Want More Energy as a Startup Tech Company Founder? Take Naps
Napping could restore your energy midday, and help you be more productive.
Do you ever find yourself low on energy in the middle of the day? I’d be surprised if you didn’t. As an entrepreneur, you’re constantly juggling multiple responsibilities, and you don’t have as much time for sleep as you used to.
Despite the recommendation that adults get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night, most entrepreneurs settle for 5 or 6—or even less if they have other, personal responsibilities to regularly attend to. Over time, this sleep deprivation can lead to a lack of alertness, a serious decline in cognitive performance and productivity, and perhaps most importantly, a significant threat to your physical and mental health.
So what’s the solution? If you can get more hours of sleep at night, try to get them, but if you can’t, turn your attention to the all-powerful midday nap.
Nap Duration
The real beauty of the “napping” option is that it doesn’t take up much time. Research shows that napping for as little as 20 minutes can give you a boost to your alertness, energy and mood. Just be careful—napping for more than an hour can be a detriment, leaving you feeling more tired than you were before. Plus, napping can count toward your total time sleeping—so if you miss an hour of sleep during the night, you can make up for it with an hour nap during the day.
Finding Time
For most entrepreneurs, the only problem with this strategy is finding the time to nap in the middle of the day. Your schedule is probably packed from morning until evening with meetings and obligations, after all. The trick is to schedule time for your nap specifically; for example, you could work it into your lunch break (as long as you’re still eating lunch), or stick around for half an hour after your typical departure time to catch up on those Zs.
Are you struggling to find the time to manage your company properly? Contact me today, and I can coach you through even the hardest challenges of entrepreneurship. I’ve helped dozens of startup tech company founders through their growing pains to see their eventual success.