Why Sleep Matters More Than You Think

Growing up I met plenty of entrepreneurs and executives at big companies. Studying business, I started to notice a pattern among successful people: they worked without limits, without rest, at any hour of the day or night. Basically I grew up believing the same thing everyone else did: if you are going to be an entrepreneur, forget about sleeping enough.

I see it less and less among entrepreneurs of my generation, even though many of them still lack a routine or the stability to understand the importance of rest. But since childhood I had linked entrepreneurship with sleep deprivation. To me it made sense. And to many others too: they believe that if you want success you have to work harder than everyone else, at least 100 hours a week. It is a mistake I made for years.

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A vicious cycle

What people do not seem to understand, or at least did not understand until a couple of years ago, is that investing in your health is vital for your business and for success. And part of your health is sleep: it brings many benefits, and it is not wise to push aside that essential part of your day.

When I started my career I was one of those who refused to rest until I hit X goal. I sometimes worked 72 hours straight without breaks before collapsing into sleep, then waking a few hours later with no idea what had happened until about 10 hours before I crashed. It is a vicious cycle because:

1. Without sleep your brain cannot keep running at 100%. Research has shown that after 24 hours without sleep your brain starts functioning the same way it does after three beers.
2. If you are not at 100%, your work will not be at 100% either. What is the point of working so many hours in a row if the output turns out mediocre?
3. If your work turns out mediocre, how do you expect your business to grow and sustain itself?
4. If your business is in trouble and you are the type who obsesses and cannot sleep until everything is perfect, you will never sleep and you will die at your desk.

Balance between work, personal life, and rest

After selling my second business to my former partner, I started valuing my free time. I spent two months with my wife and daughter visiting family in France. I did not think about money, work, or obligations at all. Instead I began to feel free. I slept more, even late into the morning. The transition could have been hard, but I left the business so exhausted that I enjoyed life for the first time in years.

Until I got bored. After two months of nothing but walking, visiting historic places, eating, sleeping, and reading the news, I needed another goal. I found a job in the south of France and stayed there for a while, filling my days, enjoying evenings and weekends, until a balance settled between my professional life, personal life, and rest. As soon as I reached that point, I launched into my next adventure: I left the job and went to open a business in Mexico. And another, and another, and another… the rest is history.

Why balance is necessary

Beyond being good for your health, having balance across those parts of your day, week, or month is extremely important for several reasons:

1. Your chances of staying alive long enough to grow your business go up.
2. It improves your productivity and performance.
3. The quality of your work and of your personal life will improve considerably.

It is a matter of accepting the facts, building a routine that fits your needs, and finally having both a successful life and a successful business.