I’m not sure what has fostered my positive relationship with sleep, but I do know that as a child, I always felt safe when sleeping and recall being roused gently. I have vivid memories of taking a hot bath and then listening to books on tape before going to bed. Now that I think back, I had a routine put into place by my mothers. Family dinner was routinized, as was bath time and a consistent bedtime. I think that my early childhood set the stage for healthy sleep architecture that persisted into my adult life. I still rely on many of my childhood routines to get a good night’s rest. These days, I tend to have the best sleep when I’ve had enough movement, outdoor time, and space to decompress from the day. Baths are still a significant part of my relaxation routine. I find if I don’t get outside or move, I become more reliant upon sleep aids like melatonin to stay asleep. Sleep, particularly quality sleep, is important to me because it’s what keeps me sharp and available to work. When working with patients one-on-one, I need to be engaged and emotionally available. This is also true in my media work as well as in public speaking. If I’m not well rested, I’m not able to do my job and then come home and give my full self to my family. 6 p.m.: Start dinner. Cooking is something that I love; it’s meditative and grounding. By this time, I usually don’t have my phone nearby as my focus is on my family. 7:15 p.m.: Sit for family dinner. For me, it’s less about what I eat and more about when I eat. We generally have dinner at 7:30, so there is enough time between dinner and bedtime. I like to make sure I’m not eating and directly lying down. 8:30 p.m.: Wash my face and head back downstairs to check in with my husband and sit on the couch. 9:45 p.m.: My phone tells me it’s time to wind down, and the truth is by this time, I’m ready for bed, so it does not take much for me to sleep. Once I’m upstairs, I don’t check my email. I put my phone out of arm’s reach. We also do not have a TV in our room. 10 p.m.: Brush my teeth and sometimes take a sleep support supplement. 10:15 p.m.: Once I’m in my bed, I’m usually asleep within 5 minutes. We keep our room cool, dark, and free from clutter. It’s quiet except for the white noise machine that my husband turns on when he goes to bed. Maya believes in providing nutrition education from an anti-bias patient-centered, culturally sensitive approach to help people make informed food choices. In her practice, Maya and her team provide medical nutrition therapy nutrition and nutrition coaching for the management of and risk reduction of non-communicable diseases from a lens of cultural humility. She is the author of Eating from Our Roots: 80 Healthy Home-Cooked Favorites from Cultures Around the World (goop Press), (January 24, 2023). Maya lives in Brooklyn with her husband, two children, two cats, and two dogs! A cutting-edge nutrition deep dive taught by 20+ top health & wellness experts
