09/09/2026
đż Wellness Wednesday
When was the last time you woke up and thought, âWowâŠI actually SLEPT?â đ©đđŸ
Iâve had that feeling several mornings this week.
After a prolonged season of stress and caregiving, my sleep hasnât always looked like it used to. So experiencing several nights of deeper, more restorative sleep has been a reminder of just how important sleep is to our overall health.
Sleep is not simply the time when weâre âdoing nothing.â
Adequate sleep supports mood, cognition, immune function, metabolic health and our ability to cope with stress. And chronic stress can make quality sleep harder to come by.
Thatâs why when Iâm working with someone whoâs struggling with sleep, I donât only think about what supplement they can take at bedtime.
I want to know whatâs happening during the other 16 hours of their day too.
Whatâs their stress load? Are they getting movement and daylight? Are they giving themselves opportunities to decompress? What does their evening routine look like? Are there underlying health factors contributing? Do they actually have the support and circumstances necessary to rest?
Sometimes supporting sleep means looking at the whole person, not just bedtime.
For me personally, Iâve incorporated acupuncture, an individualized Chinese herbal formula, and more intentional opportunities for rest and stress reduction recently. I canât tell you that any one of those things is solely responsible for the improvement Iâm experiencing.
But I can tell you this:
After several nights of deep sleep, I feel the difference.
Donât underestimate the role of rest in your wellness.
Your body does a whole lot of work while youâre sleeping. â€ïž