Dr. Sara IvanhoeSleep Sessions
Compassionate Sleep Support
You’ve heard the advice.
You’ve tried every protocol.
It’s still not working.
Sleep Sessions begin here.
We spend so much of our lives trying to “get better” at things. Instead of seeing sleep as something to achieve, maybe it’s time to treat it as a lifelong companion—one that’s with us every night. Like any relationship, it has its ups and downs.
Sleep Sessions help you tend that relationship, combining accessible sleep strategies with mind-body practices. These techniques are not one-size-fits-all. Finding what works includes determining the right dose—the intensity, time of day, frequency, and duration of a practice—which is unique to each person. We work together to develop and adapt a comprehensive program designed to best support you.
Sleep support shouldn’t stop with how to sleep better.
It should start there.
Because even when we do everything “right,” there will be nights when sleep doesn’t arrive, doesn’t last, or simply isn’t as restorative as we need it to be.
We don’t shame you for imperfect sleep.
What happens after a difficult night matters, too.
We don’t treat poor sleep as a failure. Rather than spending the day analyzing what went wrong—or worrying about getting it right the next night—we also help you meet the day you’re actually having.
Sleep Sessions provide strategies for navigating the physical, mental, and emotional effects of a difficult night, while continuing to support the sleep you want.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is a well-established, evidence-based clinical treatment for insomnia. Sleep Sessions 1:1 Coaching serves a different role, offering compassionate sleep support for the night—and the day that follows.
Book a free 15-minute introduction →
How we work together
Reflection
Taking honest stock of your nights, your days, and yourself.
We talk for fifteen minutes, free.
You fill in an intake form, and start reflecting on your sleep each morning.
Then our first full session — an hour, your week of reflections in front of us.
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Regulation
Steadying your nervous system, building sleep momentum.
That same evening I send you a few practices to begin with.
Within two days your plan arrives, built from everything you’ve told me.
You practice it, and keep reflecting each morning.
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Resilience
Building the strength to meet a day you didn’t sleep for.
A bad night can end at dawn. It doesn’t have to become a bad day.
Then we meet again — reflect on what’s working, adjust the regulation, build more resilience.
About Dr. Ivanhoe
Sara Ivanhoe, M.A., Ph.D., oversees contemplative programming at Stanford University’s Office for Religious and Spiritual Life. Her own sleep disorder began in childhood, and is what brought her to this work. She has been teaching since 1995 and lives in Mill Valley, California.
Read her full curriculum vitae →
Schedule
Candlelight Yoga Returns to Stanford Memorial Church
Mondays, 5:30–6:30 pm
Sep 28 · Oct 5, 12, 19, 26 · Nov 2, 9, 16, 30 · Resumes in January 2027
Stanford Memorial Church, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA 94305
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Twist Yoga Teacher Training: Guest Lecture on the History and Philosophy of Yoga
Date to be announced · 12–3 pm PT · Online
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The Athlete Within: USC Mind-Body Sports Symposium
Sunday, November 8
Sleep for Peak Performance (lecture), 2:45–3:45 pm
Yogic Sleep Resources, 4–5 pm
University of Southern California, 835 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90089
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Stanford University · Milken Institute · Vogue · The New York Times · Los Angeles Times · Hollywood Reporter · Oprah Magazine
Mindful · Yoga Journal · Health · Women’s Health · Shape · Yoga for Dummies · Weight Watchers · Crunch Fitness · University of Southern California
Contact Dr. Ivanhoe
Questions about Sleep Sessions, speaking, or teaching? Send a note.
Dr. Sara Ivanhoe is not a licensed physician or healthcare provider, and is not licensed by the State of California as a healing arts practitioner. Sleep Sessions is education and coaching — complementary to medical care, and not a diagnosis, treatment, or substitute for either. She holds an MA and PhD in yoga studies and philosophy, is an E-RYT 500 yoga teacher, and has taught contemplative practice for 30 years.
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