The Power of the Downstate: Recharge Your Life Using Your Body’s Own Restorative Systems

“Most of us live our lives as the human equivalent of smartphones running on 10 percent battery,” warns Mednick (Take a Nap! Change Your Life), a psychology professor at the University of California, Irvine, in this straightforward “instruction manual invented by Nature.” The key to maximizing energy and avoiding accelerated aging, Mednick posits, is spending adequate time in “the downstate,” a restorative mode that gives one’s body and mind a chance to recover. It’s a time when “brain activity is low” and can happen during sleep, deep breathing, mindful moments, or even “on a walk around the block.” When one’s downstate is cut short, Mednick writes, chronic illness becomes more likely. To get the best downstate sleep, she recommends drinking caffeine only early in the day, cutting off alcohol three hours before bed, and getting to sleep by 10 p.m. On the nutrition front, readers should opt for more fruits, vegetables, and nuts, and use probiotics (though the touted fecal transplants may be a bridge too far for many). The recommendations are mostly sensible and bolstered by the studies Mednick cites throughout. Those feeling burnt out will find much to consider. Agent: Laura Nolan, Aevitas Creative. (Apr.)