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Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams Pocketbok – 1 Februari 2018
Engelska utgåvan
av
Mathew Walker
(Författare)
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Using science to explain why sleep is so essential, the author is a neuroscientist and sleep expert who has spent nearly 20 years studying the effects of sleep on our brains and bodies. Reveals the links between sleep and the treatment of a range of health issues including Alzheimer's
- Längd (tryckt bok)368 sidor
- SpråkEngelska
- UtgivarePenguin Group
- Publiceringsdatum1 Februari 2018
- ISBN-109780141983769
- ISBN-13978-0141983769
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Från baksidan
Sleep is one of the most important aspects of our life, health and longevity and yet it is increasingly neglected in twenty-first-century society, with devastating consequences: every major disease in the developed world - Alzheimer's, cancer, obesity, diabetes - has very strong causal links to deficient sleep.
Until very recently, science had no answer to the question of why we sleep, or what good it served, or why its absence is so damaging to our health. Compared to the other basic drives in life - eating, drinking, and reproducing - the purpose of sleep remained elusive.
Now, in this book, the first of its kind written by a scientific expert, Professor Matthew Walker explores twenty years of cutting-edge research to solve the mystery of why sleep matters. Looking at creatures from across the animal kingdom as well as major human studies, Why We Sleep delves in to everything from what really happens during REM sleep to how caffeine and alcohol affect sleep and why our sleep patterns change across a lifetime, transforming our appreciation of the extraordinary phenomenon that safeguards our existence.
Until very recently, science had no answer to the question of why we sleep, or what good it served, or why its absence is so damaging to our health. Compared to the other basic drives in life - eating, drinking, and reproducing - the purpose of sleep remained elusive.
Now, in this book, the first of its kind written by a scientific expert, Professor Matthew Walker explores twenty years of cutting-edge research to solve the mystery of why sleep matters. Looking at creatures from across the animal kingdom as well as major human studies, Why We Sleep delves in to everything from what really happens during REM sleep to how caffeine and alcohol affect sleep and why our sleep patterns change across a lifetime, transforming our appreciation of the extraordinary phenomenon that safeguards our existence.
Om författaren
Charlotte y Peter Fiell son dos autoridades en historia, teoría y crítica del diseño y han escrito más de sesenta libros sobre la materia, muchos de los cuales se han convertido en éxitos de ventas. También han impartido conferencias y cursos como profesores invitados, han comisariado exposiciones y asesorado a fabricantes, museos, salas de subastas y grandes coleccionistas privados de todo el mundo. Los Fiell han escrito numerosos libros para TASCHEN, entre los que se incluyen 1000 Chairs, Diseño del siglo XX, El diseño industrial de la A a la Z, Scandinavian Design y Diseño del siglo XXI.
Produktinformation
- ASIN : 0141983760
- Utgivare : Penguin Group; 1:a utgåvan (1 Februari 2018)
- Språk : Engelska
- Pocketbok : 368 sidor
- ISBN-10 : 9780141983769
- ISBN-13 : 978-0141983769
- Rangordning för bästsäljare: #258 i Böcker (Visa Topp 100 i Böcker)
- #1 i Neuropsykologi
- #1 i Psykologi och hypnos
- #1 i Neurovetenskap
- Kundrecensioner:
Kundrecensioner
4,7 av 5 stjärnor
4,7 av 5
13 475 övergripande betyg
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4,0 av 5 stjärnor
Good book but disappointed in how it was delivered by amazon
Recenserat i Sverige den 9 januari 2021
Great book but unfortunately it did not come in a good condition. I wanted to give it away as a present but it was not possible.
Recenserat i Sverige den 9 januari 2021
Bilder i den här recensionen
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Populäraste recensionerna
Toppenrecension från Sverige
Det gick inte att filtrera recensionerna just nu. Försök igen senare.
Recenserad i Sverige 🇸🇪 den 9 januari 2021
Rapportera missbruk
Great book but unfortunately it did not come in a good condition. I wanted to give it away as a present but it was not possible.

4,0 av 5 stjärnor
Good book but disappointed in how it was delivered by amazon
Recenserad i Sverige 🇸🇪 den 9 januari 2021
Great book but unfortunately it did not come in a good condition. I wanted to give it away as a present but it was not possible.
Recenserad i Sverige 🇸🇪 den 9 januari 2021
Bilder i den här recensionen


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Populäraste recensionerna från andra länder

Arupratan
5,0 av 5 stjärnor
Trust Me, Don't Mess With Sleep
Recenserad i Indien 🇮🇳 den 7 augusti 2019
Sleep is a mystery. And this book is a lifesaver.
For normal folks like you and me, and for doctors or scientists as well, sleep's been always a mysterious phenomena. We humans sleep (preferably) one third of our whole life. This is an enormous amount of time which demands some attention. Though historically the attention has not been allotted to sleep it deserves, academically or culturally.
If you read this book (and you should; whether you love or hate or enjoy or avoid or have problem with or have some queries on sleeping) you'd understand why the evolutionary process didn't eliminate sleep from our biological dictionary. Why, though seemingly unnecessary/time-wasting/futile/unproductive, we still need to get a good night's sleep to get a long list of physiological, biological, psychological benefits. And if you by any chance fail to get the necessary amount of sleep (voluntarily or otherwise), you're a big gambler who doesn't have the idea about the grave repercussions. (No kidding.)
This book will be beneficial to everybody except those smart dudes who have unwavering faith in some generic and prejudiced sayings like: "Six hours of sleep is enough for a functional adult" or "You'll have chance to sleep all you need when you're dead" or "Our great leader sleeps only four hours/day, hence I should do the same to be like him." etc.
Don't trust them for Kumbhkarna's sake. Don't mess with sleep.
Some curious takeaways from the book:
● Not only the starting phase of sleep is important, when you're going to wake up in the morning is equally significant too. If you get up earlier without fulfilling your sleep-quota, there will be consequences. Serious consequences.
● Melatonin doesn't make you feel drowsy; it just reminds your brain, "Time to go to bed, fella." Part of a whole set of timekeeping mechanism actually. The chemical substance which in fact pressurize your system to make you feel sleepy is named Adenosine.
● Dreaming makes you more visionary/creative/shrewd, really. And dreaming is not just some "commercial breaks" between slumber, it has serious impact on your mindset/thinking/worldview/self assessment and many things more.
● Homo sapiens is "biphasic" in case of sleep requirement. That is, we humans are biologically inclined to get sleep two times a day. Taking a siesta is not just a cultural phenomena in origin, but deeply biological. Dozing after lunchtime is absolutely human-like, nothing shameful if you think so.
● It's not mere practice that makes a person perfect. Practice, followed by a good night of sleep is what required for perfection. And the writer is serious about that.
● You can sleep as many hours trying to recover/make up the sleep that you've lost or skipped; but make no mistake, humans can never "sleep back"/rebound the sleep once lost.
● "Night owls" are real, not myth. As real as the "Morning larks" are. Don't bully them; or feel guilty of being one.
● Caffeine is the most widely used (rather abused) addictive psychoactive stimulant drug in the world. It is also the only addictive substance that we readily give to our children and teens.
● And a lot more.
For normal folks like you and me, and for doctors or scientists as well, sleep's been always a mysterious phenomena. We humans sleep (preferably) one third of our whole life. This is an enormous amount of time which demands some attention. Though historically the attention has not been allotted to sleep it deserves, academically or culturally.
If you read this book (and you should; whether you love or hate or enjoy or avoid or have problem with or have some queries on sleeping) you'd understand why the evolutionary process didn't eliminate sleep from our biological dictionary. Why, though seemingly unnecessary/time-wasting/futile/unproductive, we still need to get a good night's sleep to get a long list of physiological, biological, psychological benefits. And if you by any chance fail to get the necessary amount of sleep (voluntarily or otherwise), you're a big gambler who doesn't have the idea about the grave repercussions. (No kidding.)
This book will be beneficial to everybody except those smart dudes who have unwavering faith in some generic and prejudiced sayings like: "Six hours of sleep is enough for a functional adult" or "You'll have chance to sleep all you need when you're dead" or "Our great leader sleeps only four hours/day, hence I should do the same to be like him." etc.
Don't trust them for Kumbhkarna's sake. Don't mess with sleep.
Some curious takeaways from the book:
● Not only the starting phase of sleep is important, when you're going to wake up in the morning is equally significant too. If you get up earlier without fulfilling your sleep-quota, there will be consequences. Serious consequences.
● Melatonin doesn't make you feel drowsy; it just reminds your brain, "Time to go to bed, fella." Part of a whole set of timekeeping mechanism actually. The chemical substance which in fact pressurize your system to make you feel sleepy is named Adenosine.
● Dreaming makes you more visionary/creative/shrewd, really. And dreaming is not just some "commercial breaks" between slumber, it has serious impact on your mindset/thinking/worldview/self assessment and many things more.
● Homo sapiens is "biphasic" in case of sleep requirement. That is, we humans are biologically inclined to get sleep two times a day. Taking a siesta is not just a cultural phenomena in origin, but deeply biological. Dozing after lunchtime is absolutely human-like, nothing shameful if you think so.
● It's not mere practice that makes a person perfect. Practice, followed by a good night of sleep is what required for perfection. And the writer is serious about that.
● You can sleep as many hours trying to recover/make up the sleep that you've lost or skipped; but make no mistake, humans can never "sleep back"/rebound the sleep once lost.
● "Night owls" are real, not myth. As real as the "Morning larks" are. Don't bully them; or feel guilty of being one.
● Caffeine is the most widely used (rather abused) addictive psychoactive stimulant drug in the world. It is also the only addictive substance that we readily give to our children and teens.
● And a lot more.


Arupratan
Recenserad i Indien 🇮🇳 den 7 augusti 2019
For normal folks like you and me, and for doctors or scientists as well, sleep's been always a mysterious phenomena. We humans sleep (preferably) one third of our whole life. This is an enormous amount of time which demands some attention. Though historically the attention has not been allotted to sleep it deserves, academically or culturally.
If you read this book (and you should; whether you love or hate or enjoy or avoid or have problem with or have some queries on sleeping) you'd understand why the evolutionary process didn't eliminate sleep from our biological dictionary. Why, though seemingly unnecessary/time-wasting/futile/unproductive, we still need to get a good night's sleep to get a long list of physiological, biological, psychological benefits. And if you by any chance fail to get the necessary amount of sleep (voluntarily or otherwise), you're a big gambler who doesn't have the idea about the grave repercussions. (No kidding.)
This book will be beneficial to everybody except those smart dudes who have unwavering faith in some generic and prejudiced sayings like: "Six hours of sleep is enough for a functional adult" or "You'll have chance to sleep all you need when you're dead" or "Our great leader sleeps only four hours/day, hence I should do the same to be like him." etc.
Don't trust them for Kumbhkarna's sake. Don't mess with sleep.
Some curious takeaways from the book:
● Not only the starting phase of sleep is important, when you're going to wake up in the morning is equally significant too. If you get up earlier without fulfilling your sleep-quota, there will be consequences. Serious consequences.
● Melatonin doesn't make you feel drowsy; it just reminds your brain, "Time to go to bed, fella." Part of a whole set of timekeeping mechanism actually. The chemical substance which in fact pressurize your system to make you feel sleepy is named Adenosine.
● Dreaming makes you more visionary/creative/shrewd, really. And dreaming is not just some "commercial breaks" between slumber, it has serious impact on your mindset/thinking/worldview/self assessment and many things more.
● Homo sapiens is "biphasic" in case of sleep requirement. That is, we humans are biologically inclined to get sleep two times a day. Taking a siesta is not just a cultural phenomena in origin, but deeply biological. Dozing after lunchtime is absolutely human-like, nothing shameful if you think so.
● It's not mere practice that makes a person perfect. Practice, followed by a good night of sleep is what required for perfection. And the writer is serious about that.
● You can sleep as many hours trying to recover/make up the sleep that you've lost or skipped; but make no mistake, humans can never "sleep back"/rebound the sleep once lost.
● "Night owls" are real, not myth. As real as the "Morning larks" are. Don't bully them; or feel guilty of being one.
● Caffeine is the most widely used (rather abused) addictive psychoactive stimulant drug in the world. It is also the only addictive substance that we readily give to our children and teens.
● And a lot more.
Bilder i den här recensionen






Ella Guru
1,0 av 5 stjärnor
Cod psychology
Recenserad i Storbritannien den 29 december 2018
I'm afraid this book is undermined by too many nonsequiturs. The fact that two things typically occur together does not mean that one causes the other. I note the huge number of glowing reviews on the book cover and within its introductory pages are written by journalists, not scientists. I'd be interested to know what scientists in the author's line of business thinks of it. Be very wary of accepting it's conclusions without a great deal of scepticism.

Debbie
5,0 av 5 stjärnor
Everyone should read this book
Recenserad i Storbritannien den 3 juni 2018
Everyone should read this book - and act on its advice. it's a thorough and wide-ranging review of all aspects of sleep and its impact on the individual and on society locally and globally.
First addressing the process of sleep, why the different phases of sleep are necessary to health, and how modern life and technology disrupt healthy and natural sleep patterns, Walker sets a persuasive context for the problems caused by lack of sleep, from "drowsy driving" (responsible for more avoidable deaths than alcohol and drugs combined) to medical errors by sleep-deprived doctors, from depleting personal happiness to severely hampering the immune system.
At my age, the particularly powerful wake-up call (ho ho) for me is the much greater chance of premature death, even in your sixties.
We're reading this book for the BBC Radio Gloucestershire Book Club in June, and I'm glad this will help give his findings more of an audience. It's already an international bestseller, but I wonder how many people have truly changed their sleeping habits long term as a result? I hope I can find the resolve to change mine before it's too late, and I will be pressing this book on everyone I know with evangelical zeal. Part of me is also gratified to find scientific confirmation of old wives' tales and instincts about sleep: "an hour before midnight is worth two after", "Sleep is nature's healer", "Got to get my beauty sleep", etc. These and many more are all unassailable according to Walker. if we put old wives in charge of the world, it would be a much healthier, happier and peaceful place.
First addressing the process of sleep, why the different phases of sleep are necessary to health, and how modern life and technology disrupt healthy and natural sleep patterns, Walker sets a persuasive context for the problems caused by lack of sleep, from "drowsy driving" (responsible for more avoidable deaths than alcohol and drugs combined) to medical errors by sleep-deprived doctors, from depleting personal happiness to severely hampering the immune system.
At my age, the particularly powerful wake-up call (ho ho) for me is the much greater chance of premature death, even in your sixties.
We're reading this book for the BBC Radio Gloucestershire Book Club in June, and I'm glad this will help give his findings more of an audience. It's already an international bestseller, but I wonder how many people have truly changed their sleeping habits long term as a result? I hope I can find the resolve to change mine before it's too late, and I will be pressing this book on everyone I know with evangelical zeal. Part of me is also gratified to find scientific confirmation of old wives' tales and instincts about sleep: "an hour before midnight is worth two after", "Sleep is nature's healer", "Got to get my beauty sleep", etc. These and many more are all unassailable according to Walker. if we put old wives in charge of the world, it would be a much healthier, happier and peaceful place.

Carnivore
2,0 av 5 stjärnor
disappointing
Recenserad i USA 🇺🇸 den 8 oktober 2018
After hearing the author on the Joe Rogan podcast I excitedly bought the book...and then regretted it. The author went on a nauseating rant by telling us that sleep is important in 312 different ways...and yet didn't really offer any solid advice to help us get more sleep. In other words he stated the obvious, but didn't offer anything concrete or practical. I have no doubt he is an amazing sleep expert, but we all know that sleep is good for you. The challenge is figuring out how to get more of it or better quality.
I'll save you the money by summarizing the book:
"Sleep is really, really, really, really, really important. If you don't get enough sleep, you could have many problems because sleep is really, really, really important. I'm not going to tell you how to get better or more sleep, I will only tell you that sleep is really important."
Personally, I think he's holding out on this information for his next book. Grrrrrrrr.
I'll save you the money by summarizing the book:
"Sleep is really, really, really, really, really important. If you don't get enough sleep, you could have many problems because sleep is really, really, really important. I'm not going to tell you how to get better or more sleep, I will only tell you that sleep is really important."
Personally, I think he's holding out on this information for his next book. Grrrrrrrr.

Dr T Quin
5,0 av 5 stjärnor
This is a book with a message
Recenserad i Storbritannien den 28 augusti 2020
I don’t think I’ve ever given a book 5 stars. This book isn’t especially well written and in places lacks rigour, however it has a message we must all take on board.
If you struggle with sleep, either because you don’t find the time to sleep or because of an underlying physiological or psychological cause, or if you are concerned about the welfare of your employees, or if you have any responsibility for health or education, this is a book you should read.
It’s a scary book. Sleep deprivation is the norm in our society. We need to understand the damage this causes to our quality of life and life expectancy. From the numbers, sleep deprivation is a more serious pandemic than Covid 19.
Perhaps this is hyperbole? Perhaps I’ve drunk the Kool Aid? Perhaps not.
Walker has a message he wants to get across, but in the process he also provides a good understanding of why we need sleep, and why we need to dream. An interesting point the book raises early on: perhaps the question isn’t why we (and all animals) need sleep, but rather why do we wake into consciousness? Why do we need a waking state?
Before artificial lighting, the onset of evening would start the body’s sleep preparation process, in particular by regulating the production of melatonin. Modern “white” LEDs have made the situation worse compared to the softer, longer wave length light from tungsten filament bulbs. The higher blue content delays the production of melatonin needed for sleep. Computer screens, phones, and other modern devices have the same problem. Reading by iPad is much worse than reading a paper book, significantly depressing levels of melatonin.
One of sleep’s functions is to ensure that what we learn during the day is absorbed into our long term memories. Walker reports studies that show how detrimental sleeping pills are to this night-time learning retention. Sedation is not the same as sleep.Sleeping pills promote sedation, not natural sleep: brain wave recordings show that these are two very different states.
Worse is the impact of (commonly subscribed) sleeping pills on our health. Even when all confounding factors are accounted for, light users of sleeping pills were 3.6 more likely, and heavy users of sleeping pills 5.3 times more likely, to die within the 2.5 year test period than non users. Those who took sleeping pills were 40% more likely to die of cancer during the test period.
If you have adolescent children, or if you recall your own adolescence, you’ll appreciate how hard it is for an adolescent to get up at what an adult might consider a “normal” time. Walker graphically describes the damage caused to a child’s development through early starts and the benefit of delaying school to a time that fits in with an adolescent’s circadian rhythm. The problem is worse for disadvantaged children, who are more likely to be bussed to school and so have to rise even earlier. In the US, traffic accidents are a leading cause of death in school children, where pupils frequently drive themselves to school. When school start times were delayed, the death rate reduced. The benefit was greater than the introduction of antilock brakes.
There is a strong link between insufficient sleep and ADHD, given that the symptoms are so similar. Studies quoted by Walker indicate that 50% of those diagnosed with ADHD in fact have a sleep disorder. Aderall and Ritalin are commonly prescribed for ADHD, but these are powerful stimulants and so often make matters worse.
Perhaps of most concern is the attitude toward doctors and health workers. It’s not uncommon for a junior doctor (which covers most doctors you will meet) to work 24 hour shifts. Why? The gruelling hours and the residency programme doctors are subject to, both in the US and here in the UK, was instigated by William Stewart Halsted in 1889 at Johns Hopkins hospital. But Halsted was a cocaine and morphine addict. His relentless drive was the result of his cocaine addiction.
After 22 hours, performance deteriorates to the level of someone who is legally drunk. One in 20 residents will kill a patient through lack of sleep.
The book offers only limited advice to those who struggle to get a good night’s sleep, though the appendix gives twelve ideas on how we can help ourselves achieve the necessary 8 hours. Here’s a summary (I don’t think I’m breaching copyright; rather that Walker would appreciate the evangelism):
1. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day
2. Exercise regularly, but not in the hours before you go to bed
3. Avoid caffeine and nicotine
4. Avoid alcohol, particularly before bed
5. Avoid large meals in the hours before bed
6. If possible, avoid medicines with an adverse impact on sleep
7. Don’t take a nap in the last 9 hours of the day
8. Relax and unwind in the hours before bed
9. A hot bath before bed can encourage appropriate body temperature regulation
10. Keep the bedroom dark and relatively cool
11. Have the right light exposure: sunlight or white/blue light in the day, warmer/softer (crepuscular) light in the evening
12. Don’t lie in bed awake. Get up and do something relaxing until you feel sleep
The emphasis of the book is on society’s atrocious attitude to sleep: that sleep is a waste of time, that real men (and women) don’t need 8 hours sleep.
Society has to change. We have to change.
If you struggle with sleep, either because you don’t find the time to sleep or because of an underlying physiological or psychological cause, or if you are concerned about the welfare of your employees, or if you have any responsibility for health or education, this is a book you should read.
It’s a scary book. Sleep deprivation is the norm in our society. We need to understand the damage this causes to our quality of life and life expectancy. From the numbers, sleep deprivation is a more serious pandemic than Covid 19.
Perhaps this is hyperbole? Perhaps I’ve drunk the Kool Aid? Perhaps not.
Walker has a message he wants to get across, but in the process he also provides a good understanding of why we need sleep, and why we need to dream. An interesting point the book raises early on: perhaps the question isn’t why we (and all animals) need sleep, but rather why do we wake into consciousness? Why do we need a waking state?
Before artificial lighting, the onset of evening would start the body’s sleep preparation process, in particular by regulating the production of melatonin. Modern “white” LEDs have made the situation worse compared to the softer, longer wave length light from tungsten filament bulbs. The higher blue content delays the production of melatonin needed for sleep. Computer screens, phones, and other modern devices have the same problem. Reading by iPad is much worse than reading a paper book, significantly depressing levels of melatonin.
One of sleep’s functions is to ensure that what we learn during the day is absorbed into our long term memories. Walker reports studies that show how detrimental sleeping pills are to this night-time learning retention. Sedation is not the same as sleep.Sleeping pills promote sedation, not natural sleep: brain wave recordings show that these are two very different states.
Worse is the impact of (commonly subscribed) sleeping pills on our health. Even when all confounding factors are accounted for, light users of sleeping pills were 3.6 more likely, and heavy users of sleeping pills 5.3 times more likely, to die within the 2.5 year test period than non users. Those who took sleeping pills were 40% more likely to die of cancer during the test period.
If you have adolescent children, or if you recall your own adolescence, you’ll appreciate how hard it is for an adolescent to get up at what an adult might consider a “normal” time. Walker graphically describes the damage caused to a child’s development through early starts and the benefit of delaying school to a time that fits in with an adolescent’s circadian rhythm. The problem is worse for disadvantaged children, who are more likely to be bussed to school and so have to rise even earlier. In the US, traffic accidents are a leading cause of death in school children, where pupils frequently drive themselves to school. When school start times were delayed, the death rate reduced. The benefit was greater than the introduction of antilock brakes.
There is a strong link between insufficient sleep and ADHD, given that the symptoms are so similar. Studies quoted by Walker indicate that 50% of those diagnosed with ADHD in fact have a sleep disorder. Aderall and Ritalin are commonly prescribed for ADHD, but these are powerful stimulants and so often make matters worse.
Perhaps of most concern is the attitude toward doctors and health workers. It’s not uncommon for a junior doctor (which covers most doctors you will meet) to work 24 hour shifts. Why? The gruelling hours and the residency programme doctors are subject to, both in the US and here in the UK, was instigated by William Stewart Halsted in 1889 at Johns Hopkins hospital. But Halsted was a cocaine and morphine addict. His relentless drive was the result of his cocaine addiction.
After 22 hours, performance deteriorates to the level of someone who is legally drunk. One in 20 residents will kill a patient through lack of sleep.
The book offers only limited advice to those who struggle to get a good night’s sleep, though the appendix gives twelve ideas on how we can help ourselves achieve the necessary 8 hours. Here’s a summary (I don’t think I’m breaching copyright; rather that Walker would appreciate the evangelism):
1. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day
2. Exercise regularly, but not in the hours before you go to bed
3. Avoid caffeine and nicotine
4. Avoid alcohol, particularly before bed
5. Avoid large meals in the hours before bed
6. If possible, avoid medicines with an adverse impact on sleep
7. Don’t take a nap in the last 9 hours of the day
8. Relax and unwind in the hours before bed
9. A hot bath before bed can encourage appropriate body temperature regulation
10. Keep the bedroom dark and relatively cool
11. Have the right light exposure: sunlight or white/blue light in the day, warmer/softer (crepuscular) light in the evening
12. Don’t lie in bed awake. Get up and do something relaxing until you feel sleep
The emphasis of the book is on society’s atrocious attitude to sleep: that sleep is a waste of time, that real men (and women) don’t need 8 hours sleep.
Society has to change. We have to change.