The sleep solution Why your sleep is broken and how to fix it

Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

As a neurologist specializing in sleep issues, Winter certainly has good credentials to back up his promise to readers that they'll finish his book with a "newfound sense of what it means to have healthy sleep." This can clearly be an elusive thing; a researcher in 2007 found that as much as 1/3 of the U.S. population suffers from insomnia. Despite that daunting statistic, Winter provides some reassuring context ("nobody dies from insomnia") and urges readers to stop saying they "don't sleep, or can't sleep." After enlightening readers about the brain chemistry involved with sleep and insomnia, the book provides a number of quick and easy steps to take: ditch the antihistamines, create a nurturing environment, identify (and eliminate) certain bad habits. Winter lists the "10 sleep commandments" and addresses the role of sleeping pills (they're okay, with an exit plan) and naps. Throughout, there are quick quizzes, occasional exercises, and useful and brief "cutting-edge science" tidbits. Near the conclusion, Winter spends two chapters summarizing specific disorders, including sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and narcolepsy. The book ends on a pragmatic but encouraging note, reassuring readers that achieving healthy sleep is possible, with patience-the process may take some time. Agent: Jeff Kleinman, Folio Literary Management.(Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

---

Review by Library Journal Review

Have insomnia? Are you someone who says, "I just don't sleep!"? Here's the good news: you do sleep. It's right up there with food and drink. If you don't sleep, you die. However, you may be sleeping badly. Winter, a neurologist and internationally renowned expert, explains why, and discusses what to do about it. His well-written explanation of what sleep is and what can disrupt it shows how to make the most of the sleep you do get. The author dispenses common advice, such as how over-the-counter "sleep aids" may work at first, but then can make one's sleep worse and possibly predispose one for developing dementia. He also discusses how to develop good sleep habits, nap effectively, arrange your optimum sleep environment, and be awake productively. Featured graphs depict normal and abnormal sleep patterns, and how they can be affected by drugs. There are suggestions for products that help keep sleepers cool, or warm; that turn off the "hamster wheel" effect; and that help insomniacs stop worrying about their lack of rest. VERDICT This highly recommended title will appeal to those who have trouble sleeping-and who hasn't? [See Prepub Alert, 10/31/16.]-Susan B. Hagloch, formerly with Tuscarawas Cty. P.L., New Philadelphia, OH © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

---

Review by Kirkus Book Review

A no-nonsense, science-based guide to achieving restful sleep from the doctor Ariana Huffington calls the "sleep whisperer."Right off the bat, Winter, a board-certified neurologist and sleep medicine specialist, dispels a powerful sleep myth: he asserts that everyone sleeps. In fact, he argues that insomnia is not an inability to sleep; instead, it reflects a person's dissatisfaction with the quality of the sleep and, in many cases, an accompanying anxiety about a perceived lack of sleep. This reorientation of the problem casts a long shadow on the crowded market of sleep solutions, and the author cuts through the noise of pharmaceuticals and gimmicks to propose natural, implementable solutions that anyone can try at home. Throughout the book, his tone is refreshingly conversational, and while he backs up his suggestions with established research, he keeps the jargon to a minimum and focuses on clearly laying out a) the most common reasons a person's sleep is disrupted or unsatisfactory and b) how to train the mind and body to regularly achieve restful, satisfying sleep. This is not to say that everyone can solve their sleep problems by lifestyle modifications alone; Winter examines the medical conditions, such as sleep apnea, that can result in disrupted sleep and long-term poor health. He also recommends an occasional device to help regulate sleep patterns or make bedtime more consistently enjoyable. However, the big takeaway is that sleep conditions are treatable without taking a pill and that, like so many things, a psychological adjustment may be the key to success. Many people will find this fact alone a huge relief from sleep-related stress and will be on their ways to achieving better rest. The rare book that may help sufferers of poor sleep improve their quality of rest simply by elucidating the context of good sleep and offering the right techniques to achieve it. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

---

Chapter 12 Sleep Schedules: I'd Love to Stay and Chat, but I'm Late for Bed I have been asked frequently over the years the following question: "What is the single most important piece of advice for achieving your best sleep?" To me, it's easy: pick a wake up time and stick with it! When I ask you, "What time do you wake up in the morning?" the answer should be one simple time. If your answer to that question is, "I get up at 6:45 and usually go to the gym or run outside," you get a gold star. However, you probably have a problem if you answer something like this: "I usually go to bed at 11:00 except on the weekends when I go out with my friends and we stay out until 2:00 or 3:00 easily. I'm usually up around noon . . . no later than 2:00 p.m. on those days. On Tuesdays I try to go to bed early, like 9:00 because on Wednesday, I have to get up early for this boot camp exercise class. On those days, I go out to my car at lunch and sleep for forty-five minutes. I feel pretty beat by the end of the week and often fall asleep early in the evening. If I do, I struggle to stay asleep and often have trouble falling asleep later. It's really hard to get up for work on Monday . . . I'm often late. Every now and then, no more than once a month, I'll use a sick day and stay home from work so I can sleep all day . . ." Wow, I blacked out there a little bit from acute boredom during that long explanation. But I have to tell you, that was a real patient story. Optimally, an individual should have a consistent bed time and perhaps more important a consistent wake time. Unfortunately, this isn't usually the case with individuals who have sleep problems. Sleep times can vary wildly in these people and they sadly do not seem to recognize that this haphazard lifestyle is a big part of their problem. In fact, they strangely often see it as working toward a solution. Some people are in complete control of their sleep schedule. No matter what happens in their lives, they are up at 6:00 a.m. and soon after in the gym getting their BodyPump class on. These individuals are dogs who wag their tails (the dog is in control, and it wags its tail). Other individuals get up and exercise if their evening goes perfectly to plan, but if their sleep is problematic one night, their schedule goes down the tubes. If it takes them an hour or two longer than normal to fall asleep, they ditch their exercise plans and sleep in. For these individuals, their wake time depends on their sleep quality. They are not in control, so instead of the dog wagging its tail, for these individuals, the tail wags the dog. I call them "dog waggers." Their sleep schedule is dictated by their sleep successes or failures. Here are some examples of dog waggers: "I went to bed early last night because I had a rough night of sleep at my girlfriend's apartment the night before." "My alarm went off at 6:00, but since I couldn't fall asleep until 3:00 a.m., I hit the snooze and called in to work later saying I was sick." "My wife was driving me crazy because I masked the basement last month but haven't painted yet, so I just did it . . . stayed up most of last night to do it. I took a huge nap when I got home from work, now I'm wired." When an individual sleeps in this way, all kinds of bad things are happening. You are teaching your body to sleep only when it's exhausted. Like a cow grazing for food, you're grazing for sleep. If you are independently wealthy and have no need to work, congratulations! Maybe the schedule of the world doesn't apply to you and you can keep up your freewheeling schedule as long as you wish. For the rest of us, the world is full of appointments, deadlines and plenty of times we need to be awake. I joke with my patients all the time that if I can't fix their sleep problems, they should enlist in the military. The army is such a wonderful environment for sleep. They do everything sleep related perfectly. Their wake up time is precise. Fall out at 5:00 a.m. Tired? You'll get over that quickly as you and your platoon head out for physical training. Change for breakfast at exactly the same time every day. Activities, more exercise, lunch, dinner, and finally back to bed so you can get up and repeat the exact same schedule the next day. Within a few days of boot camp, you will have all sorts of wonderful and exciting problems . . . falling asleep at night will most likely not be one of them. I always think about these soldiers when a patient tells me he has trouble settling at night because his "mind won't shut off." I imagine after a day of engaging in grueling exercise, being screamed at and belittled, and missing your family as you wonder what in the hell you've gotten yourself into, you might have some thoughts racing through your mind. But still, these men and women sleep. So when should you go to bed? When should you wake up? I think you see by now why we have to start with the latter. You need to select a wake time that works for your life. If you have to be at work by 9:00 and your commute is thirty minutes, getting up an hour earlier might work for you. Unless you want breakfast or maybe a shower? Unless you want to exercise or maybe you have kids who need to get up for school? The point is to pick a time that's realistic. And be sure to include time to actually feel awake.[72] Nobody opens her eyes and feels like Mary Sunshine in the morning, at least nobody over three. So be sure to give yourself some time to go from groggy to human. One more important detail: There is no such thing as a good or bad wake time. Yeah, depending on your whether you are a night owl or a morning lark, one schedule might work better than another. Are you a morning person? Getting up at 6:00 might be better than noon. Always been a real night owl? That 5:30 a.m. wake time to meet some friends for a bike ride might not be ideal. Brain schedule aside, I'm not here to judge. People in the South talk about sleeping in like they talk about sex: in embarrassed whispers. There is nothing wrong with being a night owl. It's not a sin. Establishing a consistent wake time is the most important first step in setting your schedule and solving your sleep issues. Once you've picked a wakeup time, the big question is, "How much time do I need to sleep?" Did you know the average individual eats seven Chips Ahoy! cookies upon opening the bag? Okay fine, I made that number up. But let's go with it. Now let's imagine we went to the mall and selected 100 random "average" individuals and gave them each seven cookies. Does that mean every individual would clean his plate? No. Some would eat fewer cookies while others would demand more. Should those who eat less worry about it? No. We all need different amounts of sleep. Don't get hung up on magazine articles that demand you sleep eight to nine hours every night for you optimal health. There is a good chance that whatever number they are throwing out at you is not ideal for you specifically.   [72] It's amazing to me how many people judge the quality of their sleep by how they feel immediately upon awakening. I personally feel like Han Solo after he's been released from that block of carbonite. But a few minutes later, I feel like myself. Excerpted from The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix It by W. Chris Winter All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

---