Hey there Reader,
For a long time, I treated sleep as something that, at best, was fitted in once the day was finished. Something that happened after I had done enough.
At worst, it was the first thing I sacrificed when things got crazy.
Now I see it differently. Sleep is not the reward at the end of the day. It is what determines how well I cope with the next one.
I was reminded of that again at a recent workshop I attended with Claire Turnbull. She spoke about how tightly sleep is linked to emotional regulation. Not just energy levels. Mood. Reactivity. Perspective. Patience. All of it.
My sleep is generally good (the odd night sweat aside). And that is not luck. I prioritise it. I protect it. I plan for it.
After the workshop, in the spirit of a tiny experiment, I made one small change. I dimmed the lights in the living room at 8pm.
Nothing dramatic happened. No life transformation. Just a quiet shift so that my body knew what was coming.
That is what regulation usually looks like. Not big interventions. Just small cues of safety, offered consistently.
🔬Tiny experiment
Choose one small cue that tells your body the day is winding down.
It might be dimming the lights earlier.
Turning off overhead lighting after dinner.
Putting your phone on charge in another room.
Having a hot shower or bath.
Don't try to fix your sleep. Just offer the cue and notice what happens.
📝 Journal prompt
Do you treat sleep as care, or as what happens once everything else is done?
What does that say about how you relate to rest?
💌 Reader reflections: Your experiments, your insights
If you try one small sleep cue this week, I would love to hear what you noticed. You can reply to this email. I may share reflections anonymously in a future issue.
📚 Club corner
The Good Life Book Club is on its scheduled seasonal break. It will be back in February with Corey Keyes' Languishing.
👉 Click to join the book club here - You’ll get a reading guide, weekly prompts and end of month tiny experiment challenge to help you dive in plus first access to our paid membership tier launching in April.
🌱 Step into more
Sleep, stress, and emotional regulation are deeply connected. If you want support working with your nervous system rather than overriding it, coaching creates space for that work.
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🌱 Not sure what you need yet? → Start with a free 30 minute conversation.