Entrepreneurs wear a badge of honor over “coffee” and “hustle.”
What happens after a few months or years of hustling? We become tired. Very Tired. You can only run on little sleep and adrenaline for so long. Then you need to go back to basics and look at your energy sources. What is creating good energy for my body?
Self Care
A healthy self care routine should consist of: a good hygiene routine, eating healthy foods, regular exercise, drinking plenty of water, and rest. Have you ever considered how your sleep plays into self care?
Sleep is our body’s method of recuperating from the day. We restore and heal the body while we sleep. We process information from the day. Adults thrive when they consistently receive 7 – 8 hours of sleep at night.
Too Little Sleep
When we receive too little sleep it impacts our well being. We are less creative, have poor memory and learning, mood disturbances, poor reaction times, and make more errors. As business owners having poor judgement and reduced efficiency can derail our business success. Research shows that receiving less than 5 hours of sleep per night can have a major negative impact on mood and cognitive performance (1). Long term sleep deprivation can lead to health problems (obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and early death).
8 Ways to Supercharge your Sleep
1. Plan 8 hours of sleep into your schedule.
Plan to sleep; Sleep to Plan. Just as you set aside time to schedule work meetings, meal planning, or exercise into your schedule, you need to “schedule” your sleep. Plan for 8 hours of sleep each night. Start by placing your sleep hours on your schedule first. Then, add your other appointments to your schedule.
2. Going to bed and waking up at the same time daily.
Regulating the bedtime and wake up times will IMPROVE your sleep significantly. No sleeping in on the weekends. No late night Youtube. Keep the “falling asleep time” and the “waking up time” the same day-to-day, to help regulate your circadian system. It will teach your body when to feel sleepy.
3. Use reminders keep bedtime consistent.
On iPhone, head to the Clock app (pre installed). Press bedtime. Enable bedtime. It will set-up an alarm to remind you to start your bedtime at a consistent time and set an alarm to wake you up at a consistent time. You could do this in google calendar and set up a reminder before your set “bedtime” to remind you to head to bed.
4. No screen time 1 – 2 hours before bed.
The blue light emitted from smartphones, TV, laptops, and tablets sends a message to the brain to be alert. The blue light suppresses our sleepy hormone, melatonin. The melatonin suppression pushes back our bedtime later because we won’t feel sleepy.
5. Darkened room enhances sleep and can prevent early morning wake ups.
The light from the rising sun will be alerting and wake you up early. Blackout curtains/shades will assist with getting your bedroom dark enough.
6. Pay attention to how caffeine affects your sleep.
Caffeine is a stimulant. In some people, it will impact sleep. Sensitive people should have one cup in the morning or skip caffeine 100%. Some people can limit caffeine intake to before 4 pm. Remember, caffeine is an ingredient in foods (chocolate), coffee, tea, and energy drinks.
7. Snoring – Pay attention and get evaluated for sleep apnea.
Ask your primary care doctor for a referral for a sleep study (in-home or overnight at a sleep lab). Extra weight will increase your chances for having obstructive sleep apnea. Untreated sleep apnea will lead to excessive daytime sleepiness, increased risk for heart disease, and diabetes.
8. Are your kids sleeping?
Teach your children independent sleep skills with sleep training. As an entrepreneur, you use naptime and bedtime as essential time to run your business. When your kids have an early bedtime, you have time to relax and rest before you go to bed.
If you are looking to have improved concentration, mood, and efficiency in your business, than improving your sleep habits may supercharge your business.
Reference: 1. Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Performance: A Meta-Analysis. June J. Pilcher Allen I. Huffcutt. Sleep, Volume 19, Issue 4, 1 June 1996, Pages 318–326,https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/19.4.318
Want to learn more about how to incorporate self care routines into your daily life and thrive in your business as a result? Get our Ultimate Guide to Self Care here.
Plus, 5 more posts you might like:
- 6 Easy Self Care Tips for Entrepreneurs You Can Start Doing Today
- Changes to Your Business that are Best for Your Health
- 4 Self Care Tips for How to Handle Grief as an Entrepreneur
- Creating a Business that Supports Your Mental Health needs
- Overcome the Overwhelm with a Self Care Routine that Works for You
