Guest post provided by John Shieldsmith
Sleep is pretty hard to come by for many Americans, especially those running businesses. In fact, one in three adults aren’t getting enough sleep.
But, what exactly is the cost of all this missed sleep? Can’t you just make it up over the weekend? Unfortunately, you can’t. And, the price is pretty steep.
The Cost of Missing Sleep
Sleep does a lot for our bodies. More than most of us realize in our day-to-day lives. Similarly, missing sleep can do a ton to our bodies. The negative effects of missed sleep are many, but a few of the more prevalent effects are:
Increased risk of chronic illnesses: Studies have linked too little sleep to an increased risk of numerous chronic illnesses and heart problems. Do your body and health a favor and get your seven to eight hours.
A rise in stress: Running a business is stressful enough. Too little sleep can result in a rise in stress levels, making your life even more stressful than it needs to be.
Memory woes: Proper sleep has been linked to an increase in learning capability and memory, while too little sleep has actually been tied to memory loss. Don’t let important matters slip out of your mind, get some rest.
Increased risk of obesity: When you’re up late, you have an increased likelihood of snacking. In some cases, this can be an entire meal’s worth of calories. It’s unlikely you’re working out after these late night snacks, meaning you’re sleeping with an extra meal that’s going nowhere fast.
Again, this is only a sampling of the effects sleep has on our bodies. The average adult needs seven to eight hours of sleep each night, so don’t let yourself or your body down — sleep!
Getting the Most out of Your Sleep
It’s not enough that you simply go to bed and shut your eyes. Not all sleep is equal; you need to let your body achieve proper REM sleep. This will allow your body to rest and your mind to reset. Most importantly, this will give you all those great benefits of sleep and leave you refreshed and ready to dominate your day.
Finding time to get a full seven to eight hours can seem difficult, but with some careful planning you can likely find areas in your day that can be reduced or shifted to the weekend. One day of poor sleep here and there won’t hurt you, but ultimately you want to create a routine that’s centered on a good night’s rest.
To make sure you’re getting a proper sleep when you actually shut your eyes and go to bed, make sure to do some of the following:
Ditch your phone at night: The temptation to keep up with work emails at night is always there. Avoid your phone at least an hour before bed, as blue light from the screen can make REM sleep difficult to achieve. If you have to check your phone, use the blue light filter or night time mode.
Avoid that late drink: Sure, a beer or martini might make you sleep, but it’s actually giving you a poor night’s rest without REM. If you possible, skip having a drink too close to bed.
Breathe: Deep breaths can help your heart rate slow, clear your head, and get you in a great headspace for sleep. Before bed, allow yourself a minute or two to simply breathe.
Sleep is an important, albeit oft-neglected part of our lives. Make sleep your business and allow yourself the time to get a proper night’s rest of seven to eight hours.
To make sure your sleep is high quality and restful, Bestow has created a visual on how sleep can extend your life and how to get more out of your sleep. Your business is important, but sleep should become priority number one. Reward yourself for your hard work with a great night of sleep.
John Shieldsmith is a writer based out of Austin. He has several years of content marketing and freelance writing experience spread across numerous industries. In his spare time he enjoys chasing around his son, running his website, and trying every food under the sun.
