August 22, 2015

how do we rest our brains properly and ensure they we are getting the proper sleep to rejuvenate?  The first step, as hard as it sounds, is to put down the electronics and forget they exist.

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Entrepreneurship Is Tough Work - PSTINBC - August 29, 2015

brain think that it is still time to be awake. Shut down and close your eyes.

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Getting Sleep As An Entrepreneur | The Standard News Blog - August 31, 2015

Trying to go to sleep while having a lot on your mind is never a simple task. As an entrepreneur, you have a lot of thing that you need to focus on such as your employees, productivity, your products, payroll and more. Sleeping will help you focus the next morning and there are a lot of ways that you can get a good night of sleep.

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The Importance Of Sleep and Aboriginal Health | nearbc - September 2, 2015

solve that issue. Turning off technology before bed creates a good routine for sleep, especially if you’re a busy entrepreneur.. always on your phone. When you are staring at a light from your screen, your brain thinks that it

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My Rant on Sleep | bcjusticereform - September 6, 2015

If alcohol isn’t the issue, are you looking at your phone or computer right now? If you are, this is a huge issue. When you are staring at a screen, it tricks your brain into thinking you are still suppose to be awake. If you power down all of your technology a little but before you get into bed, you will most likely fall asleep quicker. Entrepreneurs tend to have a lot of problem with electronics and falling asleep, because they are always infront of a blue screen. Read these sleep tips for entrepreneurs.

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Flying and The Importance To Stay Well Rested - Gazaur.com - September 22, 2015

expose yourself to light of any kind, including computer screens and phones. This also makes for a good bedtime routine whether you have jet lag or

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How Important Is Sleep For Your Health - Organic Food Express - October 6, 2015

an hour or so before bed, get a good routing and find yourself a comfortable mattress or get a mattress topper like rambling soul recommends if budget is a

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Ravikant - December 16, 2015

IT IS !! really bad 4 ur neck or back ..let me give u an expmlae .. our teacher!! lol !! .. when she was little .. she always sets without a pillow in her back .. by a result .. when she grow up her back right now isn’t straight .. u know like normal people ..since that day .. and she was telling us this story over and over and over again ..she want’s our best huh ?? hehe

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The Babytrend - October 26, 2016

Great list of ways to ensure that going to sleep and staying asleep will happen. We all have times of insomnia of course. Your #1 about powering down electronics is more important than many give credit too. The wifi emf’s as well as the blue light can cause us to sleep restless. I love the coffee with the morning sunrise…my favorite time of day!

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