A Good Night's Sleep: A Drug-Free Solution [With CD]

This book and the CD have been extremely helpful not just in sleeping better, but also in overall stress reduction. The techniques are simple yet powerful. The CD is great -- I've never heard the whole thing in one session, because I always fall asleep half way through, without even trying! It's excellent. Highly recommended, even if you don't have a serious sleeping problem -- it's just a great way to relax and fall asleep.

Sadly sleep disorders are extremely common. Recent studies have indicated that around 14.7% of Americans have chronic insomnia and many more have occasional but often disabling problems obtaining sufficient restorative sleep. The consequences of disturbed sleep are not only personal discomfort and distress, but also accidents, probably including the Exxon Valdez and Chernobyl disasters. There is also increasing evidence that inadequate or poor quality sleep may also contribute to a huge burden of ill health including insulin resistance, obesity and a range of other physical and psychological problems. Frustrated by the inadequacies and side effects of some prescription sleep aids, I have spent years collecting, creating and developing non-pharmacological approaches to sleep disorders. So I wondered if there would be anything new in this book. Happily there was. The recommendations are centered around the use of visualization, breath work and meditation. Those in themselves are good common sense and have been used before, but the clarity and originality that Jan Sadler brings to them is refreshing and valuable. The book is rounded out with a list of resources and a really excellent CD in which Jan takes you through the exercises in detail. She has taught her methods to a great many people, so we know that they can be effective, even if there is not much research to support them. So will the approach work for you? That depends a lot on two things. First is the cause of your sleep disorder: no two people are alike, there are scores of different types of sleep disorder, and I am not aware of any empirical research that can guide us to say whether or not these approaches will work in a specific type of sleep disturbance. Second is whether you would like to dedicate the time and effort to try and regain control of your sleep cycle, or whether you would prefer a quick biochemical or pharmacological solution. Are you willing to spend 30 minutes or so a day to help yourself, or is it going to be more realistic to pop a pill? If you would like to try a non-pharmacological - and ultimately empowering - approach to help with your sleep, this could be an excellent resource for you. Coordinate with your healthcare provider, and if it does not work, do not continue and get sick, and do not get disheartened: there are many other resources left to try. Highly recommended. Richard G. Petty, MD, author of Healing, Meaning and Purpose: The Magical Power of the Emerging Laws of Life