Mr. KD Kuldeep Singh, Network marketing expert and Business coach
Sleep deprivation is common among adults, and many have insomnia, and the same number reported regular patterns of excessive sleepiness during the day. Scientists and doctors can’t stop swearing about the harsh effects sleep deprivation has on people. But surprisingly, sleep deprivation is bragged about and displayed as a badge of honour. It is considered a skill and hailed high by society, especially concerning the entrepreneur culture.
We have often heard exceptional achievers sleep for very few hours than required, and they unintentionally brag and glorify such negative notions. As Ari Onassis famously noted: “Don’t sleep too much, or you’ll wake up a failure. If you sleep three hours less each night for a year, you will have an extra month and a half to succeed in.” Entrepreneurs with less sleep are perceived to be more masculine and positively.
As it turns out to be, success is short-lived and compromising one’s health for the same is not worth the deal. Many scientific studies state that more than one-third of adults are sleep deprived and are more vulnerable to various diseases—seven or more hours of sleep each night for ideal physical and mental health. In addition, research shows that excessive drowsiness or sleepiness caused due to lack of sleep hours can hinder work productivity, unleash havoc on personal connections, and lead to mood swings issues such as indignation and depression.
What makes the entrepreneurs have sleepless nights? Sleep deprivation becomes especially a problem when you suffer from chronic stress, which many entrepreneurs tend to experience day-in and day-out throughout their entrepreneurial journey. Irrespective of the venture being a success or a failure, the amount of stress associated with business is devastating and eventually takes a toll on one’s health and mind.
Sleepiness reduces concentration power and ability to focus. As a result, it lowers alertness, creates much confusion, and eventually affects decision-making power. Further, sleeplessness impairs memory causing one to experience short term memory loss, as things learned and experienced are not embedded in the brain. As a result, learning and leadership ability is at stake.
To counter the sleepless nights, Sleep expert Matthew Carter advises three things to help improve the quality and quantity of your sleep. Firstly, to completely avoid screens before bed, Secondly, to keep away from carbohydrates and alcohols before bed. Lastly, to prepare for bed, i.e. turning the lights down, changing into sleepwear, reading a book while being in bed is, to name a few.
As we emerge from the pandemic, we face an ideal ‘open the door’ opportunity to educate the genre about reasonable sleep requirements and their beneficial effects on success. In addition, we should begin wearing a decent night’s sleep as a praiseworthy symbol of honour.