#1 Stress Tip

BySnowden McFall

sleepless woman looks at alarm clock (from Stress Express book)Sleep is one of the most overlooked drivers of stress, and one of the most controllable. When you are running on too little of it, everything else you are working on to manage stress gets harder.

Why Sleep Loss Hits Leaders So Hard

Getting less than 7 hours of sleep a night puts your brain at a real cognitive disadvantage. You have likely felt it yourself: waking up groggy and unable to focus. Sleep-deprived people are also three times more likely to catch colds, since lack of sleep suppresses the immune system.

The effects go further than feeling foggy. People who consistently sleep less than 7 hours are more likely to carry extra weight, and interrupted sleep changes how the body processes glucose, an effect roughly equivalent to gaining 20 pounds. Insomnia is also common among high performers. Entrepreneurs report especially high rates of trouble falling asleep, often because a busy mind will not switch off at night.

Non-restorative or disrupted sleep is also one of the earliest warning signs of burnout in leaders, often showing up well before exhaustion becomes obvious.

The Cost of Running on Empty

Staying awake for 24 straight hours affects your judgment about as much as being over the legal blood alcohol limit for driving. Sleep deprivation has been linked to some of the world’s most serious industrial accidents, and on a smaller scale, it is quietly costing leaders clarity, patience, and performance every single day.

Key Takeaways

  • Less than 7 hours of sleep puts your brain at a measurable disadvantage.
  • Sleep loss weakens your immune system and disrupts how your body processes food.
  • Disrupted sleep is an early warning sign of burnout, not just a personal inconvenience.

How to Protect Your Sleep

  • Go to bed at the same time every night and keep the room dark and quiet.
  • Do not check email or social media before bed, and keep your phone out of the bedroom.
  • Stop caffeine after 11 AM, including soda.
  • If a full night is not possible, a short nap of 20 to 30 minutes can restore clarity and alertness without disrupting your nighttime sleep.

You will be more effective in everything you do when you protect this one habit. If sleep disruption is one of several warning signs you are noticing, take the burnout assessment to see where you stand.

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