Mayo Clinic Guide to Better Sleep: Find relief from insomnia, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders

by Timothy I. Morgenthaler, Bhanuprakash Kolla

If there’s one thing a century or more of sleep science has established, it’s that sleep deserves to be a priority. It's not. We hear much about the importance of exercise to our long-term well-being, and how diet and health are inextricably linked. Sleep, however, is typically an afterthought. Complicating the matter, people commonly mistake how much sleep they get for how much they need.

As many as 70 million U.S. adults are being deprived of the restful sleep their bodies require for good health and optimal performance. Either they aren't getting enough sleep each night or their sleep is disruptive and of poor quality. It's a momentous problem, labeled as a "public health epidemic" by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sleep deprivation can have a negative effect on practically every system and organ in our bodies, paving the way for innumerable health problems. 

In this book, Mayo Clinic sleep specialists discuss why so many people today are struggling to get the sleep they desperately need. They also review several sleep disorders, including the most common culprits to a good night's sleep, insomnia and sleep apnea.

The most important message in the book, however, is that with the right approach, most sleep problems can be successfully treated, and prevented. Mayo Clinic Guide Better Sleep is packed with guidance and helpful tips on effectively treating common sleep disorders, as well as basic strategies to improve sleep quality. The book also includes personal stories from individuals who have successfully learned to manage their sleep problems and are again enjoying a good night's rest.    

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Health, Medical, Self Help

310 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 7, 2025

Reviews

[Cee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars marked up because I didn't read all of it.
To be honest, I only listened to about half of this book, not because it isn't interesting, but because it was starting to give me anxiety haha.

I went into this book looking for tips and tricks for better sleep habits and how to sleep better. Hearing continuously how lack of sleep is killing me was not helping. Yes, I know it is bad, it's fine to put it all in one chapter, please stop mentioning how I'm going to die!! Chapter 4 was great and pretty much what I was looking for.

Then it went onto all the sleep disorders and I had to start skipping things because I started wondering if I had XYZ even though I know I don't. The chapter on medication and sleep aids? For someone without a disorder all I needed was the first 3 sentences summed up as: Don't.
Got it, moving on.

For someone with a sleep disorder, this goes into a lot of great detail and even how diagnosis happens and all the different types of clinics and centers which is great knowledge to have.
I actually learned a lot about the brain and sleep. Confirmed some things and got mostly what I wanted out of the experience which is why I'm marking it as read and not DNF.

Narrator does a great job.

[Illiterate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps worth revisiting if one ever gets a sleep disorder.

[Autumn Brimm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally don't read nonfiction but when I was this I actually wanted to give it a try. I've always struggled with sleep and thought it might have some good advice. Mayo Clinic Guide to Better Sleep is an informative but slow book that discussed sleep patterns and the things in our day to lives that can impact our sleep. There were some very common facts in here but I also learned several new things about sleep cycles and their importance. I will say that there were some "facts" that were not true at all and were clearly just opinions, somewhat biased ones at that. But overall it was a well written book that highlights the importance of good sleep and a healthy lifestyle.

I'm a bit mixed on the audibook. The recording was well done but the narrator's voice had me very, very bored. That might just be a nonfiction thing but I'm not sure. It was still well done though.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting facts about sleep and sleep disorders , but far less fascinating a read than "why we sleep" by Matthew Walker. From the doctors who wrote this book the advice for everything was "see a sleep doctor and probably get some kind of prescription - medication or alternative therapies ". If you do have a sleep disorder that is one of the specific chapters, the background on your disorder would be worth the read. Otherwise, skip this book and read Walker's book.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
It does get a bit dry at times. The book goes into detail about different sleeping disorders and medications to treat them. If you don't have one, it's kind of hard to get through. Overall, I do have a new outlook on the importance of sleep, and I will be doing my best to get more of it. :)

[Nicole H · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75⭐️

[Periplus Bookshop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terlelap yang nyenyak merupakan fondasi utama bagi kesehatan fisik dan mental, namun banyak orang menghadapi kesulitan tidur yang berkepanjangan, mulai dari insomnia hingga gangguan pernapasan saat tidur seperti sleep apnea. Buku ini menawarkan pendekatan praktis dan berbasis medis untuk membantu pembaca memahami akar permasalahan tidur mereka, serta memberikan panduan langkah demi langkah untuk meningkatkan kualitas tidur secara alami dan efektif. Di dalamnya, terdapat penjelasan mendalam tentang berbagai gangguan tidur, penyebabnya, serta solusi medis dan perilaku yang direkomendasikan oleh para ahli. Teknik relaksasi, perubahan gaya hidup, hingga opsi terapi modern dijelaskan dengan bahasa yang mudah dipahami. Buku ini juga membahas pentingnya rutinitas tidur yang konsisten dan peran lingkungan yang mendukung tidur sehat. Ditulis dengan dukungan penelitian terkini dari Mayo Clinic, buku ini sangat cocok untuk siapa saja yang ingin mengatasi masalah tidur, mulai dari penderita insomnia kronis, pasien sleep apnea, hingga mereka yang ingin meningkatkan kualitas istirahat malam untuk hidup yang lebih produktif dan sehat. Para profesional kesehatan, caregiver, dan keluarga yang mendampingi pasien gangguan tidur juga akan menemukan wawasan berharga di dalamnya. Sebagai panduan komprehensif yang bisa dijadikan rujukan terpercaya, buku ini sangat relevan untuk pembaca yang peduli dengan kesehatan jangka panjang dan kesejahteraan mental. https://blog.periplus.com/2025/05/26/...

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book. It has a lot of information in it. It talks about a lot of different sleep orders that didn't pertain to me. Those I listened to and had other thoughts while listening or I fast forwarded through them. It was a pretty easy listen. I could listen to it at 3x the speed and enjoy it. I think this is a book of facts that can also be rather boring, so if you were to listen to this at bed time on a 1x speed, it might be good white noise. For sleep being so important to our bodies, there is not really a lot of options out there for us nonsleepers. I do not do meditation, nor do I ever plan to do meditation. I'm more stressed after meditation then when I started it, I just do not like it. I do like the affirmations for those of us going into bedtime with negative thoughts of not sleeping. I probably will look into CBTI. The narrator did a good job for a factual book, not much chance to create emotions or suspense in this book. I was thinking I would buy the paperback and annotate it with the useful information, but no paperback is available and the hardback is almost $20 so not worth it for that price. Most of the information I already knew about helping fall asleep. I didn't need to know the why on sleep disorders or why I can't sleep. I want to know how to be able to sleep. This didn't hold a lot of good information. I'm assuming there isn't much more out there. It was an easy listen.

[Jacob Lacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth a read, especially the first 4 chapters. The remaining chapters are very specialized for particular disorders. They can be very interesting if you suffer from any of them or you have a small child with night terrors or a pregnant wife with RLS.
This book confirms what I would refer to as "common sense medicine". If you generally feel unwell but refuse to get good sleep, eat a somewhat balanced diet, and exercise a moderate amount each week, I would suggest working on those three before even thinking about calling your doctor. The authors of this book would agree with me. Every disease, illness, disorder, and/or everyday malady is connected to the quality and consistency of your sleep. Eating disorder? Go to sleep. Depressed? Go to sleep. Cancer? Probably because you didnt sleep. Wife left you? Should have spent more time in bed. Stressed from wife about to leave you? Go to sleep. Dog have cancer? Kick your dog out of bed and you both go to sleep. Favorite TV show canceled? You shouldn't be watching TV that late, go to sleep. Just get to bed, its good for you.

[Ella Droste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew sleep could be so fascinating? Like, I went in thinking, "Okay, it’s about sleep, whatever," but it legit blew my mind. The way it breaks down the importance of catching those Z’s had me rethinking my entire life. And don’t even get me started on the tips and tricks—it’s not just some boring lecture; it’s super practical stuff that actually works. Plus, those personal stories? So inspiring and relatable. I felt seen! 😴✨

It’s wild how much we underestimate sleep, and this book totally flips the script. It’s like, “Hello, prioritize me!” but in a friendly, non-judgey way. I’m officially a sleep evangelist now and will be recommending this to, like, everyone. Five sparkling stars all the way! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Big thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion! 😍

[Jody McDevitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is eminently readable and informative. It is like having a consultation with sleep doctors in the comfort of your own home, answering the questions which are on your mind about your sleep patterns and issues. In addition, you can read about the issues which you don't have and be grateful for that!
This book, with the Mayo name behind it, is trustworthy and helpful. It is a great source of medical advice about a topic which is relevant to everyone.

[Trisha Hatfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinatingly factual and interesting. I've already recommended this book to several friends and have reached out to others with information that might help them. I'm keeping it to reference in the future for years to come..

[Eric Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative but a little too repetitive. Maybe it’s designed for the reader to read intro chapters and then applicable section(s). Even in the same section it seemed to repeat nearly identically.

[Russell Chee · Rating 2 out of 5]

first few chapters were great, after that it got a bit too specific and focused on particular things, rather like a medical treatment list. was hoping it'd be like an updated version of Matthew Walker's 'Why We Sleep', but I'd still redirect people to that really.

[Lily Hammer-Beerends · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little repeatative at times but goes into depth about quite a few sleep disorders and treatments as well as how the adverage Joe can really optimize their sleep. I will definitely be taking some of their advice!

[Jessica Sathiyanathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative but hard to listen to (if using the audiobook version). Its focus seems to educate the average person about sleep disorders, but I don't think it did a very good job of this. Good information, but not cohesive enough to be an easy read for an average listener.

[Shebbles · Rating 4 out of 5]

informative. had some great tips.

[Jake Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good bit of practical advice that could be found on their website but certainly nice to have in a book form on the night stand.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Redundant beyond belief, and much more solution-focused than "interesting reading material" focused. Still, the science seems sound and well-explained.

[Carlo Ruggiero · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing, in that I didn’t learn anything from this book that I already knew.

[Ryan Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Encyclopedic approach to sleep problems. Good general guide.