The rare book that may help sufferers of poor sleep improve their quality of rest simply by elucidating the context of good...
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.Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-58360-5
Page Count: 272
Publisher: New American Library
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2017
A broad introduction, then, rather than a self-help guide; and any serious application of these techniques would have to be...
General discussion of some possibilities offered by alternative therapies to improve the health of those with diabetes. Guthrie (retired from the University of Kansas School of Medicine) is certified in holistic nursing and healing touch. She treads carefully, reminding those affected that they must continue with traditional medical therapy while experimenting with any supportive complementary care. Guthrie uses the acronym PARENT as shorthand for the responsibilities of those with the disease: Positive thinking, Assertiveness, Relaxation, Exercise, Nutrition, and Touch. The positive aspect of diabetes, as proposed by Guthrie, is that simply by having the disease you will be forced to take better care of your health. Emphasizing positive thinking, she is quick to point out, by no means negates the fact that diabetes is “a terribly threatening disease.” She goes on to cover such therapies as the use of herbs, chiropractic, relaxation techniques, massage, and “journaling” (you’re writing to yourself, she counsels, so feel free to write whatever you please).
A broad introduction, then, rather than a self-help guide; and any serious application of these techniques would have to be undertaken with the guidance of a knowledgeable practitioner and the knowledge of one’s medical caregiver.Pub Date: April 14, 2000
ISBN: 0-471-34784-1
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Wiley
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2000
Vertosick’s work can be useful to those who suffer from chronic pain, as well as to those who want to better understand the...
Neurosurgeon Vertosick (When the Air Hits Your Brain, 1996) presents a clear and in-depth study of the nerve-racking nature of human pain.
Vertosick does not progress chronologically through medical or evolutionary history, as the words “natural history” might suggest. Instead, he organizes his study in a much more engaging way, with thorough examinations of various types of pain that afflict patients of every class and age. The variety of these tribulations is astonishing: Vertosick devotes entire chapters to migraine, “phantom,” and back pains, carpal tunnel syndrome, childbirth, and cancer pains. At its core, Vertosick’s study is a series of case studies, each one presenting his explanation of the patient’s ailment and portraying the steps he and other doctors took to alleviate the pain. These topics are sometimes quite personal to Vertosick, who once found himself in the “Shadowlands” of pain (suffering migraines for over a decade before learning to treat them himself). Vertosick’s suffering may explain why he is such a sympathetic writer, giving due attention to emotion and science with each case study he presents. Whether recounting his wife’s mid-labor abandonment of “natural” childbirth or investigating a milkman’s mysterious arm pains, Vertosick tells each story with an eye for critical analysis and a heart that understands and shares in the patient’s plight. He also takes note of religion, philosophy, and literature throughout, providing a holistic look at a topic that science alone cannot explain away.
Vertosick’s work can be useful to those who suffer from chronic pain, as well as to those who want to better understand the complexity of the body and the nature of human frailty.Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-15-100377-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2000
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