In America, especially in the realm of the entrepreneur, sleep is often disregarded and referred to as “overrated.” If I only had a dollar for every time, I said: “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” Well, great news. My recent research has shown me that if I keep skipping sleeping that my body will eventually give out and I’ll be able to sleep permanently sooner, then I would prefer.
Sleep illnesses:
I have suffered insomnia since I was about 12. 
Insomnia is where your brain just won’t shut down long enough for you to get a restful sleep. I have no idea what causes it, or why I still have it from this day, but when I say suffer I’m not exaggerating. Imagine your mind just won’t shut off, and even with sleep aids you still lie awake at night, floating in and out of a sort of meditative state. Eventually, in time, you start sleepwalking, falling asleep while trying to watch TV or Movies, and even more extreme signs of sleep deprivation set in. My best friend suffered from sleep depredation so bad that he developed an extreme heart condition and narcolepsy. The body not getting sleep is a serious condition, and you can die from it.
Sleep Bank Account:
Your brain needs to shut down and file away all of the memories and experiences from the day prior. If you stop it or deny it from getting enough time to rebuild, it’s like running your car and not changing the oil in a timely manner. In the short run you may not see any signs of wear or discourse, but over the long run, the car will wear out faster, and not provide the speed and efficiency it may otherwise give. Moreover, using caffeine, and other stimulants to avoid the Sandman, cannot only damage your body long term, but it can wear you down short term. Remember sleep is a natural state, much as a machine must recharge its batteries, the human body must recharge. Many cells require sleep to properly regenerate, and the immune system can better fight off outside influences with proper sleep.
Missing sleep is not a badge of honor. Not only does it not allow you to be more productive just because you offer more hours to the task, the lack of sleep itself will cause you not to think as clearly, and over time it can actually remodel your brain. Missing an hour of two of sleep does not guarantee the project will get done quicker. Working more efficiently and using Parkinson’s law to limit the time you will spend on each facet of the project will allow you to finish quicker and still have time for sleep.
Sleep Challenge:
I challenge you to find out what your sleep cycle is. How many hours you need to sleep, and what kind environment serves you best to sleep. Then get a calendar, and mark on the calendar every day you get to bed on time, and get up on time. Get up when the alarm goes off, don’t hit snooze. Help to renegotiate with your brain to develop a set schedule of exactly when you will go to sleep and when you will get up. Do not deviate from this schedule for as long as you can. Reward yourself for your success at staying on this schedule.
Now I’m not an expert so please contact a doctor or research a sleep expert on the amount of sleep you need. I just want you to be aware that not getting enough sleep will not only slow down your attempt to reach your final goal, but it can over time seriously damage your body. Sleep Apnea, Insomnia, sleep deprivation and many other sleep-related difficulties and cause long-term issues and should be brought to your doctor’s attention immediately.
So What About Sleep
Assuming you do sleep normal, I highly recommend (from my own experience), setting a sleep schedule, making sure there are no lights, TV’s, electronic devices or other distractions in your room. I also recommend not using any of these for the last hour before going to sleep. Meditation, praying, reading a book and journaling have all been long used replacements for electronic devices before bed.So some people do try to discount the importance of sleep, but it may have a long term bad effect on their body and performance. Just because someone does not put a high priority on sleep, it doesn’t mean that sleep isn’t important. If you start to suffer from insomnia or stop breathing when you are sleeping, please see a medical professional immediately.
– J –
