But first, try this.

I'm currently reading the book Why We Sleep which is about fascinating new scientific discoveries about why we spend 1/3 of our life essentially passed out.

The author makes a convincing case that for a lot of our complaints or ailments...getting our sleep habits in good order is an invaluable starting point.

He also gives some pretty practical tips to help us repair our sleep routines.

I've got a link to the author's Ted Talk below for you to check out.

Sleep is a simple solution in many ways, but it's not uncomplicated.

For example, here is a little snippet from my sleep "story" -

Like many westerners, I've absorbed at least some version of the "I'll sleep when I'm dead" ethos and plenty of the "I should always be productive" impulse.

And yet, I like my sleep (a lot). Fortunately, whenever I fretted about sleeping a lot or a mid-day nap my mother consistently responded casually and confidently with, "well, you must have needed your sleep."

No shame. No questions. No suggestions or ideas. Just a trust that my body knew what it needed.

Now, I am not a health care provider and I don't recommend you ignore signs that you may be sleeping "too much."

But if like me you are an otherwise healthy person who tends to lean more toward overly driven, then my mother's uncomplicated trust in sleep was and is a gift.

To this day, I can hear her voice and her words anytime I feel the judgemental chatter in my head about craving sleep.

Turns out the last 10 years or so of scientific research have caught up with what my mother already knew.

Sleep is an incredibly powerful tool for maximizing our health, creativity, intelligence, emotional stability, resilience, reproductive health ... and more!

I'm currently reading the amazing book "Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker, PhD.

If you want a little taste of it, here is his Ted Talk.​

The fascinating reasons and benefits of sleep are so compelling, I am sure I will be sharing more with you in the future...

Send me what you are curious about related to sleeping, waking up, sleep patterns, or anything like that and I will keep a special eye out for it as I continue to learn more!

Much love,

Marijke Ocean Joy