A Chanukah Miracle: Finding Light in the Darkest Nights

It’s the first night of Chanukah. The menorah glows softly on the table—a tiny miracle of light—but Liba is staring at the ceiling, caught in the same nightly struggle she’s been fighting for years. Half a pill now? Another later? What if she wakes at 2 AM? Her body is exhausted, but her mind refuses to rest.

For a while, things were different. After completing her three-month sleep coaching program, Liba had made incredible progress. She was down to a quarter of a pill, managing stress, exercising, journaling, eating well, keeping a sleep log, and even socializing again. She felt empowered and in control. She was dating, participating in her community, and looking forward to challah bake nights—life felt like it was opening up for her.

But life, as it tends to do, decided to throw a curveball.

When Life Feels Like a Heavy Blanket

The summer hit, and Liba’s world tilted. Her job became unbearable. Nine hours a day, five days a week under a boss who could suck the energy out of a room faster than a vacuum—she was exhausted, joyless, and stretched thin. The darkness returned. Pills started piling up again—sometimes three or four starting as early as 6 PM. Sleep became a nightmare.

Night after night, she wrestled with her thoughts, her body tense and alert. Nightmares dragged on for hours, leaving her feeling tortured and trapped. By morning, she felt like she’d been fighting a war while the world slept. Liba confessed she felt like a “druggy” in her own life, dependent on these small pills just to survive the night.

Even knowing all the tools—breathing exercises, sleep logs, journaling, stress management—wasn’t enough. Life doesn’t come with a user manual. Sometimes, it just asks us to make hard choices, and that’s scarier than the struggle itself.

Choosing Herself: One Brave Step

Liba embraced a perspective I had learned that really resonated with me: imagine you are a bird in the sky, looking down on your own life. What advice would you give yourself? Often, the answers are already inside us—we just need someone to help us see them.

She looked at her life and saw the truth she had been avoiding: staying in a job that crushed her spirit was stealing more than her sleep—it was stealing her joy, her energy, her very sense of self. Every day, she had been surviving rather than living. And in that moment, she realized she could no longer sacrifice herself.

Making the choice to leave wasn’t easy. Fear lurked in every corner—what if she couldn’t find another job? What if the bills piled up? What if she failed? But alongside the fear, something else emerged: a deep, unwavering sense that she deserved better, that her life mattered, that her nights and days could be different. And so she made the choice.

She left.

The relief was immediate, but not perfect. The sleepless nights didn’t vanish, and the nightmares didn’t magically disappear. But something profound had shifted: for the first time in a long while, she felt the tiniest flicker of light in a long, dark tunnel. It was a spark, a first candle in the darkness. She had taken control of her life. She had chosen herself.

And yes, for the first time in years, she exhaled like she hadn’t even known she was holding her breath.

Tiny Miracles: The Light We Create

Sleep isn’t just about bedtime routines or pills. It’s about reclaiming your nights—and your life. Sometimes, the biggest miracle isn’t a perfect night of sleep—it’s having the courage to step into the unknown, to face the darkness, and to choose light over despair.

For Liba, leaving her job was that first glimmer of hope. Each choice, each act of self-compassion, each decision to trust herself, became a candle lighting the night. And just like the Chanukah lights that shine brighter together, our small decisions accumulate, illuminating our lives in ways that feel miraculous.

Sometimes, we have to take a hard look at our lives. We have to decide, even when it’s terrifying. We have to step forward, one brave choice at a time. That is where the miracles hide—inside the difficult choices, inside the courage it takes to say yes to yourself.

Celebrating Progress: Hope for the Future

Liba’s journey isn’t over. She now faces the challenge of looking for a new job, stepping into unknown territory. But she is strong, resilient, and transformed. Her sleep and life challenges have shaped her into a changed person. She has grown from her struggles, discovered her strength, and rekindled hope.

For now, she is celebrating the progress she has made, the courage she has shown, and the light she has brought back into her life. The nights may still be imperfect, but she has reclaimed control over herself, her choices, and her hope.

This Chanukah, think of sleep—and life—like lighting the menorah: one small, deliberate action can bring light, hope, and warmth to the darkest moments. Nights may not be perfect, but with courage, trust, and heart, miracles happen.

Your Chanukah Gift: A Little Spark of Light

This Chanukah, you don’t have to wait for a miracle to brighten your nights. Light one candle tonight and make one small sleep decision—then reply to this email and tell me what worked. Be one of the first three to respond and receive a special Chanukah sleep surprise!

Want to explore your own path to better sleep? Book a free 30-minute session with me here.

And if you want a reminder of why sometimes rock bottom has a trap door—and how the smallest steps can bring the biggest light—read this previous blog here.