Can sleep kill you?

As humans, most of us go through a bit of a roller coaster relationship with sleep.

When we're a toddler, we can't get enough sleep.

Then when we're teens, we couldn't care less about it. Except for the summer holidays, then it's 10 hours a night.

We then progress onto adulthood, which for the majority of us, means we start 'hustling'. The net result is a shift towards less sleep.

Then 40-50 years later, when we're well and truly in our later years, we fall back in love with sleep again. Think Grandpa Simpson 😴

Now, this isn't the case for everyone but I'd safely say this is the story for the majority of people.

You know how much I value sleep and the importance I place on it. So, we're going to dive into the dark side of sleep and find out the details of...

The impact of chronic sleep deprivation on the body

I god damn love entrepreneurship! But like everything else in life, it has its flaws.

One of those flaws is the BS 'badge of honour' a lot of entrepreneurs wear, sacrificing rest in the name of productivity.

But what they think they're making up in productivity and money, they're losing in the way of poor health.

What if they knew that a lack of sleep was silently eroding their health, performance, and longevity?

Would they be so quick to hit the pillow at 1 am and rely on coffee to drag them through the day? I'd like to think not.

Chronic sleep deprivation isn’t just about feeling tired—it has profound, long-term consequences that can sabotage your success. Not to mention potentially putting you in an earlier grave.

I work with a lot of very successful entrepreneurs and every single one of them has had their battles with sleep.

These are very smart and intelligent people, who have undoubtedly heard the narrative around sleep numerous times. Yet, they still weren't following the advice given and giving sleep the respect it deserves.

In my experience, this is the case for most highly ambitious entrepreneurs. So, it's pretty pointless for me to tell them they need to sleep 7-8 hours per night without giving them concrete evidence that will make them sit up and go "Oh f*ck, it's more serious than I thought!"

How do you do that?

By filling them in on the negative consequences and how it'll impact their businesses.

When in doubt, hit them where it hurts...their pockets.

Cognitive Decline & Impaired Decision-Making

When you consistently get less than 6–7 hours of sleep per night, your body and brain start to break down in ways you might not notice immediately. The impact extends far beyond just feeling groggy in the morning.

Sleep deprivation negatively impacts mood, focus, and our ability to access higher-level cognitive functions. The combination of these factors is generally referred to as mental performance.

In the short term, the most sudden impact of sleep deprivation is sleepiness. We've all. been in that situation where it's mid-afternoon and you're battling the gods to keep your eyes open.

The cure? A good old pot of coffee!

This sleepiness may mean we experience feelings of general fatigue, lack of motivation, or even the experience of nodding off unexpectedly. Which brings me perfectly onto my next little segway.

Besides the negative impact on mental performance, sleep deprivation also impacts physical performance. A no-brainer really.

Get this. Investigators determined that sleep deprivation played a significant factor in the 1986 nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl.

Like, listen to how crazy that sounds. Poor sleep was one of the contributing factors to one of the worst disasters the planet has ever seen!

It doesn't stop there. Oh no, we've got NASA involved.

Investigators concluded that sleep deprivation played a critical role in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. They concluded those in charge of the operation who were required to make critical decisions, were operating under extreme sleep deprivation.

So sleep deprivation put the multi-billion dollar shuttle program up shits creek!

Increase In Obesity and Weight Gain

Studies have shown that when a person sleeps less than 7 hours a night there is a dose-response relationship between sleep loss and obesity:

In Lehman's terms, the shorter the sleep, the greater the obesity. (Institute of Medicine (US), 2006)

The research review I've just referenced also highlighted another very interesting piece of research. They found a U-shaped relationship between sleep duration. Adults who slept 7.7 hours had the lowest BMI; those with shorter and longer sleep duration had progressively higher BMI.

So, people who slept too little and those who spent too much time in bed had higher levels of body fat and excess body weight.

Sleeping too much makes you fat?

No, not being active enough can make you fat, which can easily happen if you're spending too much time asleep.

On top of this, sleep insufficiency can lead to an increased appetite. This is becuase sleep deprivation directly impacts two very important hormones.

Leptin - A hormone that suppresses appetite.

Ghrelin - A hormone that stimulates appetite.

Studies have shown that sleep deprivation is associated with lower levels of leptin and higher levels of ghrelin (Taheri et al., 2004).

Poor sleep may be the reason behind unexplained food cravings, even after you've eaten an adequate number of calories. Besides cravings, the likelihood of reaching for snacks, especially sugary sweets, as a means for boosting energy quickly when we're sleep deprived, increases.

So not only is less sleep causing you to make worse work-related decisions, it's also negatively impacting your food choices as well.

Oh and in addition to all of this, insufficient sleep will often leave you feeling low on energy, leading to a reduction in overall movement, as well as workout intensity. All of this adds up to less calories burned.

Increased Risk Of Diabetes

You already know that poor sleep tanks your energy and focus—but what if I told you it could also be setting you up for diabetes?

Two major studies found that sleeping 5 hours or less per night makes you 2.5x more likely to have diabetes compared to getting 7-8 hours. Even just 6 hours per night increases your risk by 1.7x. (Gottlieb et al., 2005)

And get this—these results held even when adjusting for obesity, meaning it’s not just about weight gain.

When you skimp on sleep, your body struggles to process glucose efficiently. One study had healthy men sleep just 4 hours per night for six nights—their glucose clearance slowed by 40%, a clear sign of insulin resistance.

The moment they caught up on sleep? The problem disappeared.

This is a huge deal. Insulin resistance is the first step toward type 2 diabetes, and entrepreneurs already battle enough stress without adding metabolic dysfunction to the mix.

Heart Disease and Hypertension Go Up

Studies have found that a single night of inadequate sleep in people who have existing hypertension (high blood pressure) can cause elevated blood pressure throughout the following day.

Long-term sleep deprivation isn’t just about feeling tired during your day—it’s about putting your heart at risk.

A study done on women found that those who slept 5 hours or less per night had a 45% higher risk of heart attacks. Interestingly, sleeping too much (9+ hours) also carried increased risk.

If you snore, struggle to stay asleep, or wake up gasping for air, you might have be suffering from something called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Here’s why that’s a problem:

• Every time your airway closes and you wake up—even briefly—your blood pressure spikes.

• Over time, this repeated stress leads to chronic hypertension (high blood pressure), a major driver of heart disease and stroke.

The good news? Treating sleep apnea can lower blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular risk.

Sleep, Mood, Anxiety & Alcohol: The Hidden Costs of Poor Sleep

If you’ve ever had a rough night’s sleep and felt cranky, unmotivated, or anxious the next day, you’ve already experienced the connection between sleep and mental health.

But what happens when sleep deprivation becomes chronic?

Studies show that people who consistently get too little sleep report:

→ More stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms

→ Increased irritability and emotional instability

→ Lower optimism and sociability

In one study, subjects who slept 4.5 hours per night felt significantly more stressed, sad, and mentally exhausted—but when they returned to a normal sleep schedule, their mood improved dramatically. (Baldwin and Daugherty, 2004).

Another study found that sleep deprivation alters mood more than it does cognitive or motor function—meaning you might still get your work done, but your mental state will take a serious hit. (Pilcher and Huffcutt, 1996).

Many people use alcohol to help them fall asleep, but here’s the problem:

Alcohol is a sedative—but only temporarily. It helps you relax at first, but as your body metabolises it, it actually stimulates your brain, causing awakenings and fragmented sleep later in the night.

Heavy drinkers tend to have worse sleep quality overall, leading to a vicious cycle of poor sleep, low energy, and more alcohol use.

Do you ever notice that you feel exhausted when you’re sick?

That’s not a coincidence—your immune system actually induces sleep to help fight off infections. If you’re constantly running on empty, your body’s ability to defend against illness weakens—leaving you more vulnerable to getting sick, staying sick longer, and struggling with recovery.

Chances Of You Dying? Goes On Up!

Let's not beat around the bush here. Skimping on sleep can literally shorten your life.

Now, if that line there isn't enough to get your ass to bed at a decent hour, I don't know what is.

According to studies, people who sleep 5 hours or less per night had a 15% higher risk of dying from ANY cause!

And it’s not just about short sleep—those who slept excessively (9+ hours) also saw increased mortality rates, forming that U-shaped curve I mentioned earlier.

Showing that both extremes are dangerous. (Kripke et al., 2002; Tamakoshi et al., 2004; Patel et al., 2004)

The biggest culprit? Heart attacks.

Research suggests that acute cardiovascular events are one of the leading causes of sleep-loss-related deaths.

So if you want to avoid the heart attacks, which I strongly suggest you do, please get enough god damn sleep!!

It's my hope that you've gotten to this point in the email and gone...

'Oh f*uck, I knew sleep was important but I had no idea it was this important'

Yes, yes it really is that important.

If you're a frequent supporter of my socials then you'll know I talk about sleep at least 1-2x per week. If you want to smash it on the health and businness front, then you need to be taking your sleep seriously, because as you've just read, if you don't, it may very well kill you!

Now before I let you go I want to give you 5 action points that you can start implementing straightaway for better qualitty sleep.

1. Set a Non-Negotiable Sleep Schedule

• Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night.

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.

2. Create a Sleep-Inducing Environment

• Keep your bedroom cool (16-19°C), dark, and quiet.

• Remove screens at least 60 minutes before bed to reduce blue light exposure.

3. Optimise Your Evening Routine

• Avoid caffeine after mid-afternoon and alcohol before bed (it disrupts deep sleep).

• Develop a wind-down routine with activities like reading or stretching.

4. Address Underlying Sleep Issues

• If you snore, wake up tired, or struggle to stay asleep, get checked for sleep apnea.

• If stress or anxiety keeps you awake, try breathing exercises, journaling, or meditation before bed.

5. Track & Improve Your Sleep

• Use a sleep tracker (Oura, Whoop, or Apple Watch) to monitor patterns.

• If you’re consistently getting less than 6 hours, make sleep a priority and adjust your schedule.

Bottom Line: Treat sleep like your most important meeting of the day—because your health, longevity, and performance depend on it.

My coaching program, The Paradigm Project, helps ambitious entrepreneurs, c-suites, & business owners live a healthier, stronger, and all-around better life.

Most importantly, one of the main aims of the program is to help every single client achieve pain-free performance!

If you are in the mood to transform your health & fitness, then life-changing results are within your reach.

Click on the link to book your free coaching call and we can build a plan that changes your life!

Quote for the day

“The only time I have problems is when I sleep.”

- Tupac Shakur

I love 2Pacs music, but not so much his sleep advice.

I've just told you why sleep is something you can't ignore. If you do so, you may pay for it with the years in your life.

Besides, who doesn't love to sleep??

Have an awesome week!

- Mark

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here’s a few ways I can help you:

Are you an ambitious entrepreneur or professional who wants to get strong, lean, and boost your energy? Then find out more about my 1-1 coaching here.
Grab a FREE copy of my Ultimate Health Guide by Clicking here now.

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