Exhausted EntrepreneursDo any of these hashtags sound familiar to you?

  • #teamnosleep
  • #teamnodaysoff
  • #grinding

These are some of the most popular hashtags used by entrepreneurs to show their dedication and passion to their respective businesses.

There seems to be a badge of honor that comes with working around the clock and being able to function on just a few hours of sleep and a gallon of coffee. Don’t get me wrong, we all have those days when we have to put in some extra hours to make sure that the job gets done; it just comes with being an entrepreneur, but it’s not something we should do on a regular basis.

Medical professionals have been advising us to get 7-8 hours of sleep for years, but for some reason entrepreneurs have made it fashionable to disregard their advice. The thought now is that the longer you work or #grind, the more successful you’ll be.

That sounds good in theory, but actually the entrepreneurs that know how to manage their time wisely and get the recommended hours of sleep truly have the upper hand.

Why Is Sleep So Important?

For starters, getting an adequate amount of sleep offers a ton of health benefits. Sleeping 7-8 hours is beneficial for our heart, diabetes, memory, and it helps us live longer.  

Neuroscientist Jeff Iliff digs a little deeper into why we should get more sleep in his Ted Talk presentation. He explains how sleeping allows our brain to go through a type of cleansing process that helps us perform better, which is vital for any entrepreneur.

Check it out here

Arianna Huffington, co-founder of the Huffington Post, has recently become one of the biggest advocates for more sleep. She has been traveling all over the place discussing the importance of sleep.

During a Bloomberg Business interview she talked about her accident where she passed out from pure exhaustion and hit her head. The fact that she was sleep deprived was the main reason for her unfortunate accident.

Check it out here

Conclusion

As an entrepreneur it’s easy to get caught up in the hype and feel as if we need to work around the clock in order to succeed, when actually we can be more effective if we get an adequate amount of sleep and use our time more wisely.

Running a business is very demanding and requires us to be at our best at all times. The most effective way to be at our best is not to load up on coffee, it’s to get the appropriate amount of sleep that our bodies require so that our minds are replenished and ready to handle whatever the day throws at us.