This Veterans Day I’m thinking about how much of the research and funding behind modern sleep science and how sleep impacts our emotional resilience actually comes from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
My father, a Vietnam veteran and psychologist, (USAF Pararescue, he got me this shirt Im wearing) even recently got certified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) through the VA.He mostly did it for continuing-ed credits, but also because he wanted to understand more about what I love about sleep, how
it restores the mind, protects mood, and builds resilience.
Through its national CBT-I training program, the VA has trained hundreds of providers across the country to treat insomnia without medication.
VA studies show that veterans who learn these tools not only sleep better but also show improvements in
mood, trauma recovery, and daytime function. (VA TeleSleep news)
It’s a reminder that sleep is a public-health issue,
not a luxury item.
Whether you’re a veteran, a parent, or a Brooklynite with noisy streets outside, quality sleep is what lets us do the work we came to this planet to do.
The 11/11 portal (and a Kundalini nudge)
Spiritually speaking, 11/11 is also considered a portal day, a moment of heightened awareness, synchronicity, and alignment. As a Kundalini teacher, I’ll be meditating a little
extra, using that number sequence as a cue.
Lately, I’ve felt the call to teach a weekly Kundalini class again, something local, communal, and nervous-system-balancing.
I’ve spoken with two Greenpoint studios that said it would not be a fit at their studio. Funny twist though, one of the studio owners in the same breath as she said "no", asked me how to teach certain Kundalini exercises because her students were requesting them!
If you know a North Brooklyn studio that
might welcome a weekday morning or Saturday-morning class, one that’s grounding, breath-focused, and friendly to working parents, hit reply and let me know.
I’d love to hear where you think this practice could take root again.
Sleep takeaways of the week
In honor of Veterans Day, here are two findings from VA research:
🩵 Veterans who reported “bad” sleep at baseline had a 60 percent higher likelihood of developing PTSD over seven years compared with those who slept well.
(PMC 10693322)
🩵 In a randomized controlled trial of CBT-I among veterans with chronic insomnia, 41 percent of participants achieved full remission of insomnia with
sustained gains at six-month follow-up, compared with 0 percent in the control group.
(PTSD.va.gov, Talbot et al., 2014)
Sleep isn’t just repair, it’s prevention. Every night you rest well, you’re lowering your risk of anxiety, depression, and burnout.
Closing thoughts
Whether we’re talking activism, home hunting, parenting, or sleep, consistency beats intensity.
So here’s to staying, building, resting, and trusting that deep roots grow the best dreams.
In rest and renewal,
Sarah
PS. Please forward to a friend who needs to see this and like, share, and
save on socials. The algorithm hasn't been sharing my stuff lately but you can. Thank you. 🖤
Instagram | Website | Share this Snoozeletter
