I want to share something on this subject from How to Relax, by Thich Nhat Hanh. In talking about what to do when you can’t sleep, he says to go back to the breath, and that “Resting is almost as beneficial as sleeping, and you’ll know you’re doing the best that you can. Bring peace to your breathing and your body so you can rest.”
I often use this. When I can’t sleep, I’ll just remember to rest, and that at least if I’m resting, I’m doing what I can, which is often enough to calm me down enough to sleep. “I am resting. Resting is almost as good as sleeping. I am doing the best that I can.”
Is “resting” actually “almost as beneficial as sleeping”? I don’t know, probably not. But this helps me by at LEAST 10% 😉
Of all the strategies you've shared, self-compassion has been the biggest game changer for me. Decades of broken sleep — despite the best intentions and every intervention imaginable — and I still sleep more like a cat than a functional adult.
What shifted things was giving myself wiggle room. On mornings when I wake up exhausted, I move forward with my day as planned, but I give myself permission to nap in the afternoon if I need it. What I've discovered is that I rarely do. Instead I've intentionally front-loaded my day with the tasks that matter most, saving the late afternoons — when focus naturally fades — for the routine stuff: laundry, errands, the things that don't require much of me.
Turns out that combination of self-compassion and smart scheduling has done more for my functioning than any sleep hygiene tip ever did.
A footnote for those of us for whom more intention simply doesn't solve the problem: sometimes the most radical act is accepting the sleep you have, and building a life that works inside it.
I want to share something on this subject from How to Relax, by Thich Nhat Hanh. In talking about what to do when you can’t sleep, he says to go back to the breath, and that “Resting is almost as beneficial as sleeping, and you’ll know you’re doing the best that you can. Bring peace to your breathing and your body so you can rest.”
I often use this. When I can’t sleep, I’ll just remember to rest, and that at least if I’m resting, I’m doing what I can, which is often enough to calm me down enough to sleep. “I am resting. Resting is almost as good as sleeping. I am doing the best that I can.”
Is “resting” actually “almost as beneficial as sleeping”? I don’t know, probably not. But this helps me by at LEAST 10% 😉
Of all the strategies you've shared, self-compassion has been the biggest game changer for me. Decades of broken sleep — despite the best intentions and every intervention imaginable — and I still sleep more like a cat than a functional adult.
What shifted things was giving myself wiggle room. On mornings when I wake up exhausted, I move forward with my day as planned, but I give myself permission to nap in the afternoon if I need it. What I've discovered is that I rarely do. Instead I've intentionally front-loaded my day with the tasks that matter most, saving the late afternoons — when focus naturally fades — for the routine stuff: laundry, errands, the things that don't require much of me.
Turns out that combination of self-compassion and smart scheduling has done more for my functioning than any sleep hygiene tip ever did.
A footnote for those of us for whom more intention simply doesn't solve the problem: sometimes the most radical act is accepting the sleep you have, and building a life that works inside it.
Please can you share how you got rid of restless leg syndrome.? I would really appreciate hearing what worked for you...
I’d like to know too. I take Hyland’s Restful Legs and that helps a lot, but there’s probably something better.
I recently bought a red light to use at night and it has made a huge difference!
Consistency feels underrated compared to total sleep time, but it’s probably the more foundational habit.
Glad you included the data links.
This really drives it home. Seeing a 20–48% lower risk of all-cause mortality with more regular sleep patterns is hard to ignore
When wake-up time is steady, everything else has a chance to align. When it isn’t, you’re constantly resetting the system.
Simple, but not always easy to protect.