Last week, I wrote about evolving kinks in our spacesuits. 

 

About oxygen tanks under my bed — grounded and still. 

About navigation systems recalibrating. 

About discovering that my body wasn’t malfunctioning… it was adapting. 

 

And then something bigger clicked. 

 

For years I carried a collection of “separate” issues: 

 

• Insomnia that refused to budge
• Weight that crept up no matter how clean I ate
• Afternoon fatigue that felt like gravity doubling
• A heart rhythm episode that came out of nowhere
• Doctors shrugging in polite confusion

 

Each problem had its own folder. Its own explanation. Its own specialist. 

 

None of them talked to each other. 

 

And neither did I. 

 

Let me ask you something. 

 

Are you having trouble sleeping? 

Do you gain weight no matter how disciplined you are? 

Are you tired during the day and reaching for naps? 

Do you feel low energy even when you’re doing “everything right”? 

Have you been told it’s just aging? 

Have you started wondering if you’re losing your edge — or your mind? 

 

Pause. 

 

You are not broken. 

You are not weak. 

You are not dramatic. 

And you are not alone. 

 

Here’s what stunned me. 

 

What I thought were five unrelated problems were actually one conversation happening inside my body. 

 

Sleep affects oxygen. 

Oxygen affects the heart. 

The heart affects stress chemistry. 

Stress chemistry affects appetite and fat storage. 

Interrupted sleep changes hunger hormones. 

Low oxygen strains systems that regulate metabolism. 

 

It wasn’t five battles. 

 

It was one ecosystem asking for attention. 

 

For thirty-five years, I tried to conquer insomnia like it was a stand-alone villain. I adjusted bedtime rituals. Supplements. White noise. Magnesium. Meditation. Positive affirmations. Sheer willpower. 

 

None of those were wrong. 

 

They just weren’t the root. 

 

The turning point came during a sleep study — not because I was chasing oxygen, but because I was tired of being tired. 

 

For about forty-seven minutes each night, my oxygen level dips lower than it should. 

 

Not catastrophic. 

Not dramatic. 

Not headline-worthy. 

 

Just enough. 

 

Just enough to strain systems. 

Just enough to disrupt deep sleep cycles. 

Just enough to shift appetite signals over time. 

Just enough to create a slow drift in weight, mood, and energy. 

 

That realization was a gestalt moment. 

 

Not five problems. 

 

One body. 

 

One system. 

 

One intelligent, interconnected design. 

 

And suddenly, instead of feeling defective, I felt… coherent. 

 

This series is not medical advice. 

It is a map of discovery. 

 

In the coming posts, I’m going to share: 

 

• What actually happens to hunger hormones when sleep fragments
• How nighttime oxygen affects stress chemistry
• Why weight gain after seventy is often physiology, not failure
• The link between arrhythmias and sleep disruption
• The practical questions you can ask your doctor
• The tests you might explore
• The small changes that can make disproportionate difference

 

We will talk science. 

We will talk Spirit. 

We will talk stubborn metabolism and sacred design. 

 

And yes — we will talk about the crazy-simple solutions hiding in plain sight. 

 

Because here is what I know now: 

 

When your oxygen shifts, your orbit shifts. 

When your sleep restores, your systems recalibrate. 

When your body feels safe, it stops storing for survival. 

 

This is not about fighting aging. 

 

It is about understanding adaptation. 

 

If your doctors have waved you off… 

If you’ve been told it’s just age… 

If you feel like you’re spinning on a hamster wheel — 

 

Step off. 

 

You are not going mad. 

 

You may simply be missing one connecting piece. 

 

Next week, we begin with sleep — the command center of your spacesuit. 

 

And we will follow the oxygen. 

 

For Those Who Want to Explore Further 

 

Here are reputable starting points for up-to-date information: 

 

• The National Sleep Foundation — basics on sleep stages and health impact
• The American Academy of Sleep Medicine — screening tools and physician directories
• The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute — research on sleep apnea, oxygen saturation, and heart rhythm
• The American Heart Association — links between sleep, arrhythmia, and metabolism

 

If you suspect sleep apnea or oxygen drops, ask about: 

• A home sleep study vs. in-lab study
• Oxygen saturation reports
• AHI (Apnea-Hypopnea Index)
• Nocturnal desaturation time

 

Knowledge is grounding. 

 

And grounding lets you fly smarter. And when you fly smarter, you’ll change the way you see and you’ll change the way you live.