Sleep-Deprived = Under-Leading

The short 10-second takeaway

You’re not overthinking. You’re under-sleeping!
Chronic sleep loss silently erodes your leadership judgment, emotional control, and strategic capacity - making you a riskier, less reliable version of yourself. Fix your sleep, reclaim your edge.

Last week, a CEO client told me this:

“I know I’m not at my best right now. I’m sharp in the morning… and then fogged up by 3pm. I forget what I said in meetings. And honestly — I’ve been way more reactive with my team than I want to be.”

He thought the problem was stress. Or too many meetings.
It wasn’t.

When I asked about his sleep, he said, “Five to six hours. That’s just what’s realistic right now.”

Here’s the truth: below six hours of sleep, your prefrontal cortex begins to shut down. The exact part of your brain you rely on for strategic judgment, self-control, and critical decisions.

This is the silent leadership killer nobody talks about - because it feels noble to sacrifice sleep for performance.
But in reality, you’re trading away your sharpest asset.

The cost of ignoring this (especially if you lead others)

Leaders sleeping less than six hours per night show measurable cognitive impairment:

• Focus and attention crash

• Memory and information retention plummet

• Emotional regulation suffers

• Risk-taking increases ….often unconsciously

Research shows the decision quality of a sleep-deprived leader is similar to that of someone legally intoxicated. You might still “function,” but you’re no longer functioning at a level worthy of the title you hold.

And this creates ripple effects:

• Missed risks

• Overcommitment

• Impulsive pivots

• Unfiltered team reactions

The worst part? Many leaders normalize it until performance, health, or relationships pay the price.

Please make sure you don’t wait until these lines are crossed!

How to protect your brain (and your business)

You don’t need perfection. You need consistency. Here’s how top-performing leaders restore clarity and control fast:

1. Aim for 7–8 hours, even if it means cutting one last email

2. Stop screen exposure 60–90 mins before bed because blue light disrupts your sleep cycle

3. Avoid caffeine after 2 PM (and track your cut-off window with an alarm in case you have difficulties to remembering this one)

4. Stick to a wind-down routine: low light, low stimulation, mental separation from work, cold shower / cold sleeping environment, cup of relaxing tea

5. Block high-stakes decisions after sleepless nights (your risk radar is off)

And yes, as a leader there is also a team level you are responsible for?
🚫End the “late email = commitment” culture
📅 Protect decision windows (no critical calls after 6PM)
🏁 Role model rest — your team follows what you permit, not what you preach.

As a leaders you aren’t paid to be busy. You’re paid to make good calls.

If your sleep is off, your decisions are already slipping. Fixing this isn’t self-care. It’s performance strategy.

Feel free to share and forward this to your team members, peers, friends or anybody you care about….it’s worth it, because still too many out there need their wakeup-call on the power and the importance of sleep! And #Sleeptember is the best month to care for your sleep!