3 sleep myths that block you as an entrepreneur.
Sleep is essential for everyone, and yet for a long time we didn't really know that much about it. It is only in the last few decades that more attention has been paid to sleep research. One of the pioneers in Belgium is doctor and researcher Aisha Cortoos. She shares her knowledge so that you can optimize your sleep.
Cortoos is a jack of all trades - when it comes to sleep. In addition to her research, she was also a sleep psychologist at UZ Brussel for many years and worked as a postdoctoral researcher for the Royal Military Academy. There she conducted research into the effect of sleep deprivation and fatigue on the performance of military personnel. She also founded Brainwise , where she currently works on better sleep for optimal performance.
The perfect person to talk about sleep. Entrepreneurs in particular tend to neglect sleep for the sake of their business, but Cortoos doesn't want to hear about it: "We notice it immediately when we haven't slept enough. A lack of sleep leads to a lack of creativity and focus, it makes us moodier and more stressed, and that is only part of the consequences."
"The World Health Organization suggests sleep, exercise and nutrition as the three pillars of physical and mental health. Well, I think sleep is just a little more important there, because a lack of sleep also leads us to skip that gym session and have typical junk food cravings ," she adds.
Cortoos today would like to bridge the gap between what science has discovered and how people can use it concretely to sleep better. And no, there are no quick fixes and no sleep advice that works for everyone. But there are some misunderstandings and myths that Cortoos would like to dispel.
Myth 1: "I only need four hours of sleep."
People who need little sleep: they exist, but according to Cortoos they are in the minority: "The chance that you are a short sleeper is really very small. The vast majority of the population needs an average of 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Nor can you train yourself to sleep less, because that depends entirely on your genes."
"Just because you can stand little sleep better doesn't mean you have a free pass ."
"Some do cope better with less sleep. But just because you can, doesn't mean you should. You won't be able to perform optimally either way, because you just need that sleep. Compare it to cars. You have a Porsche, someone else might have a Golf - but you have to fill up regularly in both cars in order to drive. So even if you can stand little sleep, you don't have a free pass to just do everything then."
Myth 2: "I have to get up early to be successful."
Getting up at five o'clock (or sometimes even earlier) seems to be the golden formula for entrepreneurs. The 5 AM Clubs already abound. But alas, even this is not a good idea for everyone, according to Cortoos. "We live in a society made for morning people. But whether you are a morning person or not, that too is genetic and hard to change. Getting up at five in the morning as an evening person, that will never work. Although some people are less rigid in their type than others. But again that is genetic"
According to Cortoos, there are not two, but three chronotypes:
- Morning people, who do the most work in the morning and during the day
- Evening people, who perform best during the day and evening
- Dutters, who experience peak performance in both the morning and evening, but then struggle again in the afternoon.
"You really see a dip in their activation around midday with sleepers. They are better off taking a nap or exercising then," advises Cortoos
Those who can, best classify the workday according to their chronotype. "You should not adapt to what society dictates as an ideal, but to your genetic chronotype. Admittedly, that is not always possible, but that is how you can perform best. And if you do feel a dip, don't keep working, but take a break or get some exercise."
Myth 3: "I'll go to sleep a little earlier tomorrow, then I'll catch up on that sleep."
Structural lack of sleep and then crawl under the wool or sleep in earlier? That's not how it works, Cortoos believes. "The principle of 'sleeping in' doesn't exist anyway. A consistent sleep schedule, where you get enough sleep, is best. Your internal clock is tuned to look for patterns and adjust accordingly. Do you go to sleep at 10 p.m. and get up at 6? Then your internal clock will make sure that in the hours before, you're getting the right hormones to sleep in and get up smoothly."
"So if you go to sleep late all the time, your internal clock will be tuned to that. If you then suddenly go to sleep a few hours earlier, chances are you won't be able to fall asleep. Your body has not yet received the right signals to feel sleep pressure. And not being able to fall asleep right away can also stress you out, causing your waking system to go into overdrive and keep you awake," Cortoos explains.
Sleeping in on weekends is also not a good idea. "Your internal clock feels disrupted after two days of sleeping out. So it will start adjusting to your new sleep rhythm. That means: getting melatonin later, which means you won't feel your sleep pressure until later. As a result, your cortisol production also starts at a later time. That's why many people have such a hard time getting back up early on Mondays: the cortisol that gets your body ready to get up isn't there yet. As a result, getting up almost becomes hell."
Our sleep system explained.
How our sleep system works? According to Cortoos, it is best compared to a seesaw: on one side our sleep system, on the other our waking system.
"Our sleep system consists of two main engines: sleep hunger and our internal clock. Every minute you are awake, you produce adenosine, a substance that makes you increasingly sleepy. This increases our need for sleep," Cortoos points out.
"We don't feel that sleep hunger all the time. We perceive it only when our internal clock allows it. It does so through two hormones. One is melatonin, which you produce when it gets dark. Thanks to melatonin, you can clearly feel that sleep pressure. The other is cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. You make that one about two hours before you get up. It gets you out of deep sleep and gets your body ready to start the day."
In addition to the sleep system, on the other side of the rocker is the watch system. "That's actually best compared to the gears of a car: the higher you shift gears, the more vigilant you are. Evolutionarily speaking, sleep is one of the most dangerous things you can do. So in cases of stress, potential danger, your brain keeps you awake until it thinks you are completely safe. As long as you experience stress, whether positive or negative stress, your waking system will suppress your sleep."
Aisha Cortoos recently spoke at an entrepreneurial event for Rubicon Members. Interested in joining the Rubicon Family yourself and meeting like-minded entrepreneurs? Schedule a brief introduction!
