3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

How to Sleep is a comprehensive guide to understanding the science of sleep and improving sleep quality. Dr. Pelayo, a sleep specialist at Stanford University, dives into the intricate workings of sleep, offering insights into why we sleep, how it affects our health, and what we can do to ensure better rest. The book covers a wide range of topics, including common sleep disorders, the impact of lifestyle choices on sleep, and practical strategies for creating a sleep-friendly environment.

One of the book’s strengths is its practical approach. Dr. Pelayo provides clear, actionable advice on how to create a sleep-conducive environment, establish a bedtime routine, and address common sleep issues like insomnia and sleep apnea. He also addresses the impact of lifestyle factors, such as diet, exercise, and stress on sleep. His holistic approach emphasizes the interconnectedness of sleep with other aspects of health, reinforcing the idea that good sleep hygiene is part of a broader wellness strategy.

While the book contains useful information and is well-organized, readers may find it overwhelming because of the sheer volume of details and advice. The text is dry and overly scientific and repetitive in places. As someone who has struggled with chronic insomnia since the mid-80s, I discovered a few helpful things reading this book, particularly about sleep phases and medication.

Thank you NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for review.

This book was offered at the perfect time. Our daughter finally was able to get an opportunity for a sleep study (after 4 years of trying to figure out what's wrong). The advice and steps in this book were exactly what I needed to read.

On the plus side, I learned about my own sleep patterns and sleep cycles. I'm able to understand why I wake in the night and why sometimes its easier to get back to sleep than others. The book is well written and easy to follow. I found it very informative.

The author did a great job of giving advice on how to get more meaningful sleep, but also on when a professional is needed to assist with sleep issues. So many books claim to have the magic cure to sleep issues, so it was refreshing to read a book where the author admitted they are not an expert and provided insight on what worked for them and when to consult an expert.

An easy to read introduction to sleep. It may be a little basic for those familiar to the science of sleep, but good for beginners.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a very basic look at sleep issues. Some issues are given a few paragraphs of discussion, while others are only given a couple of sentences. The author often jumps from topic to topic in ways that don't make sense. This may be fine as an introduction to the subject, since the glossary does a good job explaining the terminology, but it's too simple for anyone with any background knowledge/experience in this area.

The author is a sleep physician and the book is written for a general reader who either has sleep problems or has a family member with sleep problems. He reviews common types of sleep problems (insomnia, inability to stay asleep, nightmares, etc) and suggests self help techniques, advocating for treatment by a qualified physician if home remedies aren't successful. He also reviews sleep patterns and needs at all stages of life, and he emphasizes the likelihood of obstructive sleep apnea as the underlying cause of many sleep issues and the importance of seeking treatment. The final chapter describes what to expect from a visit to a sleep physician or a sleep clinic.

The book seems simplistic at times and can be repetitive with many circular references to see a more detailed description of a concept on another page. On the whole people experiencing sleep problems will find this a simple to understand introduction to the issues.

Pretty dull and boring. The main character is not interesting and the story progresses very slowly. Not terrible but not great, maybe next time.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

How to Sleep is a short read that discusses the things you can do to get a good night's sleep. It is a great overview of the issues people face with not sleeping well, and would work well as an introduction to the topic. However, it could use more detail about each condition, more examples of what has worked for other people, and sleep surveys and questionnaires readers could take to determine whether they have an issue or not. The book is written in easy-to-understand language, making it accessible for all people. However, I was left wanting more after reading it.

How to Sleep: The New Science-Based Solutions for Sleeping Through the Night by Rafael Pelayo, M.D., explores problems that people have with sleeping including insomnia and snoring, to name a few. While he goes through the suggestions for good sleep hygiene, he says that improving a person’s sleep hygiene alone is rarely effective for people with serious sleep problems. Because I have a serious sleep problem, I was eager to read Dr. Pelayo’s book.

Dr. Pelayo offers assurance that no one actually sleeps through the night because we wake up about every 90 minutes. I have read before that our sleep does arrive in 90 minute cycles, and I have tried to calculate enough cycles to get a good night’s sleep, not always successfully.

Besides offering advice to help with insomnia, he offers strategies to deal with jet lag, says that even 10 minutes of exercise a day helps, and recommends meditation right before bed.

After reading extensively in this area because of my own sleep problem, I didn’t find anything really new here but if you need a good primer on dealing with insomnia, this could fit that need.

Dr. Pelayo is a sleep clinician and professor at the Sleep Medicine Clinic at Stanford University.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting October 28, 2020.

I would like to thank Artisan Books, a division of Workman Publishing Co., Inc., and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

If you have ever suffered from a sleepless night, then this book is for you. Pelayo gives very practical advice and his matter of fact tone puts readers at ease. He goes far beyond the cookie cutter advice that many books give and explains when to be concerned and when not to.

I didn’t like the author’s tone, which often came off pedantic and judgmental. The case study sections were entertaining but I would have liked more of them.

For someone suffering from chronic insomnia,I was really looking forward to reading this book. However, it didn't teach me anything I haven't already taught myself doing google searches late into the night. This book would be more helpful to those who experience infrequent sleep issues, not the chronic sufferer.

A great, easy to read book on sleep that manages to cover all of the necessary topics, data, and information on the subject. I really appreciated Dr. Pelayo's focus on sleep hygiene, as this is often prescribed as a one-size-fits-all approach to insomnia when in reality it has little to do with functional sleep issues.

How to Sleep
The New Science-Based Solutions for Sleeping Through the Night
by Rafael Pelayo
Artisan Books
Artisan
Health, Mind & Body
Pub Date 08 Dec 2020 | Archive Date 08 Dec 2020

Sleep! The thing we most want and some of us aren't getting enough of it. I liked this book alot. It gave good ideas on things to do to create a better sleep experience. Get enough exposure to sunlight was a big one for me.
I will recommend this to our patrons. Thanks to Artisan Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

4 star

I have chronic insomnia - so this was a very helpful book to me.
Mr. Pelayo wrote in such a way it was charming and the chapters flowed with ease.
What set this book apart from other books I've read is that Pelayo thinks good sleep is more than just "good sleep hygiene (which I have heard from COUNTLESS doctors).
The book delves into our brains, and explains how sleep works (and doesn't work).

I also appreciated that there was a section on dreams.
One thing not really covered is shift work. Many in my family are first responders and they deal with shift work that changes every two weeks.

A guick read but chock full of information.