How to sleep : the new science-based solutions for sleeping through the night

“Easy to read and comprehensive. This book offers real practical guidance.” —Matthew Walker, PhD, bestselling author of Why We Sleep A MindBodyGreen Health & Well-Being Book for Your 2021 Reading List Anyone having trouble sleeping has heard all the old “sleep hygiene” rules: Don’t drink caffeine after 2:00 p.m., use the bedroom only for sleeping, put down your screens an hour before going to bed. But as the millions suffering from poor sleep can attest, just following these overly simplistic, one-size-fits-all directives doesn’t work. How to Sleep is here to rewrite the rules and help you get to sleep—and stay asleep—each and every night. Dr. Rafael Pelayo, an expert sleep clinician and professor at the world-renowned Sleep Medicine Clinic at Stanford University, offers a medically comprehensive and holistic approach to the myriad issues that might be affecting your sleep. He begins by grounding us in the biology of sleep including the extremely reassuring fact that no one actually sleeps through the night—we naturally wake up every ninety minutes. Dr. Pelayo then tackles the major sleep issues one by one, such as snoring and its causes; the difference between transient and chronic insomnia, and how to treat each; strategies to combat jet lag; how lifestyle choices affect your sleep, including exercise (even ten minutes helps), meditation (try it right before bed), and food and drink (alcohol is a double-edged sword—it may help you fall asleep faster, but it often interferes with staying asleep). There’s advice for the bedroom—on white noise machines, ambient temperature, what to look for in a pillow—and answers to our most pressing questions, from when to see a sleep medicine specialist to how aging affects our sleep. All in all, it’s a sure prescription to help you sleep better, wake up refreshed, and live a healthier life. Easy to read and comprehensive. This book offers real practical guidance. Matthew Walker, PhD, bestselling author of #160;Why We Sleep A MindBodyGreen Health amp; Well-Being Book for Your 2021 Reading List Anyone having trouble sleeping has heard all the old sleep hygiene rules: Dont drink caffeine after 2:00 p.m., use the bedroom only for sleeping, put down your screens an hour before going to bed. But as the millions suffering from poor sleep can attest, just following these overly simplistic, one-size-fits-all directives doesnt work. How to Sleep is here to rewrite the rules and help you get to sleepand stay asleepeach and every night. Dr. Rafael Pelayo, an expert sleep clinician and professor at the world-renowned Sleep Medicine Clinic at Stanford University, offers a medically comprehensive and holistic approach to the myriad issues that might be affecting your sleep. He begins by grounding us in the biology of sleep including the extremely reassuring fact that no one actually sleeps through the nightwe naturally wake up every ninety minutes. Dr. Pelayo then tackles the major sleep issues one by one, such as snoring and its causes; the difference between transient and chronic insomnia, and how to treat each; strategies to combat jet lag; how lifestyle choices affect your sleep, including exercise (even ten minutes helps), meditation (try it right before bed), and food and drink (alcohol is a double-edged swordit may help you fall asleep faster, but it often interferes with staying asleep). Theres advice for the bedroomon white noise machines, ambient temperature, what to look for in a pillowand answers to our most pressing questions, from when to see a sleep medicine specialist to how aging affects our sleep. All in all, its a sure prescription to help you sleep better, wake up refreshed, and live a healthier life "Easy to read and comprehensive. This book offers real practical guidance."'Matthew Walker, PhD, bestselling author of Why We Sleep Sleep difficulties affect millions of people'and the problem is getting worse. The deluge of sleep advice out there, referred to collectively as "sleep hygiene" rules, consists mostly of isolated recommendations for things not to do, such as: Don't drink coffee close to bedtime. Don't watch TV in bed. Despite the popularity of these old rules, Dr. Rafael Pelayo tells us, sleep hygiene alone is rarely effective in helping people with serious sleep problems. We need new rules that reflect the growth of knowledge in sleep science and can effectively improve our health. Pelayo's approach is to first take a step back and teach us how sleep works. He explains that nobody sleeps through the night; that the need for sleep is biological, but the way we sleep is learned; how much sleep you actually need each night, and that you can't get by with less. Then, once readers understand sleep and why it's so essential to our health and well-being, he offers a clear path to better sleep, with a flexible approach that will work for anyone. He offers a strategy for combatting jet lag: use your circadian rhythms to your advantage by maximizing your exposure to daylight. He advises you to think of napping like snacking: snacks are fine to tide you over during long stretches between meals, but if snacking too much or too late keeps you from eating dinner, it's a problem'same goes for naps and a good night's sleep! And he cautions that alcohol is a double-edged sword: it may help you fall asleep, but it also disrupts your sleep cycle. The information in this friendly, accessible book will help readers sleep better, wake up refreshed, and have a healthier life "Sleep difficulties affect millions of people-and the problem is getting worse. The deluge of sleep advice out there, referred to collectively as "sleep hygiene" rules, consists mostly of isolated recommendations for things not to do, such as: Don't drink coffee close to bedtime. Don't watch TV in bed. Despite the popularity of these old rules, Dr. Rafael Pelayo tells us, sleep hygiene alone is rarely effective in helping people with serious sleep problems. We need new rules that reflect the growth of knowledge in sleep science and can effectively improve our health. Pelayo's approach is to first take a step back and teach us how sleep works. He explains that nobody sleeps through the night; that the need for sleep is biological, but the way we sleep is learned; how much sleep you actually need each night, and that you can't get by with less. Then, once readers understand sleep and why it's so essential to our health and well-being, he offers a clear path to better sleep, with a flexible approach that will work for anyone. He offers a strategy for combatting jet lag: use your circadian rhythms to your advantage by maximizing your exposure to daylight. He advises you to think of napping like snacking: snacks are fine to tide you over during long stretches between meals, but if snacking too much or too late keeps you from eating dinner, it's a problem-same goes for naps and a good night's sleep! And he cautions that alcohol is a double-edged sword: it may help you fall asleep, but it also disrupts your sleep cycle. The information in this friendly, accessible book will help readers sleep better, wake up refreshed, and have a healthier life"-- Provided by publisher