How Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Career

Pretty early into their careers, entrepreneurs grow accustomed to a constantly busy schedule. Running a business requires the owner’s involvement at all levels, especially in the beginning stages. As a result, entrepreneurs often find themselves giving out all their energy to their work, leaving little time for personal rest and recovery time. Sleep deprivation runs rampant among entrepreneurs, but it is not a widely discussed topic. Many business owners feel a bit of shame in addressing this topic, as they don’t want to admit to being a failure, even though a bit of exhaustion does not equate to failure. Over time, however, sleep deprivation will affect your career and wreak havoc if not addressed.

Most individuals can think back to a time when they had to go through a workday, having had little sleep the night before. Because of this loss of sleep, they most likely sluggishly progressed through their day, having little energy to pour into their work. This most likely caused them to stay up later to finish their tasks, resulting in the same cycle again. The more familiar your body becomes with this pattern, the less productive you will be throughout the day. What might seem harmless at first can lead to workers ultimately losing their focus and finding it difficult to recover.

Sleep deprivation also leads to a poor work-life balance. The main reason many entrepreneurs and workers sacrifice their sleep is so that they can catch up on work tasks and complete necessary errands outside of work hours. However, with these professional tasks constantly bleeding into their personal time, they soon find themselves in an unhealthy position. This has become a common issue among many entrepreneurs, especially if they have not yet hired a full team and do not have employees to delegate their tasks to. As a result of this unbalanced lifestyle, sleep deprivation becomes an accepted fate. Entrepreneurs in this position will deprive themselves of the very people and hobbies that help revive them and might feel misunderstood by their peers who do not lead as busy of a life.

A common symptom of sleep deprivation is moodiness and irritability, two traits that do not pair well with the workplace. Most individuals see the clear correlation between a poor night’s sleep and an irritable mood the next day. The less rest that one gets, the less control they have over this mood. The effects of sleep deprivation begin to seep into both the professional setting and one’s personal life, creating a bad outcome if not dealt with properly. Irritability in the workplace rarely has a good outcome, and it can lead to some poor leadership decisions. Your goal as a leader should be to take care of yourself properly so that you can care for your team properly.

While it has been made clear to many that sleep deprivation can have negative effects on their careers, many do not know how to implement better habits, especially if their busy schedules are not easily changed. Finding the time to invest in one’s health can seem nearly impossible, especially if you come home to children or have other demands in your personal time.

For entrepreneurs wanting to get back on a healthy sleep schedule, they’ll want to see if there is any way to delegate their tasks, make time for exercise and avoid screens too late in the evening. Implementing small habits can go a great length in improving your sleep and returning you to the workplace as a refreshed and motivated individual. These small habits will not take too much away from your free time but will actually likely reward you with more free time. Detaching from the digital world is a great way to become more rested and give your mind a break from the noise, as these racing thoughts are often what keep many entrepreneurs up.