Sleep hasn’t always come easily to me.
As a teenager, I was often awake until 2 a.m., exhausted but unable to fall asleep. In my mid 20s, that shifted and I could sleep endlessly. By my 30s, I learned something important about myself. I do not do well without sleep. When I am tired, I cannot think clearly, my patience disappears, and my whole day feels harder than it needs to be.
Now, after my stroke, sleep matters even more. I sleep longer at night, and I often need rest or naps during the day. If I do not get enough sleep, it is not just inconvenient. It feels like my brain cannot function properly.
So when I talk about bedtime routines, it is not because I love rules or rigid schedules. It is because sleep has become non negotiable for me. Over time, I have learned that the routines that actually help are not about discipline. They are about support.
Especially for women in their 40s and 50s, when stress is high, hormones are shifting, and your nervous system rarely gets a full break.
