The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix It

As a neurologist specializing in sleep issues, Winter certainly has good credentials to back up his promise to readers that they’ll finish his book with a “newfound sense of what it means to have healthy sleep.” This can clearly be an elusive thing; a researcher in 2007 found that as much as 1/3 of the U.S. population suffers from insomnia. Despite that daunting statistic, Winter provides some reassuring context (”nobody dies from insomnia”) and urges readers to stop saying they “don’t sleep, or can’t sleep.” After enlightening readers about the brain chemistry involved with sleep and insomnia, the book provides a number of quick and easy steps to take: ditch the antihistamines, create a nurturing environment, identify (and eliminate) certain bad habits. Winter lists the “10 sleep commandments” and addresses the role of sleeping pills (they’re okay, with an exit plan) and naps. Throughout, there are quick quizzes, occasional exercises, and useful and brief “cutting-edge science” tidbits. Near the conclusion, Winter spends two chapters summarizing specific disorders, including sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and narcolepsy. The book ends on a pragmatic but encouraging note, reassuring readers that achieving healthy sleep is possible, with patience—the process may take some time. Agent: Jeff Kleinman, Folio Literary Management.(Apr.)