If this blog achieves nothing else, we hope that we can persuade busy entrepreneurs that the stereotypical 24-7 exclusive focus on business over a long period of time is in fact bad for business.

Unhealthy mind, unhealthy body, bad decisions.

So our last blog recommended some non-business activity, such as reading, to broaden the mind.

Yet it is equally important to take care of the body. This means a balanced diet, moderate exercise, and, possibly most important of all, proper sleep.

The culture of machismo which has businessmen boasting of how little sleep they have misses the point entirely. Well rested people are more productive and make better decisions.

It also seems that there is a bonus in sleep that is of particular importance to entrepreneurs. Long suspected from anecdotal evidence, scientists at the University of California San Diego have now confirmed that our minds solove problems while we sleep.

It is said that Isaac Singer based his idea for the sewing machine on a dream, and originality is often at its peak just after waking, before established thought patterns kick back in. The UCSD study explains why: new connections are formed as we sleep without the restrictions of our conscious control.

It seems that a sort of free market of thoughts operates in our minds: when restrictions are removed, the best ideas come to the fore.