It Wasn’t the Hours—I Needed the Rhythm

I used to think sleep was all about the numbers. Eight hours? Cool. Check the box and move on.

But that didn’t work for me.

Living with heart valve disease, sleep hasn’t always come easy. Between hospital stays, meds, anxiety, and a racing mind that just wouldn't quit, there were nights I couldn’t fully shut down. And even when I did sleep, it didn’t feel like rest. I’d wake up feeling just as drained as I was the night before.

For a long time, I didn’t get it. I thought maybe this was just how things were now. But eventually, I started paying closer attention—not just to how much I was sleeping, but how I was sleeping. And some patterns started to click.

Sleep Routines make a huge difference in the quality of sleep received.

One big one? Eating right before bed. I never thought much of it—late dinners, a snack while watching TV, whatever. But the truth is, going to sleep with a full stomach was wrecking my rest. My body was still working to digest food when it should’ve been winding down. Once I started cutting off meals earlier in the evening, I noticed a difference. Not instantly, but enough to realize it mattered.

Then came the biggest shift: routine.

I started going to bed at the same time every night. I gave myself a wind-down window—no more phone scrolling or falling asleep to background noise. I treated sleep like the priority it is.

And something clicked.

Sleep started to feel different. Deeper. I’d wake up with more energy, less fog. My mood lifted. My heart—even physically—felt more at ease.

Here’s the part that's interesting: it wasn’t just some personal quirk. There’s real science behind it. Our bodies crave routine. We have a built-in biological clock—our circadian rhythm—that regulates sleep, hormones, digestion, and more. When you keep a consistent routine, you’re working with your body instead of against it. Hormones like melatonin and cortisol sync up. Your nervous system gets the message: it's safe to rest.

Routine bedtimes matter more than you think.

And when your body feels safe, it can finally let go.

We don’t talk about this enough, especially in the chronic illness world. We chase treatments, procedures, and medications (and I’ve done all of them), but we forget the quiet power of rhythm. Of structure. Of letting our body know what to expect—every night.

If you’re struggling with sleep—or just waking up tired all the time—look at your rhythm. Are you giving your body consistency? Are you eating too close to bedtime? Are you honoring that basic human need for rest, or squeezing it in wherever it fits?

Try treating bedtime like a real part of your healing. Protect it. Make it a ritual. Give your body what it’s been asking for all along: rhythm, safety, rest.❤️‍🩹🥑

You deserve that. Every single night.

#RestToRecover #ChronicIllnessLife #HospiceSurvivor #SleepMatters #SleepRoutine #SelfCareIsHealthCare #TriscuspidValveMiracle