Sleep is perhaps one of my favourite pastimes. In an increasingly busy world where it's not uncommon to have multiple jobs, a family and other commitments, getting a good nights rest can make all the difference. Research has indicated that the average adult needs between 6-9 hours of good solid rest in order to feel invigorated and refreshed.

Athletes on the other hand sleep on average an enviable 10 hours so that their bodies have the chance to rebuild and repair allowing them to perform at optimal levels. There are innumerable reasons why sleep is important and for the busy entrepreneur anything that helps with productively cannot be overlooked. This is why I've put together a few reasons why getting a good night’s rest can make you more productive.

Improved focus

How many times have you been in a meeting and found yourself looking out the window drifting away into a wide eyed slumber. We've all been there and chances are the reason you can't focus, is that you haven't had enough sleep. The ability to focus comes naturally to a lucky few however for most, it's a learned habit. According to sleep.org, sleep deprivation or lack of good sleep can be blamed for your inability to focus and to re-establish focus after a distraction. Being well rested and refreshed consequently allows you to re-establish focus and concentration more easily as compared to someone who had not slept well or enough.

Greater decision making

For the busy entrepreneur, the ability to make a solid split second decision can save valuable time especially if you need to turn your attention to more important things. With a good night’s rest, your ability to make more accurate split second decisions increases by about four percent. It might not seem like a lot but in entrepreneurship; anything that increases your ability to perform at optimal levels can only be a good thing.

Better memory

I mentioned earlier that most athletes sleep on average 10 hours per night as part of their training regime. This allows their bodies to repair and recover from whatever training regime they are currently on. During sleep, most systems in your body operate in an anabolic state which allows your body to rebuild and repair your immune, skeletal, muscular and nervous system. When you've had your body's optimal amount of sleep, your working memory improves along with all other important cognitive functions.

Wellness and vitality

How do you feel after a good night's sleep? Amazing, right? Wellness and vitality have become so important in our modern world and rightly so. A good night's sleep makes you feel alive, happy and ultimately will make you more productive in everything that you do. When paired with exercise, well, you're really well on your way to a happier and more productive you.

Need I go on? I'd rather not as I'm sure all this talk of sleep has probably put you right in the mood to nod off any second now. I hope you've found this piece useful. Sleep well!