The Sleep Solution

by W Chris Winter

[Joséphine]

Initial thoughts: Clear writing style and direction, which is easy to follow. "The State of Sleep" might have been a more suitable title. The author considered sleeping pills and other drugs — why they're administered when they don't address the root of the problem, the impact of sleeping pills, when they are beneficial, etc. He also explained why knowledge about sleep is so limited among general practitioners and why sleep-related problems tend to fall by the wayside during health screenings.

His suggestions on how to improve sleep were clearly outlined with step-by-step guidelines. The underlying rationale wasn't new to me but the concrete plans and measures to follow are definitely helpful, provided you stick to them.

I really enjoyed the light-hearted approach and tone the author chose in addressing a topic that can be very distressing to some. Personally, I'm a night owl, so I've struggled with winding down in the evenings right them when my mind is the most active, and then getting up early the next morning. I hope that by implementing better sleep habits, I'll be able to fix my own sleep.

As much as the "how to fix it" was throughly addressed, I felt the "why your sleep is broken" wasn't dealt with in quite as much detail. Instead, there was a huge emphasis on why we shouldn't worry so much about not getting enough sleep. Fascinating coverage too, no doubt, but with that subtitle, my expectations of the book fell a little short.