Episode 23 — Rest and Sleep: You Cannot Afford to Skip This
Ask any woman how she is really doing. Somewhere in her answer you will find the words...I am tired.
In this deeply personal and practical episode, Kristen makes a passionate case for one of the most underrated tools available to any ambitious woman: genuine rest and quality sleep. She shares her own years-long struggle with sleep, what finally shifted, and why she now protects her rest more intentionally than almost anything else in her daily life.
This is not a light topic. Kristen goes deep into the science, the Scripture, the Sabbath principle, and ten practical practices you can begin implementing tonight.
In this episode you will discover:
Why ambitious women are some of the worst resters on the planet, and why that needs to change
Kristen’s personal story of years of struggling with sleep and what finally shifted
What actually happens in your brain and body while you sleep
How sleep deprivation impairs decision making similarly to legal intoxication
What chronic sleep deprivation does to your emotional regulation, physical health, hormones, and presence
Why seven to nine hours per night is the actual requirement for optimal function
What Matthew 11:28, Psalm 127:2, Proverbs 3:24, and Mark 6:31 say about rest
The story of Elijah, God’s response to his exhaustion was a snack and a nap
Why the Fourth Commandment begins with the word Remember, and what that tells us
The case for one full day of Sabbath rest per week
Why resting one day per week actually produces more in the other six
Ten practical tools for protecting your sleep starting tonight
Ten Practices for Protecting Your Sleep:
Stay on a consistent schedule, same bedtime and wake time every day including weekends
Create a wind-down routine, screens away, lights dimmed, amber bulbs or blue light blockers
Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet, your body needs these conditions to sleep well
Put your phone away before bed, charge it outside your bedroom if possible
Watch your caffeine intake, caffeine has a five to seven hour half life
Move your body during the day, even a thirty minute walk improves sleep quality
Manage what you carry into the night, pray, journal, brain dump, pray, and hand it to God
Be intentional about alcohol, it disrupts deep sleep even when it feels like it helps
Get morning light, outside without glasses within thirty minutes of waking
Protect your rest as non-negotiable, everything benefits when you are genuinely rested
Scriptures referenced in this episode (Amplified Bible):
Matthew 11:28-29 — Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
Psalm 127:2 — He gives rest to His beloved.
Proverbs 3:24 — When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Mark 6:31 — Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.
Exodus 20:8-10 — Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.
Also referenced in this episode:
The story of Elijah — 1 Kings 19
Episode 12 — Emotional Resilience (the natural light and walk connection)
Mentioned in this episode:
Private 1:1 Coaching with Kristen — contact@kristenivanov.com
Connect with Kristen on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
Visit kristenivanov.com
Did this episode encourage you?
Share it with a woman in your life who needs permission to rest. And if you are enjoying She Leads with Intention, a review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this show. Thank you so much for being here.
Choose Brave. Lead with Intention.
