I have been feeling SO much better rested lately. I’m hardly using the scientific method here, so I couldn’t say what has had the most significant impact on my newfound energy. My most recent change has been adding walks in the sunshine to my morning routine. My early-to-bedtime routine may also finally be having an effect. But it could also be my toddler sleeping an hour later or my pregnancy hormones stabilizing now that I’m a few weeks into my second trimester.

So I could not tell you what the magic sauce has been, but I have been feeling amazing. I no longer feel like I could nap by 10 am. I’m not fighting the urge to go to bed at 8:30 pm. I’m better able to focus on my work. I feel less stressed, for sure. It’s amazing.

The one thing I can say is that I use a sleep tracker at night, and while it does count some of my just-lying-still-in-my-bed as “sleep,” it’s an excellent ballpark, and it’s been tracking over 8 hours of sleep each night for the past few days. Before that, despite all my best efforts, I seemed to get between 5 and 7 hours of sleep.

So in sloppy, completely unscientific conclusion: Every little change helps achieve better quality and quantity of sleep. Getting more sleep feels amazing.