April Challenge - Why Sleep Is Your Secret Health Weapon (and How to Actually Get It) by Chrissy Carmody

We treat sleep like it’s optional—something we’ll “catch up on later,” right after we finish this Netflix episode, send that last email, or scroll until our phones hit us in the face. But here’s the truth: sleep isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a non-negotiable for your health—right up there with eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise.

While you’re off in dreamland, your body is actually pulling an all-nighter to keep you functioning. Quality sleep helps lower blood pressure, regulate blood sugar, and reduce inflammation. It keeps your heart happy, your immune system strong, and your hormones in check—including the ones that control hunger and weight. When you don’t sleep well, your body becomes stressed, your blood sugar goes haywire, and your risk of things like heart disease, diabetes, and weight gain starts to climb. Over time, poor sleep can even affect your brain health, increasing the risk of dementia and memory issues. So no, skipping sleep to get more done isn’t heroic—it’s like skipping oil changes and wondering why your car starts smoking.

Making sleep a priority isn’t selfish—it’s one of the healthiest things you can do. Start with consistency: aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Build a wind-down routine that works for you—maybe it’s reading, stretching, or just doing absolutely nothing (which, honestly, sounds amazing). Keep your bedroom cool, quiet, and dark, and cut out screens an hour before bed. That social media rabbit hole will still be there tomorrow.

Even small improvements in sleep can lead to big health wins. Better mood, clearer thinking, lower cravings, more energy—it all adds up. The key is not to treat sleep like the leftover crumbs of your day. Put it on your to-do list. Protect it. Prioritize it. Because when you sleep better, everything else—your heart, your brain, your whole body—works better, too.

Think of sleep as an investment in your future self. The better you rest, the better you function. So tonight, clock out, shut down, and wake up ready to take on whatever comes your way.

Chrissy Carmody is a NBH-WC Certified Health and Wellness Coach with a Master’s Degree in Public Health, and has earned her Plant Based Nutrition Certificate through the T Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies. She is passionate about helping people to identify and use their own unique motivations, skills, and strengths to build healthy habits, make small but lasting changes, and enjoy a better quality of life. She believes that to achieve true health and wellness, the whole person must be addressed - mind, body, and spirit. She has been plant-based for close to 10 years, and loves to share the ins and outs of her plant-based journey with others!