Sleep on it
and a recipe for a quick and easy one-pot cod and corn seafood dinner
Have you had trouble sleeping lately?
If you have, it seems you’re not alone. These past two years - with their constant ebb and flow of stop, start, continue - have planted insidious little seeds of anxiety deep in our psyches. And even if we’re feeling fine on the surface, come nightfall, our ever-active minds can go into overdrive. There’s even a name for it: coronasomia.
That’s why getting away from it all has such appeal. Part of the allure of travel is that first glimpse of your hotel bed. Crisp linens, pulled taut. An abundance of pillows. Just the right headboard to make a late night read a pleasure. And that simple “Do Not Disturb” sign - tangible permission that you can sleep in guilt-free.
Do we really wait until we’re away to get a good night’s sleep? And when did sleep become both an afterthought and a problem for so many of us?
Turning back time
We’ve always had 24 hours in a day to play with. Our ancestors considered sleep to be a critical part of that cycle.
The word “siesta,” most typically associated with European traditions, can be traced way back to the ancient Romans and Greeks. The Latin roots of siesta are “sexta” and “hora”, meaning the sixth hour, the time of day when napping most commonly occurred. It’s no surprise that it also corresponded to the hottest part of the day. Yet even a healthy dose of time spent dozing didn’t stop them from philosophizing about all matters great and small - wisdom we still learn from daily.
What about the Victorians? Pre-electric light, they would go to bed as darkness fell, typically sleeping for around five hours before waking up again in the wee small hours of the morning. No screens to scroll through, so those productive Victorians used the time for cleaning, reading or relaxing before settling down for the second round of sleep.
In both instances, humans let their bodies set the clock, without the confines of a pre-ordained schedule. We lived in the world and listened to its rhythms, adapting ours accordingly.
Against the clock
As we switched on electric lights in every home, started working 9 to 5 courtesy of Henry Ford, and found better, faster ways to do just about everything, we started switching off those natural rhythms. With that seismic change, we began racing against time rather than embracing it.
And thus was born our current culture of sleeplessness. Technology, the great blessing and bane of our existence, has given us more opportunities to stay awake in a 24/7 world.
And yet…
While you sleep, your brain is hard at work forming the pathways necessary for learning and creating memories and new insights. Without enough sleep, you can’t focus and pay attention or respond quickly. A lack of sleep may cause mood problems and a chronic lack of sleep increases your risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovas cular disease, and infections.
Your Guide to Healthy Sleep, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
So what are we to do? While we may be more acutely aware of our troubled sleep patterns these days, it’s likely that our pre-Covid habits weren’t all that hot either. Our so-called “sleep hygiene” - the routines and environment that we create for the most restful night’s sleep - take thought and care.
For starters, here are a few ideas to think about. They’re not new or revolutionary. In fact, many of them may well have been practiced by our great-great grandparents. But good ideas never go out of fashion.
Get a dose of daylight every day. Along with your morning coffee, take time to drink in natural light. It helps to reset our body clocks and activate our valuable circadian cycles.
…But use your dimmer switch too. As the day winds down, limit your exposure to bright lights. Yep, that includes screens. Turn off the electronics at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
Instead…embrace the analog joy of reading a real book, newspaper or magazine. After all, old-school is cool.
Speaking of cool… A cool, dark bedroom creates the ideal environment for getting to deep sleep more quickly.
And before you get there…try some relaxation techniques. Meditation, stretching, listening to soothing music can all get you in the right frame of mind to hit the hay.
(for more great idea, check out these sleep tips from the Sleep Foundation)
Life is grace. Sleep is forgiveness. The night absolves. Darkness wipes the slate clean, not spotless to be sure, but clean enough for another day's chalking.
Frederick Buechner, The Alphabet of Grace
Look, old habits die hard. I’ll still likely enjoy a late night glass of wine even though I’d be better off not to. I might not take a daily walk, even though I really do know it’s good for me. I may still stew over the day as I lay me down to sleep, instead of counting sheep.
But I’ve started with keeping my phone anywhere but my bedside, using an old fashioned clock radio to wake up in the morning. I bought a sleep mask to stave off the early morning rays that peek through my blinds. And I take a stroll around my garden first thing, raising my face to wherever the elements have in store for me, eyes wide open, ready for the day’s chalking.
Cod and corn with Old Bay butter
Kay Chun, New York Times
Serves 4
Simple and fast and light and delicious is the perfect formula for a summer dinner that doesn’t sit heavy in your tummy. When you want to be out of the kitchen in a hurry to enjoy the late summer hours but still get to bed early, this seasonal winner from Kay Chun will be your go-to.
Tips: Make extra Old Bay butter for your next corn on the cob feast. It freezes beautifully and can also be used on grilled fish or steaks. And for outstanding cod, visit Fogo Island Fish for at-home delivery of some of Newfoundland’s finest.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
8 ounces ripe tomatoes, chopped, or cherry tomatoes
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
2 ears corn, shucked and cut into 1-inch segments
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ pounds cod fillet, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions, plus more for garnish
Warm crusty bread, for serving
In a small bowl, combine butter, Old Bay, paprika and 1 tablespoon olive oil; mix well. Set aside.
In a large pot, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add clam juice and corn, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook until corn is tender, about 3 minutes.
Season cod with salt and pepper, and add to pot. Cover and cook until cod is flaky and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in scallions and 1 tablespoon of the Old Bay butter; season with salt and pepper.
To serve, divide everything in four bowls. Garnish with more scallions and season with black pepper. Spread some Old Bay butter over warm crusty bread and serve alongside.
Sounds like a delish recipe - I must try it. And speaking of sleep, I slept almost 9 hours last night after a very busy week - it was glorious!