When sleep goes rogue
“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.” — Irish proverb
I normally sleep well, which means when I don’t, it feels deeply unfair and slightly personal, like my body has decided to betray me just when I need it most.
Because sleep is such a building block of energy, the invisible foundation under everything, and when it wobbles, everything else feels harder, heavier, a bit more “why is this so much?”
And of course, the minute you don’t sleep, you suddenly remember every piece of advice you’ve ever heard about sleep, from magnesium to breathing techniques to not looking at your phone (while absolutely looking at your phone).
But maybe, for today, we keep it simple.
Instead of trying to fix everything at 3am, what if the question becomes gentler:
What would help me feel even slightly more rested today?
Not perfect or eight hours of blissful, uninterrupted sleep. Just… a little bit better.
A slower start, a walk instead of a scroll, going to bed earlier without making a big production of it, letting yourself be a little less “on” than usual.
Because energy isn’t only built at night.
It’s protected during the day.
And sometimes, after a couple of bad nights, the kindest thing you can do is stop fighting it and just move through the day a little more softly.
Prompt
If your energy feels low today, ask yourself:
What’s one small thing I can do to feel even slightly more rested or restored?
And if you want to explore this a bit more, we’ve got Writing Rehab tonight at 7pm — come as you are, low energy very welcome.
Want to create a writing practice? Come join us at Heart Leap.
If you’ve been meaning to write — your journal, your Substack, your book, your Big Beautiful Thing — but somehow always end up reorganising the fridge instead… welcome home.
At Heart Leap, I host four writing hours a week Monday to Thursday from 9–10am GMT. We chat for five minutes at the start, five at the end, and the rest of the time we simply write together. No pressure or performance, just a calm, friendly corner of the internet where pages get filled and ideas stop hiding.
If you need accountability, a regular rhythm, or a space where other writers are also muttering “why is this so hard?”, you’ll be in excellent company.
We also have a Writing Rehab class on the first Wednesday of the month and we run the 12 week Artist’s Way once a year. (Writing Rehab is today 6th May at 7pm - I will send you details this afternooon)
If you want 2026 to be the year your writing life finally feels supported, fun and alive, subscribe for £7 a month and come write with us.
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