When people say, “Just relax,” it can feel almost insulting. Like I would if I could. Because you want to rest. Your body is begging for it and needs it. But your mind has been trained to stay alert, productive, prepared, and responsible especially if you’ve spent years being the one others rely on. For Black people and women in particular who are high achieving, the eldest daughter, the “strong one”, this can feel like failure, like something you need to fix. You are not broken, you have been overlooked.

Impacts of Sleep on Mental Health