The importance of sleep

Sleep plays an important, and necessary, part of our wellbeing.  Ask anyone who is sleep deprived for some reason.  It may be the parent of a newborn, a shiftworker, or someone suffering from insomnia.  Without enough sleep you not only feel tired and rundown, but your body, and brain, struggles to cope with daily tasks and this affects the ability to concentrate.  In turn, work may be impacted particularly if you drive, or operate machinery or technology as part of your daily routine.

Numerous health conditions such as obesity, coronary disease and stroke have been associated with lack of sleep.

While the amount of sleep required to remain healthy varies throughout the lifespan, in general, adults require 7-9 hours of good quality sleep each night to assist the restoration of the body

When you sleep, your body rests, conserving energy and decreasing blood pressure, heart rate, breathing and body temperature. At the same time, your brain remains active, laying down memory, restoring daytime mental functioning and carrying out processes that lead to physical growth.
(Health navigator)

If sleep is proving elusive for you, for whatever reason, try some of the suggestions outlined in these library resources.

Health Navigator has a brochure, Sleep, for downloading.  This kete will help you to learn about sleep and make a plan to improve it.

Linkedin Learning offers Sleep Is Your Superpower : Your sleep improvement journey and Winding Down: Get a Better Night’s Sleep

In the first course … The Sleep Ambassador®, Nancy Rothstein, shares tips for optimizing sleep and performing at your best in work and life. Learn how to prioritize sleep, assess your sleep, create the right sleep environment, and adopt strategies to fall asleep and stay asleep. Nancy offers concrete, practical advice based on research and science—so you can master sleep as your superpower.

Winding Down is … designed to help you get a better night’s sleep, so that you can be your very best each day. 

From the book collection there is :

The sleep fix : practical, proven, and surprising solutions for insomnia, snoring, shift work, and more / Macedo, Diane
“Roughly thirty percent of the population is estimated to be living with insomnia, while many more unknowingly suffer from other sleep disorders. Macedo learned the hard way how valuable sleep is, and how it affects everything from our heart to our brain to our immune system. She had tried sleep tip after sleep tip, but nothing worked. Attacking the problem as a journalist, she got to the bottom of what really keeps us from sleeping–and the various ways to fix it. Here she helps readers understand sleep biology, identify sleep obstacles, and shift their mindset–and maybe find a good night’s sleep. — adapted from jacket” (Catalogue)
Also available as EBook Libby and EAudiobook Libby

The art of sleeping / Hobson, Rob
“The Art of Sleeping takes the reader on a journey that starts with finding your sleep base and identifies the issues that are contributing to their lack of slumber. Using the author’s personal experience, the latest scientific research, and expert advice, The Art of Sleeping will work through the three key pillars of a good night’s sleep: behaviour, environment and diet (BED). By the end of the book, readers will be equipped with greater knowledge and techniques to aid sleep and relaxation and live a happier, calmer and more successful life.” (Catalogue)
Also available as  EAudiobook Libby 

The sleep book : how to sleep well every night / Meadows, Guy
“A third of the population sleep badly, but now The Sleep Book’s revolutionary five-week plan means that you don’t have to be one of them. Using a blend of mindfulness and new ACT therapy techniques, Dr Guy shares his unique five-week plan to cure your sleep problem whether it’s a few restless nights or a lifetime of insomnia. … The Sleep Book is the sum of a doctorate degree in sleep and well over 12,000 hours spent working with more than 2,000 insomniacs in one-to-one clinics, workshops and retreat environments. Say goodbye to the vicious cycle of sleepless nights. Sleep well, maintain a positive outlook and restore the quality of life you deserve – for good.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Also available as EBook Libby

The doctor’s guide to sleep solutions for stress & anxiety : combat stress and sleep easier every night / Rosenberg, Robert S.
“…. Author Robert Rosenberg, is a leading expert on sleep disorders and is board certified in sleep medicine. In this book, he offers targeted solutions to help you identify the stressors that deter sleep and reduce stress and anxiety. Removing the obstacles that stand between you and restful sleep is the goal, and this book is the first step. Increasingly, insufficient sleep is considered a public health epidemic. In this book, you’ll find essential tools for a good night’s sleep…”– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Snooze : the lost art of sleep / McGirr, Michael
“From bestselling author Michael McGirr comes Snooze, a revised edition of the entertaining and enlightening The Lost Art of Sleep (2009). Michael always had trouble sleeping, but the arrival of twins made him realise he’d never known true exhaustion. While he celebrated these small children who brought him so much joy, he also found himself desperately searching for a few extra winks a night. In Snooze, McGirr delves into the mysterious world of sleep: its many benefits, its stubborn elusiveness and what our brains get up to while we’re in bed. He takes readers on a tour through the odd sleep patterns of some of history’s greatest figures, including Plato and Homer, Shakespeare and Dickens, Florence Nightingale (who slept a great deal) and Thomas Edison (who hardly slept at all). He looks at the demise of sleep in our ever more fragmented world, and what that means for everyone from average sleepers to those with serious sleep disorders. And he describes his own family’s quest to master the ancient art of getting a decent kip. A profound and humorous exploration of the precious resource of sleep-and the causes and consequences of getting too little of it-Snooze is the perfect book for sleepless nights.” (Catalogue)

Sleep : a natural guide / Viagas, Belinda Grant
“Sleep is an essential human need yet at least one third of the population are trying to make do with around six hours sleep a night instead of 8-9 hours. This text provides a guide to the problems and solutions looking at the effects of what we eat, when we exercise and the environment we live in.” (Catalogue)

 

 

Sleep : harness the power of sleep for optimal health and well-being / Hawker, Petra
“Make excellent sleep a life-changing reality for you – now. New science has revealed the importance of sleep as one of the key foundation stones of good health. Take control of your sleep with over 40 proven strategies, based on a 360 degree approach to achieving excellent sleep. Find targeted meditation, movement and breathing exercises; discover how light, colour, and sound could hold the key to healthy sleep; and find out how to get to the root of the underlying causes of chronic sleep problems. Reset your sleep patterns to suit your lifestyle and draw on practical techniques to overcome common sleep disruptors, including stress, jet-lag, and shift-work. Let the dream of better sleep become a life-changing reality.” (Catalogue)

Sleep : the mysteries, the problems, and the solutions / Schenck, Carlos
“Schenck, one of the most prominent sleep doctors in the country, explains and offers solutions for the most common sleep disorders–insomnia, restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea–as well as the more extreme sleep disorders including sleep terrors and dream enactment.” (Catalogue)

 

Restful insomnia : how to get the benefits of sleep even when you can’t / Kornblatt, Sondra
“Insomnia has meant nights of frustration-until now. A new program, Restful Insomnia, helps insomniacs mimic the benefits of sleep so they can greet the mornings refreshed. If you are among the 70 million sleep-deprived Americans who do battle every night, take heart! This book will show you how to use your waking night hours to quiet your mind, replenish your creativity, and relax deeply. You’ll come to accept your insomnia and discover how to derive enough of the benefits of sleep to be able to get up in the morning feeling refreshed.” (Catalogue)

If you would like more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.