The Sleep Issues | Find & Fix Your Sleep Disruptors

Are you an entrepreneur struggling with sleep? You’re not alone. In fact, many business owners cut sleep hours to grow their companies. Yet this trade-off hurts more than it helps. Over time, poor sleep damages your brain skills. So, the first step to better rest isn’t a general fix. Instead, it’s about finding what exactly ruins your sleep.

Want to learn more about building a better-performing life? Therefore, check out our guide: “The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Better Sleep.”

Why Entrepreneurs Have Sleep Troubles

Running a business creates many sleep problems. Studies show that 72% of entrepreneurs have sleep issues, while only 48% of non-entrepreneurs do.

But why does this gap exist? Here are the main causes:

Busy minds at night: Your thoughts keep working on business problems when you try to sleep
Mixed-up schedules: Work demands change often, so your sleep times vary too
Worry and stress: You feel the weight of team needs and money concerns
Always on call: Your phone and laptop keep you linked to work all day and night

Finding What Hurts Your Sleep

Generic sleep tips often fail because your sleep issues are unique. Therefore, you need to find your exact problems first. After that, you can fix what truly matters for you. Let’s look at common sleep wreckers and see which ones affect you:

1. Body-Based Sleep Wreckers

These come from your daily habits and sleep space:

Late coffee: Do you drink coffee after lunch? Keep in mind that caffeine stays active for 5-6 hours. As a result, even afternoon coffee can harm sleep.
Bedtime drinks: A glass of wine might help you fall asleep at first. However, it then messes up your deep sleep later in the night.
Odd meal times: Eating late or at random times each day confuses your body clock. Consequently, your sleep signals get mixed up.
Poor sleep space: Is your room too bright, noisy, hot, or cold? Moreover, an old mattress can ruin sleep without waking you fully.

2. Mind-Based Sleep Wreckers

These come from your thoughts and feelings:

Mind won’t stop: Do you think about work when trying to sleep? For instance, planning tomorrow or fixing problems in bed keeps your brain too active.
Success worry: Stress about goals or money triggers stress hormones. Thus, your body stays in “alert mode” instead of sleep mode.
Cash flow fear: Money worries create strong sleep-killing stress. In fact, this type of stress can be the worst for sleep.
Brain drain: Making choices all day uses up mental energy. As a result, your brain lacks the power to wind down at night.

3. Habit-Based Sleep Wreckers

These come from your daily behaviors:

Night screens: Do you check your phone in bed? Not only does the blue light block sleep hormones, but also the content keeps your mind buzzing.
Random sleep times: Going to bed at different times hurts sleep quality. Furthermore, your body craves regular sleep patterns.
Caffeine cycle: Using coffee to fight tiredness leads to worse night sleep. Then you need more coffee the next day. Thus, a bad cycle starts.
No cool-down time: Jumping from work right to bed gives your brain no transition. Hence, your mind stays in work mode too long.

Be a Sleep Detective

To find your sleep wreckers, track for just one week:

Note your sleep basics:
- When you go to bed and wake up
- How fast you fall asleep
- How often you wake up at night
- How good your sleep feels (1-10)
- How much energy you have in the morning (1-10)
Track your daily habits:
- Coffee drinks (how much and when)
- Alcohol (how much and when)
- Exercise (what kind and when)
- Last meal (what and when)
- Screen time before bed
- Work done after dinner
- Stress levels during the day
Look for patterns: After your week, check which factors link to bad sleep nights. Most business owners find just 2-3 main sleep wreckers.

Focused Fixes for Better Sleep

Once you know your main sleep wreckers, try these targeted fixes:

For Busy Minds:

Set worry time: Save 15 minutes before bed just for “business thinking.” Jot down issues and plans for tomorrow. Then close your work mental tab for the night.
Stop thought loops: When work thoughts pop up at bedtime, notice them quickly. After that, use a finger snap with a short word (“Stop”) to break the thought loop.
Try special meditations: Research shows that sleep-focused meditations work better for busy-minded entrepreneurs than general relaxation methods.

For Tech Problems:

Make a no-tech zone: Keep all work devices out of your bedroom. Additionally, stop using them at least an hour before sleep.
Limit alerts: Turn off all work alerts after hours. Meanwhile, keep only true emergency contacts active.
Block blue light: For must-do night screen work, wear amber glasses. Harvard studies show they help keep your sleep hormone working right.

For Stress Issues:

Try calm breathing: Use the 4-7-8 method. First, breathe in for 4 counts. Next, hold for 7. Then breathe out for 8. This quickly turns on your body’s rest system.
Fix worry thoughts: Learn to spot worst-case business thinking. Then replace it with more fair views before bed. Even small thought shifts help sleep a lot.
Try sleep helpers: Test proven sleep aids. For example, magnesium (300mg) helps body tension. Likewise, L-theanine (200mg) calms mental chatter.

Sleep as Your Business Edge

Good sleep is not a luxury. On the contrary, it’s a business tool. Research from the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology found big gains. In particular, entrepreneurs who fixed their sleep got:

31% more creative thinking
27% better business judgment
19% higher leadership scores from team members

By fixing your sleep issues, you boost your best business tool – your brain.

Remember this key point: Business is a long race, not a short sprint. The best business owners don’t skip sleep. Instead, they treat sleep as vital to success. Your next competitive edge may be hidden in your sleep habits.

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