For many of us, sleep feels like a luxury we can’t afford or a physiological process that is entirely outside of our control. On the latest episode of the Tea Time Podcast, host Sharissa Bradley challenges this notion, drawing from Chapter 15 of her book, “Journey Back to Health.” Having suffered from chronic insomnia from the age of five until her 30s, Sharissa understands the frustration of being told to “just sleep more”.

The Science of Healing While You Sleep The reality is that when we are awake—walking, talking, and thinking—our bodies are using every available resource just to keep us functioning. It is only when we sleep that our bodies can divert those resources toward repairing damaged tissues and alleviating inflammation. Sharissa notes that if we are struggling with autoimmune disease, stress, or chronic pain, we simply cannot heal if we aren’t focusing on quality rest.

The “Impossible” Advice Sharissa recalls a pivotal moment in her recovery when an integrative medicine doctor told her she needed more sleep. At the time, she was a psychology professor, still breastfeeding, and raising two children under the age of three. Her initial reaction was to laugh; the advice felt like a joke given her hectic life. However, the doctor’s reply was sobering: “Then you won’t heal, and you won’t get better”. This sparked a journey into the research of Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, who teaches that sleep is a learned behavior.

Treating Yourself Like a Child (In a Good Way) One of the most effective tools Sharissa discovered was the implementation of a bedtime routine. As parents, we follow strict routines for our children—dinner, bath, books, and songs—to prime their bodies for rest. It turns out, adults are just as trainable. By creating a repeatable habit, you signal to your body that it is time to wind down.

Practical Steps to Retrain Your Body To move from an “adrenaline-model” of functioning to a restful state, Sharissa recommends several “hard things” that made a massive difference in her own life:

• No Screens: Remove TVs and phones from the bedroom entirely. Stop using all screens at least one hour before bed to protect your hormones from disruptive light.
• Monitor Stimulants: Be mindful of caffeine intake and its effect on your ability to fall asleep.
• Environment Reset: If your bedroom has become a place of anxiety due to insomnia, change the sheets or bedding to create a “new” environment that helps break the mental cycle of sleeplessness.
• Tracking: Before making changes, track your current sleep for 10 days to see how your rest (or lack thereof) is impacting your daily energy and mental clarity.

The Foundation of Everything Ultimately, sleep is the foundation for energy, mental clarity, and physical repair. While it may take years of practice—as it did for Sharissa—the transition from averaging four broken hours of sleep to waking up rested is possible for anyone.