To be an entrepreneur you need to be passionate about your idea and your business, but as most business owners will tell you, it is far too easy to forget about taking care of yourself. Visit this booth at Connection Corner to talk with those who understand the challenge of a balanced life and go out into the world today with some new perspectives and tips on making sure you're there for the people who need you. 

*YAWN!* Why can't I fall asleep?

By Thomas Fabricius, MD, and Patricia Hayes, PA
Agnesian HealthCare Campbellsport Clinic

As an entrepreneur or new business owner, you may find yourself burning the midnight oil. You need to ask yourself though if you are up late or in the middle of the night due to tasks necessary to the success of your new business, or whether you are suffering from insomnia.

The inability to fall asleep or maintain sleep can have many causes, and your lack of sleep may not be only related to the thoughts and tasks of launching a business. It might be time to take a self-assessment of your sleep patterns, because as a new business owner, it is important that you and your business both stay healthy.  

Sometimes the harder you try to fall asleep, the more you keep yourself wide awake. You should also be aware of the fact that your sleep patterns may change as you get older. And sometimes, there’s a serious sleep disorder present that needs attention. Often, the best treatment for insomnia is not a sleep medication, but addressing the underlying issues that are causing the concern in the first place.
 
So, ask yourself a few questions: Do you have pain that prevents a good night of sleep? Is there stress in your life that keeps you awake? Do you drink caffeinated beverages or alcohol before bedtime? Are you taking medications or over-the-counter supplements that cause sleep interruptions?
 

As you begin to look at a new business or foster an existing one, it is especially important that you get plenty of sleep.

You can also make a few changes in your daily patterns that will help with sleep, including:

• Keep a routine…go to bed at the same time each night and wake up around the same time in the morning. With new business owners or those trying to get their business off the ground, it is often necessary to put in extra hours, but be sure you are holding yourself to a routine as much as possible and setting a time that you need to hit the sack and tackle things again the next day.
• Don’t use your bed to watch television, read or talk on the phone. Use only for rest. If your computer is in your bedroom, see if you can find another place to locate it. 
• Make sure your bedroom is dark. 
• Minimize drinking fluids in the evening as this may cause midnight waking.
• Exercise regularly, but not within a few hours of bedtime. Exercise is especially important for those under stress, and let’s face it, if you are thinking about your new business, as exciting as that is, it is likely also a stress factor for you. Exercise is a great way to be sure you keep even the good stress under control AND it is a great time to think through some of those challenges you may be facing.  
• Don’t eat too much before you go to sleep. 
• Avoid daytime naps. 
• If you can’t get to sleep in about 30 minutes, get up and read in another room or sit quietly for about 20 minutes before getting back into bed. 
• Maintain a comfortable room temperature.

Although many people have difficulties falling asleep now and then, it’s important to remember that persistent trouble sleeping can be very serious, and a possible indication of a sleep disorder. Sleep disorders are nothing to take lightly. If you suspect that you might have narcolepsy (a neurological condition most characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness in which a person falls asleep during the day at inappropriate times, such as at work or school), sleep apnea (a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep) or any other sleep disorder, talk with your provider. You may need to spend a night or two in a hospital sleep laboratory  where your brain waves, muscle activity, leg and arm movements, heart rhythms, and other body functions can be monitored while you sleep.

Sleep is an important element of every person’s regular cycle of energy renewal, but for you – as you begin to look at a new business or foster an existing one – it is especially important. Remember you deserve the same attention and care as your next great idea.