The Cost of Chasing Sleep

For some people, sleep is a lifelong battle. Night after night, they lie awake, trying everything under the sun just to get a few hours of rest. When the body doesn’t respond to gentle approaches—like better bedtime routines, herbal teas, or even prescription sleep aids—it’s easy to reach for “just one more” pill in hopes that this time will finally bring the relief they’re desperate for.

But here’s the question: at what cost?

The Desperation for Sleep

Insomnia can feel like torture. Lack of sleep affects mood, concentration, weight, hormones, and long-term health. So it makes sense that many turn to stronger and stronger measures. The trouble is, our bodies adapt. What worked in the beginning stops working. So the dose increases, or another medication gets layered in. And before you know it, the “solution” has created its own set of problems.

The Hidden Costs

Relying heavily on sedating medications—even over-the-counter ones—comes with long-term consequences:

• Memory and focus can decline.

• Heart health can be affected by certain prescriptions.

• Digestive and urinary issues often creep in with long-term use.

• And the big one: studies now link chronic use of some sleep drugs with a higher risk of dementia.

All this in the name of sleep.

A Different Question

Instead of asking, “What else can I take to knock myself out?” maybe the better question is:

• What’s at the root of my insomnia?

• Is it blood sugar swings? Hormone imbalance? Stress chemistry? Gut health?

• What would happen if I rebuilt my body’s ability to rest, instead of forcing it?

Hope for Rest

The good news is that your body hasn’t forgotten how to sleep—it just needs the right conditions to remember. Sometimes that means working with a practitioner to untangle the deeper causes. Sometimes it means going back to basics with light, food, and rhythm.

Because real rest doesn’t come from piling on more pills. It comes from restoring balance in the body, step by step.

✨ If you’ve been chasing sleep for years and feel stuck in the cycle of “more pills, less rest,” I’d love to help you find another way forward.👉 Schedule a session with me here and let’s start rebuilding the foundation for restorative sleep.