Yoga Pathways

I’ve always underestimated sleep. It just never felt important. I didn’t need much of it—or at least convinced myself I didn’t. Sleep felt like an inconvenience, stealing time from the things I wanted to achieve. When I did feel tired, I would push through, surviving on fewer hours and relying on caffeine and willpower to keep going. To me, productivity meant working late, waking up early, and grinding through the day. I never realised sleep wasn’t an unnecessary luxury but an absolute necessity.

This shift in thinking didn’t happen overnight. It’s been dawning on me slowly. Teaching 7 a.m. yoga classes on weekdays was a catalyst for change. To perform at my best, I had to rethink my habits. Scrolling mindlessly on my phone in bed became a glaring example of how I was sabotaging my energy and focus for the next day. This was the beginning of my awakening to the importance of sleep.

Reading How We Sleep by Matthew Walker for a recent book club has been the true wake-up call. I had already started making changes, but this book showed me just how critical sleep is. It’s not just another pillar of well-being—it’s the foundation everything else rests upon. Without proper sleep, no amount of healthy eating, exercise, or mindfulness can fully work its magic.

The Science I Wish I’d Known

Sleep is the ultimate reset button for our minds and bodies. While we sleep, our brain processes memories, regulates emotions, and flushes out toxins. Our immune system strengthens, muscles repair, and hormones balance. Sleep impacts everything—from metabolism and heart health to cognitive function and emotional resilience.

Yet, despite knowing how important sleep is, we often sacrifice it first when life gets busy. We treat sleeplessness like a badge of honour, when in reality, it costs us more than we know.

My Wake-Up Call

For me, this shift isn’t just about avoiding burnout. It’s about recognising how small habits shape how I feel and perform the next day. Learning about the science of sleep opened my eyes to how my late-night scrolling was undermining my well-being.

The real shocker came when I learned about the long-term effects of sleep deprivation—higher risks of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and even early death. By not prioritising sleep, we sabotage our lives physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The First Step to Change

This blog isn’t meant to scare you (although the statistics are eye-opening) but to inspire you to take that first step: recognising how crucial sleep is for your health. Once you acknowledge its importance, everything else begins to fall into place. From understanding how much sleep you need to creating habits that prioritise rest, the journey toward better sleep can be life-changing.

I’ve spent years honing my yoga practice, meditating, and focusing on my mental health, but I realised that without proper sleep, none of it could fully work its magic. Sleep is the foundation.

In the upcoming blogs, I’ll dive into practical steps, from bedtime routines to optimising sleep environments. But the key takeaway here is this: the first step to improving your health, mood, and well-being starts with better sleep.

Are you ready to prioritise it?

Stay tuned for the next blog in this series, where I’ll share 10 shocking takeaways from How We Sleep that are guaranteed to make you want to change your ways.