How better sleep may support your immune system, inflammation, brain health, and overall well-being when you're living with ITP or another chronic condition.
When we think about caring for our health, we often think about what we can do.
We think about eating nourishing foods, taking supplements, moving our bodies, reducing stress, supporting our gut, or finding ways to support a healthy immune system.
But there is another important piece of the healing picture that we sometimes overlook:
Sleep.
Sleep can look like we're doing nothing.
In reality, our bodies are anything but idle.
While we sleep, our brains and bodies are carrying out important processes involved in memory, regulation, immune function, metabolism, and recovery. Research continues to show that sleep and the immune system are closely connected, with sleep and our circadian rhythms helping regulate immune activity throughout the day and night.
And that makes sleep an especially interesting topic for those living with ITP (immune thrombocytopenia), autoimmune conditions, chronic illness, or ongoing inflammation.
But let's make one thing clear from the beginning:
Sleep is not a treatment or cure for ITP.
Getting a great night's sleep won't suddenly make a platelet count rise, and one restless night doesn't mean you've caused an ITP flare or done something wrong.
ITP is complicated. But that doesn't mean there is nothing we can do to care for ourselves.
Sleep is one of those simple, foundational habits that can support our overall health while we continue working with our healthcare providers to manage our conditions.
And the beautiful thing? You don't have to have ITP to benefit from better sleep.
Whether you're living with an autoimmune disease, chronic illness, stress, hormonal changes, or you're simply trying to feel better during the day, sleep matters.
So let's take a closer look at why.
What Happens While We Sleep?
Have you ever crawled into bed completely exhausted and thought, Finally. I get to do nothing.
I understand the feeling.
But your body doesn't see sleep as "doing nothing."
Sleep is an active biological process, and researchers have spent decades studying the relationship between sleep, the brain, the immune system, hormones, and inflammation.
Sleep and Your Brain
Sleep plays an important role in learning, memory, concentration, and normal cognitive function.
That matters because poor sleep can leave us feeling foggy, distracted, forgetful, or simply not quite like ourselves.
If you've ever experienced that "I know I know this...why can't I remember it?" feeling after a poor night's sleep, you're not imagining the connection.
Sleep is part of the brain's regular maintenance and restoration cycle.
And sometimes, giving our brains more time to rest is one of the simplest things we can do for ourselves.
Sleep and Your Immune System
This is where things get particularly interesting for those of us with autoimmune or immune-related conditions.
Sleep and immune function are closely connected.
Our immune system doesn't simply operate at the same level 24 hours a day. Immune activity follows daily rhythms, and sleep and circadian rhythms help regulate processes involving immune cells, cytokines, and other components of immune function.
A 2026 review described sleep and immune function as tightly integrated, with communication occurring between sleep-related processes and the immune system in both directions.
That doesn't mean that more sleep equals a "stronger immune system."
And for people with autoimmune conditions, we don't want to think of health as simply stimulating or boosting the immune system.
Instead, I like to think about sleep as one way we can support healthy regulation and give our bodies the conditions they need to do their normal work.
Sleep and Inflammation
Inflammation is another reason sleep deserves our attention.
Research has found associations between sleep disturbance and inflammatory processes. A 2025 meta-analysis of experimental sleep deprivation studies found that multiple nights of partial sleep deprivation were associated with increases in inflammatory markers including IL-6 and CRP, although the effects varied depending on the type and duration of sleep loss.
This is important because it gives us a bigger picture:
Sleep isn't just about feeling rested tomorrow morning.
Consistently poor sleep can become another stressor on the body.
That doesn't mean we should become anxious about every night we don't sleep well.
In fact, I think that would completely miss the point.
The goal isn't to become perfect sleepers.
The goal is to give our bodies the opportunity for restorative sleep as often as we reasonably can.
What About ITP and Sleep?
If you're searching for information about ITP and sleep, you may be wondering:
Can poor sleep make ITP worse?
This is an important question, but it isn't one I would answer with a simple yes or no.
ITP is an autoimmune bleeding disorder involving low platelet counts, and its causes and disease activity are complex. Sleep is not an established treatment for ITP, and there isn't enough evidence to say that improving your sleep will directly improve your platelet count.
What we can say is that sleep, immune function, stress, and inflammation are biologically connected.
That makes healthy sleep worth paying attention to as part of overall self-care.
And there's another important distinction:
Taking care of your body is not the same thing as blaming yourself when your body struggles.
If you have ITP and you're having trouble sleeping, please don't turn this into another reason to feel guilty.
Maybe your sleep is being affected by stress.
Maybe you're dealing with nighttime symptoms.
Maybe medications are affecting your sleep.
Maybe hormones are changing.
Maybe you're simply lying awake with a mind that refuses to turn off.
None of that means you've failed.
Sometimes our bodies need more compassion, not more criticism.
Sleep and Autoimmune Disease: Why Rest Matters
People living with autoimmune and chronic inflammatory conditions often have complicated relationships with sleep.
Pain, discomfort, fatigue, stress, medications, anxiety, hormonal changes, and symptoms themselves can all interfere with getting restorative sleep.
And the relationship can go both ways.
Inflammatory and immune processes can affect sleep, while ongoing sleep disruption can influence immune and inflammatory regulation.
That means sleep deserves a place in the conversation about whole-person wellness for autoimmune disease.
Not as a cure.
Not as another protocol to follow perfectly.
But as one more way to care for yourself.
8 Simple Ways to Support Better Sleep
The good news is that improving your sleep doesn't necessarily require an elaborate nighttime routine or an expensive collection of gadgets.
Sometimes the basics really are powerful.
1. Get Natural Light in the Morning
Your body has an internal clock called the circadian rhythm, and light is one of the most important signals that helps regulate it.
Getting natural light during the day—especially earlier in the day—can help reinforce the difference between daytime and nighttime.
Open the curtains.
Sit outside with your coffee.
Take a morning walk.
Even a few minutes of daylight can become a simple way to tell your body, This is daytime.
2. Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Our bodies tend to appreciate rhythm.
Try to keep your bedtime and wake-up time relatively consistent, even on weekends when possible.
It doesn't have to be perfect.
Think consistency rather than rigidity.
3. Create a Wind-Down Routine
Instead of going directly from emails, social media, television, or a busy household into bed, create a transition.
Dim the lights.
Make a cup of tea.
Read a few pages.
Stretch gently.
Pray.
Diffuse an essential oil you enjoy.
The purpose isn't to create another complicated wellness assignment.
It's simply to give your body a familiar signal:
The day is winding down. It's time to rest.
4. Give Your Brain a Break From Screens
Bright light and stimulating content in the evening can make it harder to transition into sleep.
If possible, put your phone away for a while before bed.
And if you're anything like me, don't just put it on the nightstand where you can reach for it every seven minutes.
Put it somewhere else.
Your future sleepy self will thank you.
5. Pay Attention to Caffeine Timing
Coffee and tea can be wonderful parts of the day, but caffeine can stick around in the body for hours.
If you're having trouble falling asleep, consider whether your afternoon or evening caffeine habit could be contributing.
You don't necessarily have to give up your morning coffee.
Sometimes it's simply about timing.
6. Make Your Bedroom a Place for Sleep
Cool.
Dark.
Quiet.
Comfortable.
Those four words can go a long way.
Blackout curtains, a fan or white-noise machine, comfortable bedding, and a cooler bedroom can all help create an environment that feels restful.
7. Move Your Body During the Day
Regular physical activity is associated with better sleep for many people.
You don't have to become a marathon runner.
Walking, stretching, gardening, hiking, or whatever movement you genuinely enjoy can be enough to get your body moving.
8. Don't Turn Sleep Into Another Thing You Have to Perfect
This one might be my favorite.
If you're already stressed about sleep, turning bedtime into a performance can make things worse.
"I have to fall asleep now."
"I only have six hours left."
"Why am I still awake?"
We've all been there.
Instead, try to think of your evening routine as an invitation to rest.
You don't have to force sleep.
You can simply create the conditions for it.
Create Your Own Peaceful Bedtime Ritual
One of the simplest things you can do is create a bedtime ritual that feels comforting and familiar.
Here's an example of what mine might look like:
30–60 minutes before bed:
- Dim the lights.
- Put the phone away.
- Make a warm, calming drink.
- Diffuse a favorite essential oil combination.
- Spend a few minutes praying or reflecting.
- Read something peaceful.
- Get comfortable in bed.
- Let the day go.
Your routine might look completely different.
Maybe you take a bath.
Maybe you journal.
Maybe you listen to worship music.
Maybe you stretch.
Maybe you sit quietly with your dog.
The details don't matter nearly as much as the rhythm.
When you repeat calming activities regularly, they can become familiar signals that it's time to slow down.
Aromatherapy for a Peaceful Evening
Essential oils can be a beautiful addition to a nighttime routine.
I don't think of essential oils as something that makes me sleep.
I think of them as part of creating an environment that helps me slow down, relax, and prepare for sleep.
Lavender is probably the classic nighttime oil, and research on aromatherapy and sleep has shown some promising results, although the evidence varies depending on the oil, method, and study design.
For a simple evening blend, you could try diffusing:
Lavender + Frankincense
Or experiment with other calming oils you personally enjoy, such as cedarwood or Roman chamomile.
The scent itself can also become part of your bedtime association.
Over time, you may notice that the familiar aroma tells your brain:
We're winding down now.
That's one reason I love using aromatherapy as part of a bedtime ritual, rather than looking at an essential oil as a quick fix for insomnia.
Always use essential oils according to appropriate safety guidelines and the directions for the specific product.
A Golden Saffron Latte for Your Evening Routine
If you're looking for something warm and comforting before bed, here's one of my favorites.
Golden Saffron Latte
Ingredients
- 8 ounces unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 8–10 saffron threads
- 1 teaspoon honey, or to taste
- A small pinch of cardamom
- A small pinch of cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Warm the milk gently over low heat.
Add the saffron, cardamom, and cinnamon and allow the mixture to infuse for about five minutes. Don't bring it to a boil.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and honey.
Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy slowly.
And yes—the vanilla really does work with saffron.
It adds a soft sweetness that brings the spices together beautifully.
But does saffron actually have anything to do with sleep?
Interestingly, researchers have been studying this.
A systematic review of randomized controlled trials found initial evidence that saffron may have a beneficial effect on sleep duration and quality. A separate meta-analysis also found improvements in several sleep-quality measures, although the researchers noted that more research is needed to confirm the findings and establish long-term safety and effectiveness.
There have also been randomized controlled trials specifically examining standardized saffron extracts in adults with sleep difficulties.
That doesn't mean my little saffron latte is a treatment for insomnia.
Think of it as what it really is:
A cozy bedtime ritual.
And sometimes the ritual is part of the magic.
When Sleep Isn't Easy
Let's talk about this, too.
Because sometimes you can do everything "right" and still struggle to sleep.
Maybe you're dealing with:
- Chronic illness
- Pain or discomfort
- Stress or anxiety
- Hormonal changes
- Medication side effects
- Night sweats
- An overactive mind
- Changes in your normal routine
- Sleep apnea or another sleep disorder
If that's you, please don't read a list of sleep tips and conclude that you're simply not trying hard enough.
Sleep problems are not always a matter of discipline.
If you consistently have difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, wake feeling unrefreshed, experience significant daytime sleepiness, or have loud snoring, gasping, or pauses in breathing during sleep, it's worth talking with your healthcare professional.
Sometimes the most helpful sleep support is figuring out why sleep isn't happening.
Rest Is Also an Act of Trust
There is another kind of rest that I've been learning about for years.
Resting in God.
Sometimes the hardest kind of rest isn't physical.
It's learning to rest when you don't have all the answers.
There have been seasons in my own life when I wanted to know what God was doing.
I wanted answers.
I wanted explanations.
I wanted to know how the story would end.
But I've learned that faith doesn't always mean knowing what's coming next.
Sometimes faith means choosing where you stand while everything feels uncertain—and trusting that God is still there.
Psalm 4:8 says:
"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety."
What a beautiful picture of rest.
Not because everything is easy.
Not because every question has been answered.
But because we know Who holds the story.
That truth became a major part of the journey behind my new book, When the Fire Finds You: Finding God's Purpose in Seasons of Suffering.
The book grew out of some of the hardest seasons of my life and the ways God met me there—teaching me that suffering doesn't have to be meaningless, that faith can grow in the fire, and that we can learn to trust God even when we don't understand what He's doing.
Sometimes we don't need to have everything figured out before we can rest.
We can rest because we know Who holds the story.
Things I Personally Use and Recommend
I've shared a lot of general information in this post, so I want to end with the things that are actually part of my own nighttime and wellness routine.
These aren't recommendations that everyone needs to follow. They're simply some of the products and resources I personally use and enjoy.
🌙 NingXia Red
I've been drinking NingXia Red for years, and I was especially interested in a randomized controlled trial that looked at its effects on overall health and included a specific sleep measure.
The 2022 study included 155 generally healthy adults. Participants who consumed 60 mL of NingXia Red daily for 60 days showed a statistically significant improvement in the study's sleep domain compared with the control group. The researchers concluded that sleep duration improved in the supplement group.
This study should not be interpreted as evidence that NingXia Red treats ITP, autoimmune disease, or sleep disorders. However, for me, it's simply one part of my overall wellness routine.
Want to read the research yourself?
Read the NingXia Red randomized controlled trial
Read the NingXia Red randomized controlled trial
🌿 My Favorite Nighttime Essential Oil Bundle
I love having a small collection of essential oils specifically for my evening routine.
My favorite bundle includes five oils that I reach for regularly as I wind down for the evening (as well as other oils that support other aspects of overall wellness.)
I don't use them because I expect an essential oil to "knock me out."
I use them because I love the atmosphere they create.
For me, aromatherapy is part of the ritual of slowing down, breathing more deeply, and transitioning from the busyness of the day into rest.
🌙 Deep Night Essence
This is my personal favorite sleep-support supplement.
It's something I reach for when I want additional support for my nighttime routine, and it has become one of my favorite products to keep on hand.
As with any supplement, what works for one person may not be appropriate for another. If you take medications, have a medical condition, are pregnant or nursing, or have questions about whether a supplement is appropriate for you, talk with your healthcare professional before adding it to your routine.
📖 When the Fire Finds You
And finally, if you're walking through a difficult season yourself, I hope you'll consider my new book:
When the Fire Finds You: Finding God's Purpose in Seasons of Suffering
This isn't a book about pretending suffering doesn't hurt.
It's about discovering that God can meet us in the fire, refine us through difficult seasons, and reveal purpose in places we never would have chosen for ourselves.
You Are Allowed to Rest
Maybe you've spent years believing that taking care of yourself means doing more.
More research.
More supplements.
More protocols.
More exercise.
More effort.
And sometimes there is something important you can do.
But sometimes the next step is much simpler.
Rest.
Give your body the opportunity to sleep.
Give your mind permission to slow down.
Give yourself a peaceful bedtime ritual.
And if you're a person of faith, give your worries back to the One who can carry them better than you can.
You don't have to earn rest.
You don't have to have perfect sleep.
And you don't have to do everything at once.
Start small.
Dim the lights.
Make the tea.
Say the prayer.
Take a deep breath.
Get into bed.
And let your body do what it was designed to do.
Because healing is a journey—and you don't have to walk it alone. 💜
This article is for educational and informational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have ITP, another chronic or autoimmune condition, persistent sleep problems, or questions about supplements or essential oils, work with your healthcare professional to determine what is appropriate for you.
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