Business ownership and adequate sleep do NOT go hand-in-hand, at least not for most people. Entrepreneurs spend most nights wide awake and worried with their minds racing, contemplating the many issues facing their businesses. Because of the current economic slump, small business owners are beginning to work even longer hours and worry more, according to a recent NFIB poll, which makes sleep deprivation all the more prevalent.

There are many entrepreneurs out there who like to boast about the minimal amount of sleep they need each night, but for the vast majority of people, research shows that seven to eight hours of sleep is optimal. Those who don’t get it tend to operate at a disadvantage.

This is all pretty widely-known, but what I found kind of interesting the other day is that 84 percent of entrepreneurs say they have developed business ideas or solved business-related problems WHILE they were sleeping, not as they lay awake in bed at night, according to the Wall Street Journal’s small business blog Independent Street. Knowing that you’re potentially doing some business-related problem solving while simultaneously giving your body some much needed R&R might make full nights of sleep a little more bearable for you worrisome entrepreneurs.

A great way to make the most of your sleep-working is to keep a pen and pad of paper next to your bed. When you wake up and your mind is flooding with ideas, start jotting some of them down right away. If you don’t, you will likely forget them soon after you get out of bed.

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