Stress, hormones, and daily habits all play a role in whether you wake up feeling refreshed—or like the creature from the Black Lagoon. I’ve been on my own sleep journey, from crashing anywhere as a kid (yes, even on ski lifts) to learning how to navigate the push-and-pull of stress, cortisol, and hormonal balance. If you’ve ever found yourself waking up at 3 a.m., dealing with a second wind at night, or feeling groggy no matter how much sleep you get—you’re not alone. In this post, I dive into why sleep changes, how stress and hormones throw off your rhythms, and what you can actually do about it—including herbs, lifestyle shifts, and foods that support deep, restorative rest.

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and wondered why? While modern society treats uninterrupted sleep as the gold standard, history and biology suggest that biphasic sleep—waking for a period in the night—is actually quite normal. In this post, we explore why some people are naturally wakeful at night, how age and stress impact sleep rhythms, and when wakefulness signals a deeper imbalance. Plus, learn practical tips to work with your body's natural rhythm instead of fighting against it.

The “Tour of the Body” Series' endocrine system continues with The Adrenal Glands: The Stress Responders. These pair of pyramid shaped glands on top of our kidneys are incredibly hardworking, and unfairly vilified. They are crucial to responding to stress, in an over-stressed world.

The “Tour of the Body” Series continues on with the endocrine system our body’s firmware and messenger system. This is a brief intro. This is a complex system, I'll do my best to make it easy, engaging, and of course, empowering!