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Every time I sat down for just a second too long, I’d be fast asleep.

Obvious places like the couch, the airplane, a car, or at my desk. But also on the toilet (both in my house and at restaurants), in UBER’s, on the steps just shy of my bedroom, my 4 lb dog’s bed while petting him…yeah, fell asleep there, too.

I had always attributed this to overextending myself, starting from a young age and exemplified by the hustle culture of the restaurant industry (see more coming soon in an article for Cooks Who Care). It was funny at first when friends started taking #chefmoninaps photos. But when the random falling asleep continued even after stepping away from a traditional industry job (also note more frequent episodes of sleep paralysis with hallucinations and lucid dreams), my concern grew. When I expressed this to my doctor and therapist, they both said sleep study, it’s probably narcolepsy. So, if you saw my IG post the other week, you saw a photo of me hooked up to a million little wires for that sleep study.

The good news – it’s NOT narcolepsy! The news I wasn’t ready to hear – I need to make more time for myself and for rest.

Rest is an essential function used to rejuvenate, recharge, reenergize, repair, and restore the mind and body, and I know that this will need to become an intentional practice of self-care if I want to continue to perform and function at my highest.

To feed our busy brains and culture of productivity, rest IS productive. How can we serve from a place of burnout and exhaustion? Better rest, and the white space of doing nothing, allows you to show up for your days better, for your kids better, for your spouse better, for your job better, for your passion/hobbies better, for you better.

Plus, exhaustion steals joy, so in honoring the space that we need for rest, we're nourishing our joy, too.

I’ve been consciously working on my nighttime routine to help calm my mind and body so that I’m able to rest better through nighttime sleep. While I’m no sleep expert, here are 6 small + sustainable steps I’m playing with for better sleep:

Go to bed when you feel tired. It sounds simple in theory, but how many times do you stay up late just trying to get it all done? Yeah, me too. Revenge Bedtime Procrastination is REAL. And if you’re not necessarily tired, it helps to set a consistent bedtime so you can get into a routine.
Productivity Rest. Do something to wind down or for enjoyment without the pressure of an agenda or end goal the hour before bedtime.
- End the day with a warm Epsom salt bath with low light and candles.
- Get silly. Find something light-hearted or the power to make yourself laugh and release all of the tension and stress in your body. Laughter is medicine.
- Massage – use a massager or percussion gun on your pressure points, and Gua Sha on your face and neck.
- Breathe – inhale, exhale. There are many breathing exercises you can do, so find one that feels good to you. I like Andrew Weil’s 4-7-8 because it’s simple and really helps me feel centered and relaxed. https://www.drweil.com/videos-features/videos/breathing-exercises-4-7-8-breath/
- Journal – reflect on your day, empty any anxious or racing thoughts.
- Tune into your senses – A good old fashioned book on your nightstand is a perfect way to end the day. Read, feel, and smell the pages. Listen to soothing music. Light candles or use a diffuser to surround yourself with relaxing aromas.
Technology Rest. Unplug. Electronics OFF. Turn off notifications. Dim the lights. Protect your eyes from the blue light emitted from your TV, laptop, and phones at least 30 minutes prior to bed. Come back into your body and be present with the tangible world.
Mental Rest. Silence. Stillness. Our brains are constantly bombarded with information overload, so give them a rest from too much external overwhelm. When we tune out the noise, we can finally hear our own voice again.
Magnesium. Magnesium is a calming mineral that helps with better relaxation and sleep. It can also help to improve stress, brain health, muscle soreness, inflammation, and pain. It is common in many foods — chocolate, avocados, nuts, seeds, spinach, etc) — but I also take this supplement.
Warm Cocoa Rose Milk. They say warm milk helps you sleep, so I’m really enjoying sipping this soothing, warm, + dreamy sleep elixir before bed. The recipe is in my new Joyfully Nourished guide, so make sure you SUBSCRIBE to get my emails so I can send you this deliciousness.
- It not only warms you from inside, but it also makes you sleepy. Why? Because of the tryptophan and magnesium found in raw cocoa nibs. Tryptophan is an amino-acid that the brain converts into serotonin, which relaxes the body before falling asleep.
- Oats also contain tryptophan and are high in stress-reducing B6 and melatonin, another natural sleep aid.
- Slow down and smell/sip the roses – literally. Rose is a gentle, non-toxic, therapeutic herb and mood-elevating supplement used to treat insomnia, depressions, inflammation, stress, and menstrual cramps. A rich source of Vitamin C, the sweet petals can also help achieve glowing skin.
- Beetroot is a great source of vitamins and minerals -- calcium, magnesium, lycopene, and iron all aid in getting a better night’s sleep. Beetroot before bed is also used as a way to detox since it increases oxygen and improves blood flow throughout your body.
- Ashwagandha is a natural adaptogen that helps you relax and may help you fall asleep faster, spend more time asleep, and experience better sleep quality.
- Ginger and nutmeg are calming spices that helps calm nerves, release serotonin, and improve sleep quality.
- Vanilla can reduce hyperactivity and restlessness, quiet the nervous system, and lower blood pressure – all of which can help relieve tension, calm the mind, and help you fall and stay asleep better.
- Raw honey helps your brain release melatonin, the hormone that your body uses to restore itself during sleep, as well as providing an easy-to-access fuel (aka your liver’s glycogen) for your brain throughout the night so you don’t wake up to hunger.

If you try this recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please let me know in the comments below. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. I LOVE to see your photos!