Although I’m not knitting much right now, I still want to stay connected with you. These updates are a way for me to share what I’m learning, how I’m growing, and how life is unfolding in our home — with honesty, curiosity, and warmth. I hope you’ll enjoy following along, even if the yarn stays on the shelf for a little while.
This summer has been full of small, important shifts — changes in how I sleep, how I parent, how I walk through the day (literally), and how I show up for myself and the people I love. Nothing earth-shattering on the surface, but in my body and my heart, it’s all feeling different.
And it’s amazing how much meaning can be packed into a scoop of ice cream.
🍦 The Ice Cream That Marked a Milestone
This photo of Milo holding his Baskin-Robbins ice cream might just look like a cute treat — and it was a treat, one he’d been asking for for months. But for us, it marked something much bigger: the moment he went to sleep without melatonin for the first time in years.
Here’s what happened.
A few weeks ago, I made a deal with him: “If you stay in bed after bedtime and don’t get up, we’ll go get ice cream tomorrow.” We were trying to help him learn to fall asleep on his own — something we’d postponed, struggled with, and sort of patched over for years.
We’d been giving him melatonin nightly for the past two years. Before that, I nursed him to sleep — for a long time. Until he was four and a half. It wasn’t something I loved doing, and I haven’t shared much about it before. It was hard — on me, on him, on the whole household. And melatonin was our answer after that. It helped, in the way that a strong sleep aid “helps” — but it also created new problems. He’d be groggy, cranky, and so sleepy it was hard to connect during the evening routine.
But then something shifted — in me, first.
I listened to a book called Say Goodnight to Insomnia, and it opened my eyes to what was happening in my own sleep life. I’d been waking up in the middle of the night for years, even when the kids weren’t waking me up anymore. I’d be stuck awake for hours, trying to force myself back to sleep. I was anxious about getting “enough” sleep and starting to rely on melatonin too — and even reached out to my doctor about sleeping medication.
But Say Goodnight to Insomnia changed all of that. It introduced me to CBT-I — cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia — which studies show is more effective than sleeping pills, without the side effects or dependency.
I made some big changes: adjusted my sleep schedule, spent less time in bed, and totally changed how I think about waking up in the night. And the result? I’m sleeping great now. Not perfect — Max still wakes up sometimes if he’s sick — but for the first time in a long time, I’m not dreading bedtime.
That inspired me to ask Milo if we could cut back his melatonin too.
He said, “How about no melatonin?”
I said, “Let’s do it.”
That night, he stayed in bed. He fell asleep on his own — and in the morning, we went out for his victory treat. That’s the photo. Ice cream that meant freedom. That meant growth — for both of us.
🚶♀️ Evening Walks in Pajamas
The next photo shows something new that we’ve started doing: a short family walk after dinner, even after the kids are bathed and pajama-clad.
This might seem like a tiny habit, but for us, it’s a major win.
Thanks to Outlive (which I’ll write more about in a future post) and some helpful conversations I’ve had with ChatGPT, I learned that taking a short stroll after dinner — even just 10 or 15 minutes — can significantly improve your blood sugar, digestion, and overall health. It doesn’t have to be power walking. Just a gentle, relaxed loop around the neighborhood can have a big impact.
So I invited my whole family to join me — and everyone said yes.
It’s July in Palo Alto, and the weather is magical. The kind of soft, golden evening light where you just have to be outside. The air is warm enough that the kids can walk barefoot in their pajamas. It’s silly and sweet and exactly the kind of moment I want to remember.
These walks aren’t just about blood sugar or sleep. They’re about reclaiming time together — and giving my mom and me a little space to connect outside of work and parenting. Even though we still get interrupted by the kids, we’re together in a way we haven’t been in a long time.
And yes, it does make bedtime a little later. But right now, that’s a trade I’m happy to make.
🌳 The Park Swing
One night, on one of these walks, we decided to visit a brand-new park that opened recently in our neighborhood. It had been under construction for what felt like years, and now it’s just five blocks away — a little oasis we didn’t know we needed.
That’s where I snapped the third photo: my mom on the big circular swing, holding Max, both of them smiling in the evening light.
It wasn’t planned. We were just walking, and then there they were — swinging. Laughing. Connecting.
I rarely see my mom play like that. It was beautiful.
And I got to be the one behind the camera — witnessing and remembering.
📚 What I’m Learning
I’ve been reading a lot lately — and when I read, I do. I follow the instructions. I experiment. I change things. And I tell my friends and family about it, too.
Here’s what’s shaping my days right now:
- Say Goodnight to Insomnia – This book helped me change the way I sleep. I’m off melatonin and sleeping so much better — and Milo is too.
- Outlive – This book has completely changed the way I think about longevity, health, movement, and how we age. I’m just scratching the surface — but I’ll be writing more soon.
- The Oxygen Advantage – I’m experimenting with nose breathing, breath-holds, and new ways to train while walking, biking, and running. It’s all very cool and feels like a perfect fit for where I’m headed.
I’ve even been sharing with my family what I’m learning about fitness, longevity, and breathing. I love being able to share what I’m learning with the people I love.
🧶 Knitting, Sleep, and Letting Go
You know what all of this reminds me of? Knitting.
Knitting and sleep actually have a lot in common. When I was struggling to fall asleep, I realized I was doing what so many beginner knitters do: gripping too tightly. Trying too hard. Forcing something that should be rhythmic and natural.
Both sleep and knitting reward trust over tension. You have to let your hands — and your body — do what they know how to do. You can’t force a stitch. You can’t force sleep. But with rhythm, breath, and repetition, both become easier.
Like a knit stitch, sleep comes more easily when you let go — not when you push harder.
💬 A Quiet Close
I don’t know what your summer looks like — or what routines you’re working to shift — but I hope you find something small that helps.
Maybe it’s one less pill. Maybe it’s a walk in pajamas. Maybe it’s watching someone you love laugh on a swing.
It all counts.
Let me know if you want me to dive deeper into Outlive or The Oxygen Advantage next time — or if you’ve made a little change that’s bringing you joy. I’d love to hear.
💙
Liat
40+ 
500+ 
Individual support — 
22 thoughts on “Ice Cream, Evening Walks, and Letting Go of Melatonin: A Summer of Sleep and Self-Care”