NOBODY’S SLEEPING

A sleep specialist provides an overview of common sleep disorders.

John opens his nonfiction debut with some observations that have become very familiar in the tech-suffused 21st century: Large numbers of people experience a wide array of sleep-related problems, including the widespread sleep deprivation facilitated by cellphones and social media. But poor sleep health can come from a wide variety of bad habits, as the author, a physician and sleep specialist who runs a private practice in Tennessee, argues. “It is easy to take a pill or try a new hack that you found on the internet,” he writes. “But the road to good sleep is like taking the stairs; there are no quick fixes.” He elaborates on the range of health problems, physical and mental, caused by lack of sleep, and lays out a barrage of sensible and medically sound countermeasures that readers (who are almost certainly themselves sleeping poorly) can use. Many of these tips will be familiar: Banish electronics (particularly cellphones) from the bedroom, block out all light, keep the room cool, eliminate distracting noises, keep a regular schedule, don’t exercise late in the day, avoid alcohol or caffeine anywhere near bedtime, etc. As John emphasizes, many studies show that good sleep not only improves energy and alertness, but it also improves mood and mental resilience. “Sleep is essential for all aspects of health,” the author maintains, and his straightforward delivery and prose style reinforce his authority on every aspect of his subject, from sleep apnea to snoring and teeth-grinding. It’s more and more difficult to establish and maintain good sleep hygiene, and the solutions are as clear now as they’ve always been: darkness, quiet, regularity. There’s a good deal of plainspoken and well-informed advice in these pages.

A readable, clinically grounded overview of sleep problems and solutions.