1349 — “Haunted By Nightfall”

Nighttime wasn’t rest for Diego—it was danger. As a child, he was sexually abused during overnight stays with family, and his body learned that darkness meant vulnerability. Decades later, he couldn’t sleep, woke with panic attacks, kept lights on, and stayed awake until sunrise “just in case.” In this episode, we explore how nighttime trauma rewires the brain, suppresses REM sleep, reverses…