Although the old adage "you snooze, you lose" has its merits, new thought leadership proves that more times than not, you actually win when you snooze.
50 years of sleep science supports that getting fewer than 7-8 hours of sleep per night on a regular basis is damaging to our health, brain function, mood, and relationships--all of which are necessary for a small business owner to thrive.
Now, this may not sound like earth-shattering news. But when you call up the medical facts and look at them side by side--that is a bit jarring. Let's take a look and see if joining the "you snooze, you win" mindset will give you--and your business--something to dream about.
1. Optimize your brain function.
When you sleep, your brain prepares for the next day. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, it's the time when your brain is forming new pathways to help you learn information.
Whether you're teaching yourself how to code your new website or reading up on the basics of finance and accounting to educate yourself on the fundamentals, sleep will enhance your learning and problem-solving skills.
A sleep study co-authored by Dr. Rebecca Spencer from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst corroborates this. Sleep enables the brain to integrate learned information from its various regions, according to the study.
So, for example, when you are deciding on a strategic direction for a new product or service, sleep will help you integrate the information you gathered from reading and research as well as the team and expert discussions. This will ultimately support you in making the best decision. In this case, when people tell you to sleep on it, take their advice.
On the flip side, studies show alarmingly similar low levels of alertness between sleep-deprived individuals and those who've had a few alcoholic beverages.
Studies also show that sleep deficiency alters activity in some parts of the brain. If you're sleep deficient, you may have trouble making decisions, solving problems, controlling your emotions and behavior, and coping with change.
As a small business owner, no one knows more than you how much your A-game is an asset to the business. Sleep helps you function.
2. Improve memory function.
We've all had that moment where we've blanked on a client's name or a key project detail on a conference call. Perhaps a good night's sleep would have helped us be more smooth.
The National Sleep Foundation says that one of the vital roles of sleep is to help us solidify memories.
From the National Sleep Foundation:
As we go about our day, our brains take in an incredible amount of information. Rather than being directly logged and recorded, however, these facts and experiences first need to be processed and stored; and many of these steps happen while we sleep. Overnight, bits and pieces of information are transferred from more tentative, short-term memory to stronger, long-term memory--a process called "consolidation."
Researchers have also shown that after people sleep, they tend to retain information and perform better on memory tasks. Our bodies all require long periods of sleep in order to restore and rejuvenate, to grow muscle, repair tissue, and synthesize hormones.
So when you sleep on a multi-faceted problem with information from different sources, you awake with this information integrated, enabling more cohesive decision making.
3. Maintain overall physical health.
Sleep plays a vital role in nearly every aspect of our physical health. For example, sleep is involved in the healing and repair of our heart and blood vessels.
Prolonged late nights that lead to sleep deficiency can lead to an increased risk of major disease including heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
Sleep repairs your body and rebuilds muscles, as well as staves off inflammation, which is another leading cause of illness and disease. When we're exposed to trauma or daily stress, the body's inflammatory response is triggered. Sleep is the elixir that neutralizes these toxic elements and brings our body back into balance.
4. Get in the mood--a good mood, that is.
Who can be in a good mood when they are sleep-deprived? Simply put, get your 7-8 hours of z's so you will wake up on the right side of the bed, prepared to tackle your day-to-day business tasks.
The National Sleep Foundation says, "sleep is an active period in which a lot of important processing, restoration, and strengthening occurs." Without it, we are sacrificing our optimal health and wellbeing.
A strong body and strong mind translates into a strong business. How many hours did you get last night?