The Essential Guide to Women’s Sleep

by Dr Sarah Gilchrist

240 pages, Paperback

Published October 21, 2025

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The Essential Guide to Womens Sleep is a non-fiction guide to help the reader understand the science behind all things to do with sleep, especially in relation to women.
Written mostly for healthcare professionals (which I am not), I still found the book accessible to read and did gain some knowledge from it I didn't already know or had heard about although I did struggle with some of the medical jargon used.
The book covers things that have an impact on sleep for a woman during her lifetime such and covers numerous subjects such as ageing, sleep cycles, hormones, menopause, pregnancy, etc which all have an impact on sleep.
It was nice to read a book specifically based on a woman's sleep and the variables at play to help understand how and why it changes.

[Whitney Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

"... over the course of a lifetime, there is an overarching difference in men's and women's sleep and this book is here to explain the whats, the hows and the whys of it."

I want to premise this review with the acknowledgment that this book was written as a guide for healthcare professionals. This shouldn't deter you from wanting to read the material to expand your knowledge of the subject as someone who doesn't work in the medical field. While there a lot of medical jargon within, the author has included an "abbreviations" section at the beginning of the book as a reference for the terms used. I read this digitally, so I just flagged the page so I could jump back to it when needed.

I decided to start reading this book pretending I knew nothing of sleep or any importance of it to women, figuring that would be the best way for me to personally absorb as much information as possible without losing myself to feeling like I was playing a lecture in my head. I'm glad I approached it this way. While there were some things in here that I had previous knowledge of, I was able to easily pick up on the new information and retain it better than I initially thought I would. Thank you to Jessica Kingsley Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this piece. My opinions on this book are my own. That being said, while this book might not be for everyone (because some may find it intimidating or difficult to read). I think it is definitely worth noting that even if you feel you may not be able to read it yourself, you can still use it as a helpful tool to open the discussion with your healthcare provider.

[Susan Hamann · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many of us have trouble sleeping. I, for one, was a great sleeper as a child. I slept through the night and my mother had trouble getting me out of bed in the morning. As I got older, sleep wasn’t as easy and as an older woman, I struggle to get a good night’s sleep. When I was offered an early copy of the book through NetGalley, I was happy to read it.

The book is meant for practitioners (healthcare professionals), but it is written in a manner that anyone can read and benefit from this book. The first few chapters give a good overview of sleep health, including the choice of bedding, sleep environment and sleepwear. An individual may choose to read the entire book, or only the chapters that may apply to their needs.

The chapters in this book are:
What is this book about then?
The What, Why, and How of Sleep
Sleep and Age
Female Sleep Specifics: Puberty and the Menstrual Cycle
Femail Sleep Specifics: Fertility, Pregnancy and Sleep
Female Sleep Specifics: Perimenopause and Sleep
Female Sleep Specifics: Sleep Disorders, Pain, and Mental Health
Female Sleep Specifics: Shift Work and Carer
Strategies for Good Sleep Health
Comments on Contemporary Sleep and Closing remarks.

[Casca Wardle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a helpful guide to read even though I am not a health professional, I was interested to know about the subject of sleep. This is very detailed and has even given me some new knowledge and insight to how sleep plays an important role in our everyday life. I myself can sometimes struggle with sleep, especially if I am feeling wide awake at night and need to be up early the next day. I actually found this book to be quite therapeutic too because I would read it at night, and surprisingly it helped me get into that mindset of being ready to sleep. I do highly recommend this book to practitioners and to anyone who is interested in learning about sleep. It is a 5 out of 5 from me.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A VERY scientific book about sleep and why it’s important. Discusses the various sleep cycles and how and why they change throughout one’s lifetime. I enjoyed it and learned a few things I didn’t know. I also did quite a bit of skimming as well. I thank Netgalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

i think this is more for doctors rather then regular people.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a useful book. It seemed more geared towards practitioners working with a client in some way - but, it would still be accessible to all readers as it was written without too much jargon. It was straightforward and matter of fact and seemed a lot more sensible than a lot of sleep gurus who I always feel could make you more stressed and consequently sleep less than helping you sleep more. Definitely worth a read.