The Science of Sleep: Stop chasing a good night’s sleep and let it find you

by Heather Darwall-Smith

Experts of every kind are queuing up to warn us that lack of sleep, or the wrong kind, will bring down a bewildering array of dire consequences.

Heather Darwall-Smith's message in this book is don't panic!

Humans are biologically programmed to sleep, and by interrogating all the factors - sociological, physiological, neurological, and psychological - that might be impeding this innate instinct, each of us can work out the changes we can make in our own lifestyles to allow ourselves to sleep naturally again.

This book demystifies the bewildering data around sleep by combining science with natural self-help techniques.

Inside the pages of this illustrated guide to sleep, you'll

- A visual approach to understanding the science of why and how we sleep through info-graphics, graphs and diagrams that unpick the data and present the facts in an easy-to-follow format.
- Proven techniques and strategies for better sleep from the author - based on extensive clinical practice and drawing on the most up-to-date evidence from scientists around the world.
- The latest research and evidence to debunk the myths and misconceptions around sleep.

Heather Darwall-Smith has combined her research findings, clinical expertise, and curated techniques to create a uniquely visual approach to explaining the interrelated factors that make up our sleep habits. She also provides natural techniques to deal with these underlying causes. Humans are biologically programmed to sleep, Heather encourages each of us to work out the changes we can make to our lifestyles to nourish our body clocks for us to sleep naturally again.

The Science of Sleep provides in-depth answers to questions about sleep challenges and exposes myths and fads using science that is accessible to all. Armed with facts, this book equips readers to take control of their choices, understand and transform their sleep habits one night at a time.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Science, Self Help, Audiobook, Medical, Psychology

224 pages, Hardcover

Published June 22, 2021

Reviews

[Irene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing new here, and most of the topics get a few paragraphs at most. Very superficial. Especially irritating is that many chapters appear to address a particular aspect of sleep (for example, "I regularly wake at 3am – how can I get back to sleep?"), leading you to think it will go into some depth about the issue, but instead you are told that this is a common problem, so try to relax and think of something pleasant. If that doesn't work, you are advised to find other books that go into greater depth about meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy, etc. Some chapters, such as "Are naps harmful or helpful?" conclude that naps can be beneficial for some people but not for others. Really? Not very helpful.

[Yussef Leon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bonitas ilustraciones e informativo

[Polyj · Rating 4 out of 5]

อ่านเข้าใจง่าย มีหัวข้ออธิบายคำถามที่คนอยากรู้เกี่ยวกับการนอนหลับในแง่มุมต่างๆ

[Erdenekhuu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Чухам үнэнийг цөөн үгэнд гэдэг шиг л,..^^

[Lea Løvstad-Nilsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good, easy read book about sleep.
I wanted to read it to get a better understanding about sleep hygiene and the importance of optimal sleep, which i indeed got.

[Kate Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is soooo much in this book.
It is absolutely jam packed full of information.

This book is unlike any other book I have read in this genre. It is very dense with scientific information, but the diagrams and illustrations really help with understanding. I like the way the book is structured, it means that you can dip in and out of it when searching for specific information. I also really liked how it focusses on sleep at different ages, looking at babies and the elderly was such a contrast and super interesting. The Q+A sections were a great addition too.

Great book! Got a lot from this!

[Simona · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not recommend this book. After finishing it, I was really enamoured with it, but more than one week later I can say that it messed with my mind really badly. It gives you this idea of sort of a "good kind of sleep" and I started thinking so much about sleep that I've started having really bad insomnia and intense fear of sleep. When I go to bed I can't stop thinking about the process of sleeping and my anxiety is over the roof. I just wish I could scrap this book from my mind.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm such a pessimist when I read non-fiction books about anything where everything is explained by "this study says this" or "a study has shown" and then they reveal a study that shows some wacky results...

But overall the chapters were short, the infographics interesting and I read the whole thing.

[Abhay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read. Very practical and simple to understand. I got a few tips that are probably good enough to make this a worthwhile reading exercise. I would recommend it to my friends

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise and informative

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting, inclusive and a really enjoyable read.
i loved the illustrations too!

[Don Heiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2021 DK Penguin Random House published the American edition of Heather Darwell-Smith’s “The Science of Sleep: Stop Chasing a Good Night’s Sleep and Let It Find You." Her book examines the science that underpins how humans experience sleep by foucusing on the mechanics of good sleep, dreaming, sleep hormones and sleep circadian rhythms. She next explains stages of sleep and how these stages affect infant, teenage, middle age, and elderly life experiences. Her discussions also feature how sleep can cause unwanted events like sleep walking and nightmares. Her chapters about how sleep impacts intelligence, alertness, creativity, and lower anxiety levels are full of insights and have many helpful recommendations about how to best manage our caffeine, food intake, and alcohol consumption. Her book ends with chapters on treating restless mind-body sleep events like yawning, snoring, teeth grinding, and body joint pain. Her closing chapters also discuss how to setup sleep environments and how to improve sleep performance to overcome issues associated with Alzheimer’s disease, blindness, and micro sleep impairments (momentary falling asleep) while driving a car or interacting with others. The book’s amazing graphics, cartoon figures, and creative drawings are done by Owen Davey. Heather’s book is a wonderful learning experience and fun to read. (L)

[MK · Rating 3 out of 5]

I often hear that people living in a stressed-out society today suffer from insomnia.
It is more of an advice on how to find the best sleep for yourself.

Developing the habit of getting a good night's sleep is important for resting the body and brain and for relieving stress.

It's a good idea to get some exercise during the day, and relax in a dimly lit room with indirect lighting for two hours before going to bed, looking away from smartphone screen or TV.

It's true that the optimal amount of sleep for you varies from person to person, and it also changes depending on the temperature, whether you are tired or not.

When you wake up in the morning and are exposed to sunlight, a neurotransmitter called serotonin is secreted in your brain, which naturally makes you feel sleepy at night.

[Johnas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read for non science based readers, intuitive explanations helped me to understand how to optimize my sleep. The part where food intake right before sleeping really gets me. I have also learnt that consuming milk before sleep is helpful to get me into sleep. As a person sometimes struggles to sleep by rolling back and forth on the bed, I'm surprised that going outside for about 10 mins is helpful for me to get into sleep. Might want to repeat the part on the methods and criteria to track my sleep to keep it between 7-9hrs to ensure the sleep quality. Definitely a good read.

[Karen Hensley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The graphics in this book are gorgeous! They are also informative and helpful. I can remember more of what I learned by thinking of the great graphics.

This book has suggestions for you sleep, backed by science, but explained and illustrated in a more consumable way than Matthew Walkers "Why We Sleep". I recommend reading both books as they reinforce each other.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It's a Question/Answer type format so you can read a few pages before going to bed at night. I learned a lot. Yes, it's not deep level answers but it's not supposed to be. It's supposed to be a launching off point to find out more on your own. My poor husband probably was sick of me constantly interrupting his own reason with "Listen to this! Did you know..."

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good info! I didn't read every word in the book, but I definitely more than skimmed.
I really liked the illustrations throughout the book that broke up the text because it made the book more readable overall.

[Ellen Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't read all of it, but I skimmed most pages. There was a lot of interesting information, but it didn't dive deeply into any one subject.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adequate information about the mysteries of sleep. Not the most arresting read, but definitely chock-full of information, as I've come to expect from DK Publishing.

[Jose Fernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book feels like a literature review. It is does a good job in telling you the academic knowledge of sleep, but I would not call it an entertaining read.

[Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I was looking for. This book is a collection of every question ever Googled about sleep. I wanted to learn about the functions and importance of sleep, not tips of how to sleep better.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a quick read, but I didn’t love the format of how the information was presented.

[Drusilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick, fun, interesting read.

[Nupur · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good quick read, and I really enjoyed the illustrations, but nothing new here.

[Avi Bayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was fine.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a beautiful layout, easy to read, easy info to digest…but it’s like a beginners guide to sleep and sleep issues.

[Gonzague Kuttemann · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Sarah Graney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love!

[Càfê Sữa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Giấc ngủ như sucker punch, you gotta do what you gotta do.