The Five Best Books About Sleep to Catch Sweet ZZZs
There’s nothing worse than spending the entire night tossing and turning, willing your brain and heart to stop racing and fall asleep- until it happens again and again. If you’re one of the 70 million people who frequently struggle to fall asleep, reading a book might help.
To help you out, I’ve created a comprehensive list of the best books on sleeping. These books can give you a better, in-depth understanding of your sleep patterns, from data-backed advice and expert guidance to healthy sleeping habits and effective tactics.
The Top Books on Sleeping to Improve Your Snooze Time-Read To Cure Insomnia
Here are the five best books on sleep to help you enhance your sleep quality:
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
Why I Love It
Neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker unveils the purpose and power of a good night’s sleep. The book answers frequently asked- and important- questions about rest, such as what happens during REM? How can sleep aids affect our sleep? And how do caffeine and alcohol damage our slumber?
Why We Sleep is a page-turner perfect for newbies curious to learn what sleep is and what happens in our brains when we dream.
Review
In Why We Sleep, author Matthew Walker examines why we really need to sleep. The neuroscientist offers an in-depth breakdown of his research from labs at Harvard and U.C. Berkely, the NBA, Pixar Animation, and the U.S. Government.
In addition, Walker uses over two decades of sleep studies and clinical practice to reveal how getting sleep can enrich our life, from productivity and the immune system to critical thinking and decision-making skills. The author also highlights the links between sleep and Alzheimer’s, autism, obesity, cancer, and premature death.
Besides this, Walker answers long-held questions about sleep and explains the physiological functions that help us fall asleep. He also describes how hormones like melatonin and adenosine affect our sleep, how the body behaves during REM, and what foods and drinks can reduce sleep quality.
Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson
Why I Love It
In Sleep Smarter, Shawn Stevenson, a top health podcaster, describes why our body needs rest. The book covers how sleep impacts every aspect of our daily life and 21 ways you can sleep better to improve your health.
Sleep Smarter is the perfect all-in-one guide for people who want to master their sleeping schedule and unveil the secrets to sleeping well.
Review
In this guidebook, Shawn Stevenson sheds light on the importance and benefits of sleep. The author shares his sleep struggles and how they motivated him to learn about the body and ways to optimize nutrition, sleep, and exercise.
Sleep Smarter offers a unique and entertaining look at how sleep impacts our brain, mind, and performance. The book tells you ways to sleep efficiently and effectively, how poor sleep quality depresses brain function, how to feel energized and refreshed daily, and what supplements you should and shouldn’t take.
In addition, the author offers a brand new viewpoint on how unknown factors like your clothes, consistent wake time, and exercises can impact your sleep. He also discusses how sleep is crucial in long-term fat loss- backed with clinical data!
The Sleep Fix by Diane Macedo
Why I Love It
The Sleep Fix is the perfect book for people seeking tried and tested sleep advice. ABC News correspondent and former insomniac Diane Macedo shares practical solutions to better sleep despite the sleep disruptions caused by work.
The book is a must-read for shift workers who want to learn sleep science and ways to identify sleep obstacles and catch sweet ZZZs.
Review
In The Sleep Fix, Diane Macedo explains improving your sleep schedule isn’t as simple as shoving away your electronics and avoiding caffeine. The author attacks what causes insomnia by interviewing sleep experts worldwide and offers practical tips to combat it.
Diane uses a humorous and encouraging tone to discuss sleep biology, bust sleep myths, and offer counterintuitive approaches to sleeping better. The author advises meal timing and technology- night-time modes on phones and TVs are not bad- and highlights relaxation exercises.
The Sleep Fix is jam-packed with information and solutions to help insomniacs- like Diane- enjoy better quality sleep and feel energized.
Tiny Habits by B.J. Fogg
Why I Love It
B.J. Fogg’s Tiny Habit book offers a comprehensive and practical outlook on ways to catch better sleep. The habit expert from Stanford University explains how improving your sleep schedule starts with adopting healthy habits.
The book introduces the concept of habit stacking and how trying to get better means transforming existing habits.
Review
Tiny Habits isn’t a sleep book; it’s a self-help that works! In this guidebook, B.J. Fogg uses over 20 years of experience coaching over 40,000 people to help you discover how you can learn healthy habits.
The author covers how you can de-stress, lose weight, improve sleep quality, and achieve any goal. You just need to learn Fogg’s magic recipe: make it easy, ensure it fits your life, and make it rewarding. Dr. Fogg’s unique and practical methods can help you transform your life.
Besides this, the author discusses focusing on the good instead of feeling bad about your failures. With this step-by-step guide, you can design healthy habits and make them stick through positive affirmations and celebrating successes.
The Circadian Code by Satchin Panda
Why I Love It
While not strictly a sleep book, The Circadian Code by Satchin Panda is a must-have for people wanting to lose weight, boost their sleep, and enhance their daily energy. With this book, you can discover the secrets to optimizing your circadian rhythm to maximize productivity and improve your health.
The Circadian Code covers an in-depth explanation of the circadian clock, including how it works and why it’s crucial, alongside proven ways to align with it.
Review
In The Circadian Code, Satchin Panda introduces the meaning and importance of your circadian clock. Dr. Panda explains how recognizing and adapting to your biological clock can help you get the best night’s sleep, optimize learning and working, and improve health.
The author dives into how you can regulate your circadian rhythm by adopting a healthy lifestyle, including limiting your window for eating four hours before bedtime, optimizing the working environment, syncing exercise, and more.
Dr. Panda skips the generic sleep advice like avoiding blue light near bedtime or not drinking caffeine and offers proven and practical strategies to reset your body clock.
Benefits of Reading Books to Help You Fall Alseep
Reading books is an excellent way of lulling yourself to sleep. Want to know how it helps? Here are several ways:
Reading Improves Your Sleep Quality
According to research, book reading before sleep improves your slumber quality significantly. A study by NCBI reveals that 42% of people who read a book in bed before going to sleep experienced an increase in sleep quality compared to 28% of non-readers.
Thus, reading a book about sleep can encourage you to optimize your sleeping environment and motivate you to fall asleep.
Reading Helps You Learn Healthy Sleep Habits
Most experts recommend adults read up to twenty minutes daily to enjoy the benefits of reading. You can relax and learn new and healthy sleep habits within several minutes!
Reading Offers Stress Relief
Insightful research shows that reading can reduce stress levels by 68%! Thus, it’s a more effective way of relaxing than drinking tea, listening to music, taking a walk, or playing video games. However, ensure you pick a book that doesn’t add to your stress.
Reading Reduces Screen Exposure
It’s no secret: blue light from your favorite electronics, whether iPad, phone, or television, can lead to poor sleep quality. Looking at screens a few hours before sleep can interrupt melatonin production.
Conversely, reading old-fashioned books (not e-books!) can help you take a much-needed break from blue light, allowing your body to relax and ease into sleep.
The Bottom Line: Enhance Your Sleep Quality and Treat Insomnia with an Expert Sleep Coach
Sleep is crucial for the healthy functioning of your body and brain. Sleeping less than the average of seven hours per day can harm your physical and mental health, including an increased risk of stroke and blood pressure and high susceptibility to anxiety and depression.
If falling asleep seems impossible, try reading one of the five books I shared. Each book dives deep into the logistics and science of sleep to encourage you to get the best night’s sleep. Additionally, you’ll find actionable tips and strategies to adopt healthy sleeping habits to combat your insomnia and feel refreshed.
Learn actionable strategies and coping habits to improve your sleep schedule by visiting my website. Click on the link to schedule a complimentary sleep consult with me, Morgan Adams, a certified sleep coach. Until then, sweet dreams!
