VC Minute – quick advice to help startup founders fundraise better.
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I mentioned this last week about chronotypes and how I love to work late into the night. And I’ve certainly bragged to others in the past about pulling all nighters, but when it comes to mental health and self-care, sleep must be the number one priority.
There’s a great book called why we sleep by Matthew Walker that talks about this in depth, and of course there’s a Ted talk for it too. That book really changed my perception of sleep, opened my eyes to the benefits of good sleep, and the dangers of poor sleep.
Lack of good deep sleep impacts your physical health, your mental health, your mental acuity, and even your reaction times. One study showed that driving while sleep deprived is worse than drunk driving. Poor sleep or not enough sleep also negatively impacts your mental health. I used to believe that I could store sleep up and spend my reserves throughout the week. And so, I would sleep less during the week and then sleep more during the weekend. It turns out that’s just not how it works. Sleep is not a bank account. You can’t accumulate it and then draw down your reserves. To keep your productivity high and your mental health strong, create a sleep routine and get good sleep.
There’s a great quote I heard somewhere along the way. If you think you hate everything, you’re hungry. If you think everyone hates you, you’re tired.” But more impactful is this quote from Matthew Walker. “The shorter, your sleep, the shorter your life.”
I’m not trying to be a downer with this. I just want to be sure that you are performing at your peak capacity. And to do that, you need to have enough high-quality sleep.
I want to perform my best every day. I want to be present for my family. I want to be present for the founders that I’m meeting. I want to do the best that I can do from my partners and for the startup community. And to do that I need to have a good night of sleep. And so do you. I strongly encourage you to do some digging on sleep, the benefits of good sleep, the dangers of bad sleep, and to get a good night of sleep tonight.
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