Running a business is stressful. As an entrepreneur, worrisome thoughts may lurk around in your mind, even when your business is doing well. Things can change. The success you have now may not be as promising when the new competition starts showing up. These are all thoughts that entrepreneurs have to deal with.
Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs suffer in the process. You may find yourself awake after midnight – either still busy with work, or trying to shut down your brain as you try to go to sleep. Studies show that about 33% of adults are affected by chronic insomnia. Stress and depression are often rated as some of the most concerning factors contributing to insomnia – factors that a lot of entrepreneurs end up dealing with.
In this post, we will look at why you may find sleeping a problem as an entrepreneur. We also share some useful tips to help you sleep better.
Causes Of Insomnia Among Entrepreneurs
It is important for entrepreneurs to realize what may be the reason behind their insomnia. The idea of finally quitting that nine-to-five day job always seems like a dream for most people. You get to stop working for a boss. Instead, you become your own boss. You start writing your own paychecks, and there are no superiors that you constantly have to report to.
The problem is that running a business is a complicated process. It takes a lot of time, effort, and even skill to ensure your business can turn out successful.
Stress can have a lot of adverse effects on your body. This becomes especially a problem when you start to suffer from chronic stress – something that a lot of entrepreneurs tend to experience.
A review paper in the Journal of Experimental Neurobiology explains that there are several ways that stress causes an adverse effect on sleep. These include physiological, neuronal, and hormonal mechanisms. The combined effect of stress causes health-related issues. Additionally, they also make you more likely to lie awake at night – leading to the development of insomnia.
Complications Of Insomnia In Entrepreneurs
Insomnia should never be taken lightly. As an entrepreneur, stress may feel like a natural part of the job. You need to exert the effort needed to support your business and to keep it running. You also need to worry about the future constantly. Sitting back could cause the competition to pass you – causing your potential target audience to opt for the products or services offered by competitor entrepreneurs and companies.
When you do not get enough sleep, you are at risk of suffering certain complications.
Your health should really be the priority here. Chronic insomnia leads to serious levels of sleep deprivation. In turn, this can have an adverse effect on your general well-being.
You are at a higher risk of finding yourself involved in an accident when you are sleep deprived.
Chronic insomnia has also been linked to these potential health-related complications:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Chronic pain syndrome
Your mental health may suffer in the process too. There is a significant increase in the risk of suffering from depression and anxiety when you experience sleep deprivation. If you already have these mental health conditions, symptoms associated with these disorders may worsen.
When your health suffers, so can your business. You need to be in a healthy state to properly manage your business. This refers to both your physiological and psychological well-being.
Problems like depression can cause problems with your business too.
Other issues with sleep deprivation should also be taken into consideration. You are more likely to experience problems with memory and concentration when you do not sleep enough. In turn, this makes it hard to focus on factors that really matter while running your business. Memory problems can also make you forgot the important tasks that you need to complete to ensure the success of your career as an entrepreneur.
How To Improve Your Sleep As An Entrepreneur
Now that we have established insomnia is common among entrepreneurs and how sleep deprivation can affect your health and career, it is time to focus on some ways to improve your sleep. There are a few factors that you really need to look at when trying to fight against insomnia.
We share a couple of tips below to help you stop lying awake and night. The goal here is to help you fall asleep faster. We also aim to help improve the overall quality of your sleep. Once insomnia is not part of your life as an entrepreneur, you are sure to reap the benefits – in terms of your personal and professional life. Here are some sleep tips for you to follow:
- Watch how much caffeine you consume. Sure, caffeine can help you stay awake when you feel like falling asleep all the time. Unfortunately, caffeine may also be what is keeping you awake at night. Try to limit how many cups of coffee you drink each day. You should also avoid drinking coffee too late at night. This is sure to keep you awake once you get into bed.
- Also, consider taking a closer look at your diet. There are some foods that may also be keeping you up at night. Take a look at foods that contain a lot of sugar. These cause a spike in glucose levels and, in turn, may lead to an increase in energy levels. You will find that when you have too much energy left by the time you go to bed, sleeping will seem like an impossible task.
- Consider reducing your use of technology just before you go to bed. Leave your laptop and smartphone outside of the room. This helps to reduce distractions while you are trying to sleep.
Sleep is an important topic to be discussed by entrepreneurs. The stress that comes with running your own business may deprive you of the sleep you need.