Review: Educational on the Why and How of Sleep
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 4, 2012
Book is short and to the point. I was shocked that "30% to 35% of Americans report difficulty falling asleep...10% with long standing insomnia." Those numbers are astronomical. For something as important as sleep it seems hard to believe the problem affects so many.The author mentions people don't view insomnia as a serious medical condition. That maybe but since I didn't know how bad the problem was, could it be there's a lack of awareness causing the apathy more than disbelief of insomnia's seriousness?In the Chapter "Science of Sleep" I was fascinated by the stages of sleep which I also saw in Tim Ferriss' book 4 Hour Body. The whole 'must have 8 hours sleep' has been turned on its head. Otherwise how can giraffes (way huger than us) sleep under 2 hours of every 24 hour day?Author did a good job telling how long each sleep stage should take. If you don't know some guidelines how do you know if you have a problem?Pills..."Americans spend $5 Billion a year on sleeping pills". Didn't know this and would like to know the source. That seems too gargantuan a dollar amount to believe.I knew medications as a whole had dubious benefits at best but sleep pills seem to be among the lowest performers.While I disagree with some of the foods recommended to eat right before bed the author offers a clear plan to better sleep. It's well-written and formatted. I give it 4 stars.