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The Secret Life of Sleep
What makes us cross the line from waking to slumber? According to Harvard scientists it's our 'sleep switch' - a cluster of neurons in the hypothalamus. For the ancient Greeks it was the god Hypnos, caressing you with his wings. For the Blackfeet Indians, a butterfly. And in European children's tales, the Sandman, sprinkling you with dust.
Why do we sleep? What happens in our brains when we sleep? Why are sleep patterns in modern Western industrialised countries so unhealthy? Is the boundary between sleep and wakefulness as clear cut as we might have supposed? How meaningful are dreams? Kat Duff brings insights from her own life, from the latest in sleep science, the paintings of Salvidor Dali, the musings of Michel de Montaigne, and wisdom and rituals from around the world and the past to paint a fascinating picture of a world that is both the most intimate and the most secret to us: sleep.
Why do we sleep? What happens in our brains when we sleep? Why are sleep patterns in modern Western industrialised countries so unhealthy? Is the boundary between sleep and wakefulness as clear cut as we might have supposed? How meaningful are dreams? Kat Duff brings insights from her own life, from the latest in sleep science, the paintings of Salvidor Dali, the musings of Michel de Montaigne, and wisdom and rituals from around the world and the past to paint a fascinating picture of a world that is both the most intimate and the most secret to us: sleep.
216 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
39 people are currently reading
3063 people want to read
About the author
Kat Duff
6 books12 followersKat Duff is author of "The Alchemy of Illness" and the forthcoming "The Secret Life of Sleep." She lives in northern New Mexico, and works as a counselor and child forensic interviewer. Duff has been a fan of the essay form ever since reading Joan Didion's "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" in high school.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
December 4, 2013
The Secret Life of Sleep is about sleep.
I got this from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
While I don't suffer from sleep problems myself, I know a lot of people who do so I'm curious about the subject. When this popped up on Netgalley, I snapped it up.
The Science of Sleep covers are pretty wide range of topics.
- Sleep aids
- Sleep deprivation
- The way people's sleep habits have changed over human history
- Sleep disorders
- Different cultural beliefs about sleep
It has a lot of informative tidbits in it, which I felt compelled to read out loud to my lady friend, who works three twelve-hour night shifts a week as a nurse. Sometimes, she'd nod in agreement. Other times, she'd ask what the hell I was reading and if the laundry was still in the dryer.
Some of the topics gave names to things we've all experienced, like sleep anxiety, that feeling of looking at the clock and fretting over how much time you have left to sleep if you fall asleep that moment. Others were interesting insights to things I already knew about, like sleep walking, sleep paralysis, or sleep deprivation. I also found it disturbing just how many different kinds of sleeping pills there were.
There weren't too many nits to pick about this one. I thought the book meandered a bit at times but sleep is a pretty broad topic so that's to be expected. Some of the religious discussions felt extraneous. Other than that, it was a pretty solid read and not a yawner. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
I got this from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
While I don't suffer from sleep problems myself, I know a lot of people who do so I'm curious about the subject. When this popped up on Netgalley, I snapped it up.
The Science of Sleep covers are pretty wide range of topics.
- Sleep aids
- Sleep deprivation
- The way people's sleep habits have changed over human history
- Sleep disorders
- Different cultural beliefs about sleep
It has a lot of informative tidbits in it, which I felt compelled to read out loud to my lady friend, who works three twelve-hour night shifts a week as a nurse. Sometimes, she'd nod in agreement. Other times, she'd ask what the hell I was reading and if the laundry was still in the dryer.
Some of the topics gave names to things we've all experienced, like sleep anxiety, that feeling of looking at the clock and fretting over how much time you have left to sleep if you fall asleep that moment. Others were interesting insights to things I already knew about, like sleep walking, sleep paralysis, or sleep deprivation. I also found it disturbing just how many different kinds of sleeping pills there were.
There weren't too many nits to pick about this one. I thought the book meandered a bit at times but sleep is a pretty broad topic so that's to be expected. Some of the religious discussions felt extraneous. Other than that, it was a pretty solid read and not a yawner. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
March 3, 2014
When I looked at the cover and title of this book I came to a wrong conclusion. I expected that I would find a discussion of sleep disorders and help in finding more information on those subjects which are fascinating to me. That was my misconception; the book never makes a claim like that. While it is true that some unusual sleep circumstances are discussed, such as insomnia, sleep paralysis, narcolepsy and sleepwalking along with others, those problems are not the purpose or focus of this book. Instead what I found here is an in-depth discussion of sleep in general as it is perceived by cultures throughout history and throughout the world. Added to that is how sleep or lack of sleep is being used and even misused in modern society and what the consequences of that misuse are.
What is going on in our brain as we sleep? What effect does sleep or the lack of sleep have on our physical body and our mind? How does environmental stimulation impact our ability to get what we think of as a good night’s sleep? These and many more topics are discussed in detail with the author drawing on examples taken from statements by writers, inventors, doctors and world leaders. The book is kept closely grounded within the scope of those of us who are not famous by the author also using situations from her own personal life, her family, and clients she has had in her role as a mental health counselor to show how universally sleep influences each of us. I particularly enjoyed the chapters relating to dreams and the dreamlike states we humans are capable of entering.
Even though I realized very quickly that this book would not provide detailed information into the sleep disorders I have heard about I have to say that I found the information included so interesting that I enjoyed reading the book. There is a wealth of information and a very large amount of referenced material which will give readers ample opportunities to continue pursuing any aspect of the sleep subject they are specifically interested in.
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
What is going on in our brain as we sleep? What effect does sleep or the lack of sleep have on our physical body and our mind? How does environmental stimulation impact our ability to get what we think of as a good night’s sleep? These and many more topics are discussed in detail with the author drawing on examples taken from statements by writers, inventors, doctors and world leaders. The book is kept closely grounded within the scope of those of us who are not famous by the author also using situations from her own personal life, her family, and clients she has had in her role as a mental health counselor to show how universally sleep influences each of us. I particularly enjoyed the chapters relating to dreams and the dreamlike states we humans are capable of entering.
Even though I realized very quickly that this book would not provide detailed information into the sleep disorders I have heard about I have to say that I found the information included so interesting that I enjoyed reading the book. There is a wealth of information and a very large amount of referenced material which will give readers ample opportunities to continue pursuing any aspect of the sleep subject they are specifically interested in.
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
January 2, 2015
I borrowed The Secret Life of Sleep by Kat Duff from the library in order to read more about one of my favourite topics (sleep) and to find out why some people (like my husband) wake up before dawn and can't go back to sleep - even though they're tired.
The Secret Life of Sleep is a great read, and along the way I learned that the term for the sudden leg jerk that happens as you're falling asleep is called myoclonic kick or sleep start. We've all experienced this phenomenon: it feels like you're falling and jerk awake to stop yourself, getting a fright in the process.
I bet you didn't know though that the split-second dream you have of falling prior to the primitive reflex (leg jerk) is derived by our brain to explain the sensation. You might think the dream has caused the jerk to occur, but it's actually the other way around, absolutely fascinating!! (All explained in detail on Page 6).
Duff also elaborates on one of the most common themes in my dreams (hurried movement) in the following quote from Page 163:
"One of the most commonly described features of dreaming is the sense of hurried movement. It seems we are always jumping, falling, flying, running, or driving in our dreams, and if we finally come to a standstill, we usually wake up. We repeatedly encounter novel, confusing, and disturbing situations, get lost and run late, forever trying to get ourselves properly oriented in time and space." Page 163
Here's another great tidbit from the book:
"Research indicates that many of us do not reach our full abilities for two hours after waking, something [to] try to remember in morning traffic." Page 188
I also enjoyed reading about something I've been able to do for years, and that's manipulate my dreams. If I wake up during a dream, I'm able to go 'back in' and keep going with the theme/topic to enjoy it, or go 'back in' and change it to a better outcome (e.g. if I'm dreaming a loved one is hurt, I can go in and change the dream so that it doesn't happen). Kat Duff calls this ability lucid dreaming and Charles Dickens was a lucid dreamer; who knew?
The Secret Life of Sleep is an easy look at the ins and outs of sleep and dreaming, including the problems we have now in getting enough quality sleep, the use of stimulants and sleeping pills and the pressure to work on fewer hours of rest. This is a great read, my only wish would have been fewer personal anecdotes from the author; some were extremely relevant and interesting and others could have been edited out.
The Secret Life of Sleep is a great read, and along the way I learned that the term for the sudden leg jerk that happens as you're falling asleep is called myoclonic kick or sleep start. We've all experienced this phenomenon: it feels like you're falling and jerk awake to stop yourself, getting a fright in the process.
I bet you didn't know though that the split-second dream you have of falling prior to the primitive reflex (leg jerk) is derived by our brain to explain the sensation. You might think the dream has caused the jerk to occur, but it's actually the other way around, absolutely fascinating!! (All explained in detail on Page 6).
Duff also elaborates on one of the most common themes in my dreams (hurried movement) in the following quote from Page 163:
"One of the most commonly described features of dreaming is the sense of hurried movement. It seems we are always jumping, falling, flying, running, or driving in our dreams, and if we finally come to a standstill, we usually wake up. We repeatedly encounter novel, confusing, and disturbing situations, get lost and run late, forever trying to get ourselves properly oriented in time and space." Page 163
Here's another great tidbit from the book:
"Research indicates that many of us do not reach our full abilities for two hours after waking, something [to] try to remember in morning traffic." Page 188
I also enjoyed reading about something I've been able to do for years, and that's manipulate my dreams. If I wake up during a dream, I'm able to go 'back in' and keep going with the theme/topic to enjoy it, or go 'back in' and change it to a better outcome (e.g. if I'm dreaming a loved one is hurt, I can go in and change the dream so that it doesn't happen). Kat Duff calls this ability lucid dreaming and Charles Dickens was a lucid dreamer; who knew?
The Secret Life of Sleep is an easy look at the ins and outs of sleep and dreaming, including the problems we have now in getting enough quality sleep, the use of stimulants and sleeping pills and the pressure to work on fewer hours of rest. This is a great read, my only wish would have been fewer personal anecdotes from the author; some were extremely relevant and interesting and others could have been edited out.
July 29, 2016
Falling asleep and waking up at "normal" hours has always been a struggle for me, so I thought a book on the intricacies of sleep might help me understand my body's inconvenient sleep cycle. I’m happy to say that "The Secret Life of Sleep" provides plenty of insight into how sleep works (including my sleeping problems) and I’ve gained a new appreciation for how sleep affects my body, mind and life.
The main topics covered are going to sleep, sleeping, and waking up, with many subtopics touched upon, including the problems of sleep aids, our perception of how well/long we slept compared to reality, how having two periods of sleep with a period of quiet wakefulness in between is better than one long sleep period, the function of dreams in learning, and the emotional, physical, and cognitive effects of sleep.
The book is impressively balanced and comprehensive with various fields and viewpoints tapped. Apt quotes from authors and famous people support certain points, and the author's research draws from historical, psychological, scientific, cultural and philosophical works. This is a great introduction to everything sleep related, and the references serve as a jumping off point for further research. I learned a lot of interesting and useful things, and was inspired to look at some topics in more detail elsewhere.
As far as critiques go, the author used a few personal stories as examples, some of which were illustrative and helpful, but others didn’t add much, and overall it seemed intrusive to have the author talk about herself in a research-based book. Also, though the book was well written, I occasionally found myself growing tired or my mind wandering, which is unusual for me, so I'm thinking sections of this book must be a dry/slow read. I still enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about sleep.
Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The main topics covered are going to sleep, sleeping, and waking up, with many subtopics touched upon, including the problems of sleep aids, our perception of how well/long we slept compared to reality, how having two periods of sleep with a period of quiet wakefulness in between is better than one long sleep period, the function of dreams in learning, and the emotional, physical, and cognitive effects of sleep.
The book is impressively balanced and comprehensive with various fields and viewpoints tapped. Apt quotes from authors and famous people support certain points, and the author's research draws from historical, psychological, scientific, cultural and philosophical works. This is a great introduction to everything sleep related, and the references serve as a jumping off point for further research. I learned a lot of interesting and useful things, and was inspired to look at some topics in more detail elsewhere.
As far as critiques go, the author used a few personal stories as examples, some of which were illustrative and helpful, but others didn’t add much, and overall it seemed intrusive to have the author talk about herself in a research-based book. Also, though the book was well written, I occasionally found myself growing tired or my mind wandering, which is unusual for me, so I'm thinking sections of this book must be a dry/slow read. I still enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about sleep.
Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 15, 2017
Did you sleep well last night? I did. But that isn't always the case. I've had sleep problems in the past and now have them occasionally. I know that my absolute minimum amount of sleep necessary for me to function the next day is 6 hours, but I really need 8-9 to feel well rested and not in need of a nap the next day. Everyone talks about their sleep patterns and studies show that plenty of people would sacrifice all sorts of other comforts in exchange for sleep. Too often sleep is sacrificed. This book was so interesting in that it was both scientific but understandable. Information from sleep studies as well as how industrial progress has affected sleep are discussed. I have always been a big advocate of sleep and believe in taking steps to be sure me and my family get enough. Bedtime rituals, good sheets, etc. but this is sometimes seen as a weakness from others. Friends, co-workers, and bosses have been less than supportive of something I know is vital for my health and daily performance. I learned a lot from this book and am now armed with statistics and scientific information to provide to the next person who believes sleep is some sort of inconvenience.
Read my full review here: http://ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2...
Read my full review here: http://ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2...
December 30, 2015
From time to time I do enjoy a good non-fiction read, especially in the field of popular science as it relates to what I do for a living. When I saw this book in my local bookshop, I couldn't resist. Neuroscience is probably one of my favourite areas so I find anything that involves how our brain works fascinating and irresistible. I was pleased to see that the author covers a wide range of topics related to sleep, including dreams and their possible interpretations, sleep deprivation, sleep paralysis, sleep walking and most interestingly for me, how other cultures view sleep both historically and currently.
I always hope to come out of a book like this with lots of lovely new information to store away and remember at some point in the future (usually inane facts to bore my friends and family with!). For example, the author recounts a story of a sleep-walking woman in Denver who got in her car, drove down the road, caused an accident, urinated in the middle of an intersection and became violent with police - all while still asleep! We also learn about whales and dolphins who always sleep with one hemisphere of their brain awake as they need to be able to breathe. Therefore, they float on the surface of the water while one side sleeps then change direction to give the other side a little rest. It was while reading passages like these that I enjoyed the book most.
Perhaps it's a personal preference but the author seemed to put more of her own anecdotes in compared to good, solid, scientific fact. While it was interesting to read her theories and opinions at times I wished for a slightly more analytical look at such a fascinating topic. She writes in a beautiful way although some people might consider her language a bit too "flowery," for a non-fiction book. Personally, I found her prose to be something a bit different and it did bring a certain flair to sections which may otherwise seem a bit dry. It looked at sleep from a variety of different angles i.e. psychology, philosophy, mythology which was interesting but sometimes I found things to be a little irrelevant. I don't think I've read a book which solely focuses on sleep before so I don't really have anything to compare it to but I think to anyone who is interested in the subject it's a decent enough read and at the end, I did feel like I had learned a few things.
For my full review, please see my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
I always hope to come out of a book like this with lots of lovely new information to store away and remember at some point in the future (usually inane facts to bore my friends and family with!). For example, the author recounts a story of a sleep-walking woman in Denver who got in her car, drove down the road, caused an accident, urinated in the middle of an intersection and became violent with police - all while still asleep! We also learn about whales and dolphins who always sleep with one hemisphere of their brain awake as they need to be able to breathe. Therefore, they float on the surface of the water while one side sleeps then change direction to give the other side a little rest. It was while reading passages like these that I enjoyed the book most.
Perhaps it's a personal preference but the author seemed to put more of her own anecdotes in compared to good, solid, scientific fact. While it was interesting to read her theories and opinions at times I wished for a slightly more analytical look at such a fascinating topic. She writes in a beautiful way although some people might consider her language a bit too "flowery," for a non-fiction book. Personally, I found her prose to be something a bit different and it did bring a certain flair to sections which may otherwise seem a bit dry. It looked at sleep from a variety of different angles i.e. psychology, philosophy, mythology which was interesting but sometimes I found things to be a little irrelevant. I don't think I've read a book which solely focuses on sleep before so I don't really have anything to compare it to but I think to anyone who is interested in the subject it's a decent enough read and at the end, I did feel like I had learned a few things.
For my full review, please see my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
February 6, 2014
*I received an advanced reading copy of this novel as part of the Goodreads First Reads program.*
While I feel as though I can't add any unique insight to the reviews for this book that has not already been covered by other reviewers, I have to say that "The Secret Life of Sleep" is a solid read overall. The book covers a whole range of subjects related to sleep, from sleep deprivation to the use of sleep aids, and even touches on the meaning of dreams.
While I liked the sections on sleep aids and dreams the most, I felt that they could have been a little more fleshed out. Rather than focus on one or two facets of sleep, the author takes it upon herself to present a comprehensive view of sleep, broken down into many different sections. While this is good in that it can help keep the reader's interest by not staying with one particular subject for too long, it also prevents any of the sections from being analyzed to their fullest potential. I appreciated the fact that so many different areas of sleep study were covered by the author, but felt that perhaps the book could have been slightly longer in order to offer a more complete analysis of each area of study.
Kat Duff also introduces many sleep-related snippets from her personal life, but never delves too deeply into any of the experiences. I found this a bit problematic, as the mention of her experiences with sleep or those of her colleagues or family seemed inconsequential, rather than helpful in the analysis of sleep. The personal experiences served to distract rather than pull the novel together. That aside, I felt that the writing was solid and I appreciated the author's curiosity and wonder about the subject.
I've never quite considered sleep in such a profound way before reading this novel and will definitely pay more attention to my sleep habits and dreams from now on. I would recommend this book for anyone who is curious about sleep in any capacity, although I can't say that I would rate it above 3 stars using the Goodreads system, as the book as a whole came off as "good" or "interesting", rather than very impressive or well-written.
While I feel as though I can't add any unique insight to the reviews for this book that has not already been covered by other reviewers, I have to say that "The Secret Life of Sleep" is a solid read overall. The book covers a whole range of subjects related to sleep, from sleep deprivation to the use of sleep aids, and even touches on the meaning of dreams.
While I liked the sections on sleep aids and dreams the most, I felt that they could have been a little more fleshed out. Rather than focus on one or two facets of sleep, the author takes it upon herself to present a comprehensive view of sleep, broken down into many different sections. While this is good in that it can help keep the reader's interest by not staying with one particular subject for too long, it also prevents any of the sections from being analyzed to their fullest potential. I appreciated the fact that so many different areas of sleep study were covered by the author, but felt that perhaps the book could have been slightly longer in order to offer a more complete analysis of each area of study.
Kat Duff also introduces many sleep-related snippets from her personal life, but never delves too deeply into any of the experiences. I found this a bit problematic, as the mention of her experiences with sleep or those of her colleagues or family seemed inconsequential, rather than helpful in the analysis of sleep. The personal experiences served to distract rather than pull the novel together. That aside, I felt that the writing was solid and I appreciated the author's curiosity and wonder about the subject.
I've never quite considered sleep in such a profound way before reading this novel and will definitely pay more attention to my sleep habits and dreams from now on. I would recommend this book for anyone who is curious about sleep in any capacity, although I can't say that I would rate it above 3 stars using the Goodreads system, as the book as a whole came off as "good" or "interesting", rather than very impressive or well-written.
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August 9, 2023This engaging book on sleep, ironically, kept me awake for three nights past my bedtime.
Kat Duff enlists researchers, shamans, poets, psychologists, novelists, and her personal experience to examine the phenomenon from a multitude of perspectives. The modern, mechanized, globalized world, Duff concludes, can be characterized by a war against sleep. However necessary healthy sleep may be for human healing and sanity, however rich and varied and insightful the life of our dreams, we're led to see sleep as a burden to bear or as a beast to be tamed. We rely on drugs to sleep and drugs to wake up. We live under a constant bombardment of electric light that turns night into day. Ubiquitous and addictive glowing screens inflict havoc on our circadian rhythms. It can't but depreciate from the quality of our sleep, and hence from our quality of life.
As someone whose own relationship to sleep has become painful (the reason I sought out this title), Duff's thesis rings all too true to me. She proposes no easy solution; there probably is none. The great strength of her book is that she makes you see the dilemma so clearly.
My main gripe with the Secret Life of Sleep is that it has no index. It needs one.
Kat Duff enlists researchers, shamans, poets, psychologists, novelists, and her personal experience to examine the phenomenon from a multitude of perspectives. The modern, mechanized, globalized world, Duff concludes, can be characterized by a war against sleep. However necessary healthy sleep may be for human healing and sanity, however rich and varied and insightful the life of our dreams, we're led to see sleep as a burden to bear or as a beast to be tamed. We rely on drugs to sleep and drugs to wake up. We live under a constant bombardment of electric light that turns night into day. Ubiquitous and addictive glowing screens inflict havoc on our circadian rhythms. It can't but depreciate from the quality of our sleep, and hence from our quality of life.
As someone whose own relationship to sleep has become painful (the reason I sought out this title), Duff's thesis rings all too true to me. She proposes no easy solution; there probably is none. The great strength of her book is that she makes you see the dilemma so clearly.
My main gripe with the Secret Life of Sleep is that it has no index. It needs one.
January 17, 2014
I received an advanced reader's copy of this from the goodreads giveaway, and because anything remotely reminding me of yawning makes me yawn (there I go again), I ended up having to hide the front cover from myself. Well played, cover.
Overall I found this an easy, enjoyable read. I'm not sure I completely liked how the chapters were set up, or how much of the author's opinion went into the text (although it was clear while it was there). Some of the studies also I wished had been covered more in depth, but this was mainly an overview. There were a lot of interesting tidbits about sleep, and I did learn some new things, some of them surprising. I am approaching sleep differently after reading this, too--my attitude toward sleep has been more chaotic, and I'm trying to come to it with a bit more peace and appreciation. The mind at sleep is fascinating.
Overall I found this an easy, enjoyable read. I'm not sure I completely liked how the chapters were set up, or how much of the author's opinion went into the text (although it was clear while it was there). Some of the studies also I wished had been covered more in depth, but this was mainly an overview. There were a lot of interesting tidbits about sleep, and I did learn some new things, some of them surprising. I am approaching sleep differently after reading this, too--my attitude toward sleep has been more chaotic, and I'm trying to come to it with a bit more peace and appreciation. The mind at sleep is fascinating.
April 10, 2014
Though not what you would see as an expert herself Ms. Duff has compiled a wide variety of current and historical information on the topic of sleep from people who are. It is an easy reading book with dozens of unique observations about insomnia, sleeping aids, dreaming, REM sleep and so on. I found out many things I didn't know - for instance sleeping pills on average give people just over ten additional minutes of sleep a night and on the flip side the downside of the vast array of products to keep us alert from caffeine to energy drinks. This is a book of anecdotes and snippets but many of them are very enlightening.
January 7, 2018
I read Dreamland in 2015 but apparently wanted to read another book about sleep. Probably because sleep can be so elusive. This was fine - but odd, in a way that just did not reach me. It was a confusing mix of myth and science and personal stories that were over used.
October 3, 2014
A lot of material to wade through in order to get any useful information.
Much of the information presented was, in my opinion, incorrect, unscientific, biased and incomplete.
However, some of the information was excellent and extremely useful.
The problem is having the wisdom to separate fact from fiction. Despite the useful information buried within the book, I would not recommend this book to any of my friends. There is too much danger that they could misuse the information in the book to their harm.
But I did find the answer to the problems experienced by the elderly in nursing homes who are given medications to help them sleep... and end up falling more frequently than normal, especially when getting out of bed. The book explains well the effectiveness of sleep medications (eg. one common medication causes people to fall asleep a few minutes earlier each night; the extra sleep gained is less than 15 minutes... but the side effects of the medication to achieve this extra sleep are much more harmful than the extra sleep.) Because of the effect of the medication on brain chemistry, the person is more susceptible to falling ... bruising, broken bones... especially on arising.
Also the book describes tests given to poor sleepers and good sleepers who are wakened during a deep sleep. They have the same brain patterns, showing that they were asleep. However, the poor sleepers said that they were already awake and had not been asleep. The good sleepers said they had been sleeping. So the perception of sleep differs more than the actual sleep. One sleep specialist "woke up" in the morning saying that he had not slept all night, then found piles of plaster and dust from the ceiling on his bed. He had slept through a major earthquake in San Francisco... but he still thought he had not slept all night.
This information was helpful to understand the problems encountered in sleep, but it did not offer solutions.
The book had extremely useful information on the patterns of self-soothing of babies who need the close physical stimulation of the mother during the first 12 months in order to develop neurological pathways. It describes very well the effects in adulthood of a baby being left to "cry it out" instead of being soothed immediately. For example, the cortisol level of both baby and mother go up significantly when the baby cries. When the baby stops crying, the mother's cortisol level returns to normal almost immediately but the baby's cortisol level remains abnormally high for hours. The mother is calm; the baby is still stressed. Quiet and no more crying do not necessarily mean peace and calm, just exhaustion and giving up on getting its needs met. A parent may not be aware of this when the baby stops crying, but cortisol levels do not lie.
But much of the information on dreams and sleep paralysis was, in my opinion, incomplete, incorrect and ineffective. I have read much better information on the use and appreciation of dreams and of stopping sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is something that you do not need to live with.
Like so much of the book, there was incomplete science provided along with a lack of solutions.
So much of the book dealt with other cultures and what they believed about sleep. Somehow, I did not find it useful to hear about different cultures, tribes, historical groups, etc... I simply want to know what is true.
It took a lot of time to read through the book and sift out important information.
The book does not flow well. It is disjointed and lacks organization. There is an excess of "flowery" language rather than precise clear scientific language.
The author shows bias. In a scientific book (this is supposed to be a book that explores scientific research), it is not helpful to state opinions or bias. Let the facts speak for themselves.
At the beginning of the book, she comments about when she was young and believed in a God who cared...
She explores many different native and Eastern religions, philosophies and cultures and does not make the comment that she does not believe them. But she makes the comment about God. She investigates these other cultures, telling what they believe about dreams, sleep, memory, etc. but does not give equal time (or any significant time) to Jewish or Christian beliefs about dreams and sleep, which could easily be found with a Google search because their religious books have much information about dreams and sleep. That is a bias which is inexcusable in a book that is supposed to explore sleep through history and regions.
To me, this is a significant omission because of the valuable information in both the Old and New Testament about dreams, dream interpretation, sleep, sleep paralysis, etc. A person does not need to believe in God to find significant relevant facts in God's books... any more than he needs to like the author to obtain facts from his books.
I did not like this author. I did not like her tone. I did not like her attitude.
But I still read her book to find facts that were useful to me.
Just because I do not like the author does not mean that I will discard her facts. Facts are facts regardless of where they come from.
She should have given the same consideration to the Old and New Testaments. Why? Not to make her believe in God... because she has already made up her mind about God. But to get valuable information from a culture that has been around as long as or longer than some of the other cultures she researched and quoted.
Such bias and omission makes me wonder how many other valuable research papers were ignored because of her personal bias. That is such a weakness that it makes the book almost a waste of time to read... if you are looking for truth, for something that works.
And if you have a sleep disorder of any kind, you know how much you want something that works.
Much of the information presented was, in my opinion, incorrect, unscientific, biased and incomplete.
However, some of the information was excellent and extremely useful.
The problem is having the wisdom to separate fact from fiction. Despite the useful information buried within the book, I would not recommend this book to any of my friends. There is too much danger that they could misuse the information in the book to their harm.
But I did find the answer to the problems experienced by the elderly in nursing homes who are given medications to help them sleep... and end up falling more frequently than normal, especially when getting out of bed. The book explains well the effectiveness of sleep medications (eg. one common medication causes people to fall asleep a few minutes earlier each night; the extra sleep gained is less than 15 minutes... but the side effects of the medication to achieve this extra sleep are much more harmful than the extra sleep.) Because of the effect of the medication on brain chemistry, the person is more susceptible to falling ... bruising, broken bones... especially on arising.
Also the book describes tests given to poor sleepers and good sleepers who are wakened during a deep sleep. They have the same brain patterns, showing that they were asleep. However, the poor sleepers said that they were already awake and had not been asleep. The good sleepers said they had been sleeping. So the perception of sleep differs more than the actual sleep. One sleep specialist "woke up" in the morning saying that he had not slept all night, then found piles of plaster and dust from the ceiling on his bed. He had slept through a major earthquake in San Francisco... but he still thought he had not slept all night.
This information was helpful to understand the problems encountered in sleep, but it did not offer solutions.
The book had extremely useful information on the patterns of self-soothing of babies who need the close physical stimulation of the mother during the first 12 months in order to develop neurological pathways. It describes very well the effects in adulthood of a baby being left to "cry it out" instead of being soothed immediately. For example, the cortisol level of both baby and mother go up significantly when the baby cries. When the baby stops crying, the mother's cortisol level returns to normal almost immediately but the baby's cortisol level remains abnormally high for hours. The mother is calm; the baby is still stressed. Quiet and no more crying do not necessarily mean peace and calm, just exhaustion and giving up on getting its needs met. A parent may not be aware of this when the baby stops crying, but cortisol levels do not lie.
But much of the information on dreams and sleep paralysis was, in my opinion, incomplete, incorrect and ineffective. I have read much better information on the use and appreciation of dreams and of stopping sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is something that you do not need to live with.
Like so much of the book, there was incomplete science provided along with a lack of solutions.
So much of the book dealt with other cultures and what they believed about sleep. Somehow, I did not find it useful to hear about different cultures, tribes, historical groups, etc... I simply want to know what is true.
It took a lot of time to read through the book and sift out important information.
The book does not flow well. It is disjointed and lacks organization. There is an excess of "flowery" language rather than precise clear scientific language.
The author shows bias. In a scientific book (this is supposed to be a book that explores scientific research), it is not helpful to state opinions or bias. Let the facts speak for themselves.
At the beginning of the book, she comments about when she was young and believed in a God who cared...
She explores many different native and Eastern religions, philosophies and cultures and does not make the comment that she does not believe them. But she makes the comment about God. She investigates these other cultures, telling what they believe about dreams, sleep, memory, etc. but does not give equal time (or any significant time) to Jewish or Christian beliefs about dreams and sleep, which could easily be found with a Google search because their religious books have much information about dreams and sleep. That is a bias which is inexcusable in a book that is supposed to explore sleep through history and regions.
To me, this is a significant omission because of the valuable information in both the Old and New Testament about dreams, dream interpretation, sleep, sleep paralysis, etc. A person does not need to believe in God to find significant relevant facts in God's books... any more than he needs to like the author to obtain facts from his books.
I did not like this author. I did not like her tone. I did not like her attitude.
But I still read her book to find facts that were useful to me.
Just because I do not like the author does not mean that I will discard her facts. Facts are facts regardless of where they come from.
She should have given the same consideration to the Old and New Testaments. Why? Not to make her believe in God... because she has already made up her mind about God. But to get valuable information from a culture that has been around as long as or longer than some of the other cultures she researched and quoted.
Such bias and omission makes me wonder how many other valuable research papers were ignored because of her personal bias. That is such a weakness that it makes the book almost a waste of time to read... if you are looking for truth, for something that works.
And if you have a sleep disorder of any kind, you know how much you want something that works.
April 1, 2020
I had to quickly grab a book from my school due to quarantine shutting my school down. My English teacher required us to read an independent reading book and since I got there late, all the good books were gone. This seemed like the best one out of all of them. I’m almost done with the book since I decided suffering through it was better than starting over with a different book, and I wrote a couple of prompts on this book already. Anyways, this book is HORRIBLE. Do not read it. I lost so many brain cells from reading this. I think the author has some sort of mental issues since she still believes in things like demons and spirits. In one chapter she talks about how she thinks the spirit of her uncle Abe visited her at night. Like for real? This lady actually believes that! All the chapters are basically the same with her ranting about how western methods suck and how sleeping pills do not work, so save yourself some time and brain cells. Do not read this book.
June 15, 2025
Well, this book really dives into the history of sleep. How did it come about & why people sleep (or don't sleep) for as long as they do? So many questions & this book has some answers. I never really thought about ancestors & what they thought about sleep. Dreams play a factor in how discoveries were made about the brain & the need for sleep. The brain's functions are not always known & while we continue to learn, scientists have made strides. What REM sleep is & the different facets of sleep from beta to delta. There are so many perplexing things that the author points out which are important to know... hence the title. I found it pretty fascinating & imagine you will too as there is alot to learn reading this book. I would say the only thing I didn't like was the front & back cover pictures of this book.
October 31, 2025
I thought this book would be more science focused. While it did reference some scientific material, it didn’t offer any helpful insight for anyone trying to solve sleep troubles. This seemed more a hobby project for the author, and at times was mildly interesting, was mostly boring - especially the “personal insights” from the author. For example, she relates a story about how she went on a trip where she got a free hotel room and thought she was going to see the fall colors and enjoy the weekend but turns out the hotel room was during a college fall festival where college kids were partying all night so it was hard for her to sleep. Really?! Do we need to know this story? I don’t. Especially when I came to the book looking for scientific knowledge about how the brain works. On to the next…
September 13, 2019
Man. Every time I read this, even if I was well rested, it made me want to sleep. Like a meditation book or something.
That said. It’s absolutely not boring.
There is SO so many interesting ideas, and thoughts, and revelations in here. There’s the odd thing that made me angry with society. There’s many things that made me go aha!!! There are tons of things that made me go, ok so why can’t I just sleep to my own rhythms. I want to sleep To my Own rhythms.
Anyway. Very very interesting. And we’ll worth the read. Lots of morality type thoughts in here. And very very well researched.
That said. It’s absolutely not boring.
There is SO so many interesting ideas, and thoughts, and revelations in here. There’s the odd thing that made me angry with society. There’s many things that made me go aha!!! There are tons of things that made me go, ok so why can’t I just sleep to my own rhythms. I want to sleep To my Own rhythms.
Anyway. Very very interesting. And we’ll worth the read. Lots of morality type thoughts in here. And very very well researched.
September 12, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.
I love non-fiction books that myopically focus on a particular thing like salt, cod, sleep, and so on. It's an opportunity to really dig into a subject and focus on something in a way that we so rarely do.
The Secret Life of Sleep is a surprisingly poetic take on that. In addition to some history and contemporary science, it also features a lot of philosophy and a bit of memoir. The result is the book where I perhaps learn fewer facts but really enjoyed the experience.
I love non-fiction books that myopically focus on a particular thing like salt, cod, sleep, and so on. It's an opportunity to really dig into a subject and focus on something in a way that we so rarely do.
The Secret Life of Sleep is a surprisingly poetic take on that. In addition to some history and contemporary science, it also features a lot of philosophy and a bit of memoir. The result is the book where I perhaps learn fewer facts but really enjoyed the experience.
March 13, 2025
Overall an interesting read. The author did quite a fair amount of research to pose a great number of questions regarding the nature and cultural history of sleep and dreams. It doesn’t pretend to offer all the answers, which I can appreciate. It does however read a bit long-winded and there is often a retelling of the same anecdote or factoid that makes me wonder if in fact I myself was dreaming to have read it the first time around. Maybe intentional, maybe not. Overall worth a read and I appreciated the scientific approach.
May 13, 2018
Understanding the science of sleep is key to solving today's common mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and emotional imbalance. I've seen first hand how getting good sleep can help with ideating, better moods and overall happiness.
In particular, I liked the concept of social jetlag that the author talks about. This book is for anyone who sleeps little, or sleeps late!
In particular, I liked the concept of social jetlag that the author talks about. This book is for anyone who sleeps little, or sleeps late!
July 3, 2019
I thought this was going to be a book about the biochemistry of sleep, but it's anecdotal and
historical with lots of quotes and stories, so maybe I should read the synopsis more closely before I pick a book up.
Also the author is gay and had to insert that. I find that not applicable.
historical with lots of quotes and stories, so maybe I should read the synopsis more closely before I pick a book up.
Also the author is gay and had to insert that. I find that not applicable.
October 22, 2016
It was enjoyable but at some point I wished the author would either veer away from the woo to focus on the science, or to set up the woo into its own chapter(s).
October 13, 2017
This was an interesting collection of facts, but didn't feel particularly enlightening or entertaining beyond that.
October 25, 2018
I Found it very intriguing as a person who has a lot of questions about this topic. Very informative but couldn’t find the answers to everything I needed to know about. 3.5.
October 26, 2021
Not much actionable here
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2014
It's really nice when you find a book that really speaks to you. Non-fiction, too! I like the sociological approach to this- liked the cross-cultural references like lullabies/words/customs from each culture, and how one stretch sleeping is a relatively new concept.
Like how the Industrial Age has created Clock Time where everybody adheres to a strict schedule. Sleep at the same time, wake at the same time, work in the day, rest at night. Like clockwork.
Lost steam towards the end but I enjoyed the insights.
Some of my favourite passages:
Sleep as a separate world
"It seemed that my sleeping life was the bigger and more fluid me, and my waking life the smaller, more limited me."
"The ancient Greeks conceptualised this swipe of forgetting as the river of Oblivion (Lethe) that circles the cave of sleep (Hypnos) in the underworld. They said that the murmuring waters of Lethe made people drowsy and washed their memories away when they came close to sleep, for in this ancient understanding, sleep required forgetting oursevles in order to enter it inner sanctum."
"When we prepare for sleep, we strip of ourselves of the accoutrements of selfhood: our clothes, glasses, makeup, and false teeth. We bid goodbye to the people around us, lie down in stillness, and return to our original, solitary nakedness.
Heraclitus(the ancient Greek Philosopher): "The waking have one common world, but the sleeping turn aside each into a world of his own."
Once the lights are off, and our eyes closed, even the world, as we've known it, vanishes, and the familiar "I" evaporates.
Shakespeare: "the death of each day's life"
Vladimir Nabokov on the daily wrenching from the waking world: "betrayal of reason, humanity, genius."
For brilliant minds and prodigioius achievers like Nabokov and Edison, succumbing to sleep can feel like defeat. After all, it requires that we put down our tools, relinquish our ambitions, and submit to something we cannot control or even put off for another day."
TH's thoughts: Isn't this what we studied in Shakespeare? Where death is the equaliser of all men- from kings to paupers- ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
"O bed! O bed! Delicious bed!" wrote the English Poet Thomas Hood, " That heaven on earth to the weary head."
"Sleep is commonly used as a euphemism for "death"."
On Insomnia
"Now, when people wake for one or two hours at night, they are apt to call it insomnia and ask their doctors for sleeping pills."
"Author Blake Butler, a chronic insomniac, calls the tendency to do this sleep catastrophizing. Anxiety only fuels insomnia."
One of the cruelties of insomnia is that the effort to escape ensures it failure because there's a part of our brains that keeps checking to see if we are accomplishing our aims, thereby keeping us awake.
Now, when I wake in the night, I tell myself that repose is still rest and it is a gift to get a few extra hours when I do not have to do anything or be responsible to anyone. The French call this place of semi-conscious inactivity dorveillle, meaning "twixt sleep and wake", and many poets consider it to be the best time to write. Writer Lisa Russ Spaar explained: " As a poet, I like.. that liminal space between sleep and waking, where 'reality' and inner vision blur, and all the big questions loom with heightened clarity." TH: giggles at 'liminal space', something I learn in Soci.
Insomnia undoubtedly has its miseries, but it is the demands we make upon ourselves by day that turn those miseries into nightmares.
An article from 1894 "The subject of sleeplessness is once more under public discussion. The hurry and excitement of modern life is held to be responsibile for much of the insomnia of which we hear; and most of the articles and letters are full of good advice to live more quietly and of platitudes concerning the harmfulness of rush and worry."
Night Owls
"A friend of mine once confided that the moment she retired frrom her eight-to-five job, she started staying up late, reading, writing, and drawing, just as she had done as an adolescent. She did not know it was still in her to be like that, and after years of forcing herself to get up before dawn to cart the kids to school and drag herself to work on time, she was relieved to discoer that she was not inherently dull or depressed. She was just a night person."
Like how the Industrial Age has created Clock Time where everybody adheres to a strict schedule. Sleep at the same time, wake at the same time, work in the day, rest at night. Like clockwork.
Lost steam towards the end but I enjoyed the insights.
Some of my favourite passages:
Sleep as a separate world
"It seemed that my sleeping life was the bigger and more fluid me, and my waking life the smaller, more limited me."
"The ancient Greeks conceptualised this swipe of forgetting as the river of Oblivion (Lethe) that circles the cave of sleep (Hypnos) in the underworld. They said that the murmuring waters of Lethe made people drowsy and washed their memories away when they came close to sleep, for in this ancient understanding, sleep required forgetting oursevles in order to enter it inner sanctum."
"When we prepare for sleep, we strip of ourselves of the accoutrements of selfhood: our clothes, glasses, makeup, and false teeth. We bid goodbye to the people around us, lie down in stillness, and return to our original, solitary nakedness.
Heraclitus(the ancient Greek Philosopher): "The waking have one common world, but the sleeping turn aside each into a world of his own."
Once the lights are off, and our eyes closed, even the world, as we've known it, vanishes, and the familiar "I" evaporates.
Shakespeare: "the death of each day's life"
Vladimir Nabokov on the daily wrenching from the waking world: "betrayal of reason, humanity, genius."
For brilliant minds and prodigioius achievers like Nabokov and Edison, succumbing to sleep can feel like defeat. After all, it requires that we put down our tools, relinquish our ambitions, and submit to something we cannot control or even put off for another day."
TH's thoughts: Isn't this what we studied in Shakespeare? Where death is the equaliser of all men- from kings to paupers- ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
"O bed! O bed! Delicious bed!" wrote the English Poet Thomas Hood, " That heaven on earth to the weary head."
"Sleep is commonly used as a euphemism for "death"."
On Insomnia
"Now, when people wake for one or two hours at night, they are apt to call it insomnia and ask their doctors for sleeping pills."
"Author Blake Butler, a chronic insomniac, calls the tendency to do this sleep catastrophizing. Anxiety only fuels insomnia."
One of the cruelties of insomnia is that the effort to escape ensures it failure because there's a part of our brains that keeps checking to see if we are accomplishing our aims, thereby keeping us awake.
Now, when I wake in the night, I tell myself that repose is still rest and it is a gift to get a few extra hours when I do not have to do anything or be responsible to anyone. The French call this place of semi-conscious inactivity dorveillle, meaning "twixt sleep and wake", and many poets consider it to be the best time to write. Writer Lisa Russ Spaar explained: " As a poet, I like.. that liminal space between sleep and waking, where 'reality' and inner vision blur, and all the big questions loom with heightened clarity." TH: giggles at 'liminal space', something I learn in Soci.
Insomnia undoubtedly has its miseries, but it is the demands we make upon ourselves by day that turn those miseries into nightmares.
An article from 1894 "The subject of sleeplessness is once more under public discussion. The hurry and excitement of modern life is held to be responsibile for much of the insomnia of which we hear; and most of the articles and letters are full of good advice to live more quietly and of platitudes concerning the harmfulness of rush and worry."
Night Owls
"A friend of mine once confided that the moment she retired frrom her eight-to-five job, she started staying up late, reading, writing, and drawing, just as she had done as an adolescent. She did not know it was still in her to be like that, and after years of forcing herself to get up before dawn to cart the kids to school and drag herself to work on time, she was relieved to discoer that she was not inherently dull or depressed. She was just a night person."
May 23, 2014
I received this book through Good Reads as part of an early release. This book tries to present a look at sleep. This is material that could be interesting if presenting well. Instead the author uses overly flowery language, a complete distortion of science, and a healthy dose of pseudo intellectual nonsense. The chapter structure is irrelevant, and each one is more a collection of single paragraphs than any real narrative cohesion. I would have given this book a zero rating if possible. You learn more about the author's many past jobs, her lesbian partner, and step daughter then you ever do about any real understanding of sleep.
I normally pass around books I like to my friends. This one will end up in the recycling bin. I work as a neuroscientist and could simply not stomach the poor quality of the research the author has put into the books construction. Bits and pieces of facts are presented out of context or simply misrepresented. For example:
"This default mode, which has been likened to dark matter because of its previous invisibility, evokes an intrinsic, spontaneous reverie akin to the stream of consciousness vividly portrayed by writers like Marcel Proust, James Joyce, Virginia Wolf, and William Faulkner."
This is absolute nonsense. The "default" mode is simply one of many inherent functional networks in the brain. It is well studied and there are literally hundreds of articles on such networks. The author likens this brain network to DARK MATTER and to the stream of consciousness? What the heck man. This is a common thread throughout the novel. She seems to be striving to trump up every single sentence into some mind blowing observation. You constantly get references to metaphysical concept, some literary device, or really just nonsensical rambling.
My other large problem with the novel is the author's particular world view. I recognize she is entitled to her own opinion, but having on page one of the novel "When I was a girl, and still believed in a God who took care of us, it occurred to me . . ."
Why not just say "when I was a girl?" In the first 80 pages of the book I learned next to nothing about actual sleep. However you do learn that the author doesn't believe in God, views Western society with contempt, and holds non-white/western cultures up with superiority. Just because some Mayan was thought to sleep a certain way 300 years ago from some half-translated account does not mean that is inherently better than what individuals in England did 300 years ago. Hurray for liberal anti-colonial ideology!
I normally pass around books I like to my friends. This one will end up in the recycling bin. I work as a neuroscientist and could simply not stomach the poor quality of the research the author has put into the books construction. Bits and pieces of facts are presented out of context or simply misrepresented. For example:
"This default mode, which has been likened to dark matter because of its previous invisibility, evokes an intrinsic, spontaneous reverie akin to the stream of consciousness vividly portrayed by writers like Marcel Proust, James Joyce, Virginia Wolf, and William Faulkner."
This is absolute nonsense. The "default" mode is simply one of many inherent functional networks in the brain. It is well studied and there are literally hundreds of articles on such networks. The author likens this brain network to DARK MATTER and to the stream of consciousness? What the heck man. This is a common thread throughout the novel. She seems to be striving to trump up every single sentence into some mind blowing observation. You constantly get references to metaphysical concept, some literary device, or really just nonsensical rambling.
My other large problem with the novel is the author's particular world view. I recognize she is entitled to her own opinion, but having on page one of the novel "When I was a girl, and still believed in a God who took care of us, it occurred to me . . ."
Why not just say "when I was a girl?" In the first 80 pages of the book I learned next to nothing about actual sleep. However you do learn that the author doesn't believe in God, views Western society with contempt, and holds non-white/western cultures up with superiority. Just because some Mayan was thought to sleep a certain way 300 years ago from some half-translated account does not mean that is inherently better than what individuals in England did 300 years ago. Hurray for liberal anti-colonial ideology!
August 17, 2014
“It is an occurrence that is so common, so habitual, so ubiquitous, we barely notice. Like the air we breathe, it is something we become aware of only when its quality is deteriorating.”
I have always joked that my two favorite hobbies are eating and sleeping. In “The Secret Life of Sleep” the author says much about problems people have sleeping. All of this is new territory for me as I have never had a problem with sleeping. I go to sleep when my head hits the pillow and generally awaken easily. Unless something unusual comes up, I always sleep 8 hours per night, would really prefer 10 hours, and almost never remember my dreams.
The author explains that many people have problems sleeping, not just sometimes, but every night. Some individuals have sleep paralysis where they feel a “being” of some type is sitting on their chest or holding them down. It seems the current trend is to try to do away with sleep altogether and many researchers, especially those working for the military, are seeking ways to do just that.
While the author presents information about sleep, it seems a lot of the conclusions drawn were just assumptions and I didn’t see a lot of scientific, documented support. So, while the information itself is interesting, I felt that a lot of the conclusions were biased or personal ones. Some of the paths taken to try to explain or figure out strange happenings or the dreams themselves seemed “pretty far out there” to me and I can deduce a much simpler explanations for myself. The author also makes a point to let the readers know that she does not believe in God and is a lesbian. Two items of information I did not need or want to know. How knowing either piece of information helps the reader better understand “The Secret Life of Sleep” I do not know.
If you are serious about gathering all the information about sleep or sleep problems you can, then you may find some useful pieces of information in this book. If you are just a casual reader, you might want to skip this one.
I was provided a free copy of this book for review from Atria Books/Beyond Words and Net Gallery. I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review.
I have always joked that my two favorite hobbies are eating and sleeping. In “The Secret Life of Sleep” the author says much about problems people have sleeping. All of this is new territory for me as I have never had a problem with sleeping. I go to sleep when my head hits the pillow and generally awaken easily. Unless something unusual comes up, I always sleep 8 hours per night, would really prefer 10 hours, and almost never remember my dreams.
The author explains that many people have problems sleeping, not just sometimes, but every night. Some individuals have sleep paralysis where they feel a “being” of some type is sitting on their chest or holding them down. It seems the current trend is to try to do away with sleep altogether and many researchers, especially those working for the military, are seeking ways to do just that.
While the author presents information about sleep, it seems a lot of the conclusions drawn were just assumptions and I didn’t see a lot of scientific, documented support. So, while the information itself is interesting, I felt that a lot of the conclusions were biased or personal ones. Some of the paths taken to try to explain or figure out strange happenings or the dreams themselves seemed “pretty far out there” to me and I can deduce a much simpler explanations for myself. The author also makes a point to let the readers know that she does not believe in God and is a lesbian. Two items of information I did not need or want to know. How knowing either piece of information helps the reader better understand “The Secret Life of Sleep” I do not know.
If you are serious about gathering all the information about sleep or sleep problems you can, then you may find some useful pieces of information in this book. If you are just a casual reader, you might want to skip this one.
I was provided a free copy of this book for review from Atria Books/Beyond Words and Net Gallery. I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review.
January 15, 2014
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This was a rather interesting read. I'd never really thought much about sleep, just as something that everyone had to do to stay alive, this book really opened my eyes to the complex, magical realm that is sleep.
This book covers a wide variety of topics. Touching on everything from the stages of sleep (and why they're important) to Insomnia, and everything else that is even slightly related to sleep. I thought that the wide variety of topics was a really good idea for a book on sleep. Nothing was covered too extensively but the book did a fantastic job of educating the reader on the basics of each topic.
The book flowed smoothly from one topic to the next and it was relatively easy to keep track of the topics and the relation that they had to one another. There were few topics (the one on babies most notably) that I felt didn't quite fit easily into the book, but I still found incredibly fascinating.
The writing in this book was very decent. The author does a good job of writing in a manner that is easy for the general reader to understand. She keeps the scientific terms to a minimum and does a good job of keeping all the topics relatable and easy to think about. The only problem that I had with her writing was that I thought she related topics back to herself a little too much. I don't like it when authors bring up their own personal experiences and stories in nonfiction books, it's one of my pet peeves. The author only did it about once a section, but I found myself getting annoyed with it by about the second mention of a dream she'd had as a child.
Overall, I think this book is a good read for anyone interested in the topic of sleep. There is much to be learned in this book and the book is written in an easily understandable manner.
I received this book for review purposes via NetGalley.
This was a rather interesting read. I'd never really thought much about sleep, just as something that everyone had to do to stay alive, this book really opened my eyes to the complex, magical realm that is sleep.
This book covers a wide variety of topics. Touching on everything from the stages of sleep (and why they're important) to Insomnia, and everything else that is even slightly related to sleep. I thought that the wide variety of topics was a really good idea for a book on sleep. Nothing was covered too extensively but the book did a fantastic job of educating the reader on the basics of each topic.
The book flowed smoothly from one topic to the next and it was relatively easy to keep track of the topics and the relation that they had to one another. There were few topics (the one on babies most notably) that I felt didn't quite fit easily into the book, but I still found incredibly fascinating.
The writing in this book was very decent. The author does a good job of writing in a manner that is easy for the general reader to understand. She keeps the scientific terms to a minimum and does a good job of keeping all the topics relatable and easy to think about. The only problem that I had with her writing was that I thought she related topics back to herself a little too much. I don't like it when authors bring up their own personal experiences and stories in nonfiction books, it's one of my pet peeves. The author only did it about once a section, but I found myself getting annoyed with it by about the second mention of a dream she'd had as a child.
Overall, I think this book is a good read for anyone interested in the topic of sleep. There is much to be learned in this book and the book is written in an easily understandable manner.
I received this book for review purposes via NetGalley.
July 11, 2015
I received an advance review copy of this book from Atria Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a detailed examination of what scientists have discovered about sleep and its importance and effects on our lives. I was interested in reading this book, since I have always been a “night person”, and the rest of the world seems to expect everyone to be up and at work at a time in the morning when I’m just regaining consciousness, so I was curious as to what the author might have to say about the differences in people’s “biological clocks”.
I found the first part of the book quite interesting and informative. In these chapters Duff talks about the different types of sleep we experience each night and their effect on the brain and our physiology. She also explores the way our sleep changes over our lifetimes; elderly people do not spend as much time in “slow wave” sleep as younger people do, and that is the sleep that is the most healing for the body.
The author says that having to wake up before we are ready to in order to get to our jobs shorts us on R.E.M. sleep, which is where most of our dreaming takes place, and uses that fact as a jumping off point to spend several chapters examining dreams and their significance. I didn’t enjoy the chapters about dreams as much as I did the first part of the book; perhaps this is because I am one of those people who never remember dreaming when I wake up in the morning. Oddly enough, right after I finished this book, I did remember a dream I had about a specific thing that had happened that was bothering me, so perhaps I got something out of the dream chapters after all.
If you are interested in the science of sleep I highly recommend this book. I learned things I hadn’t known before, and the writing style makes it an enjoyable read.
This book is a detailed examination of what scientists have discovered about sleep and its importance and effects on our lives. I was interested in reading this book, since I have always been a “night person”, and the rest of the world seems to expect everyone to be up and at work at a time in the morning when I’m just regaining consciousness, so I was curious as to what the author might have to say about the differences in people’s “biological clocks”.
I found the first part of the book quite interesting and informative. In these chapters Duff talks about the different types of sleep we experience each night and their effect on the brain and our physiology. She also explores the way our sleep changes over our lifetimes; elderly people do not spend as much time in “slow wave” sleep as younger people do, and that is the sleep that is the most healing for the body.
The author says that having to wake up before we are ready to in order to get to our jobs shorts us on R.E.M. sleep, which is where most of our dreaming takes place, and uses that fact as a jumping off point to spend several chapters examining dreams and their significance. I didn’t enjoy the chapters about dreams as much as I did the first part of the book; perhaps this is because I am one of those people who never remember dreaming when I wake up in the morning. Oddly enough, right after I finished this book, I did remember a dream I had about a specific thing that had happened that was bothering me, so perhaps I got something out of the dream chapters after all.
If you are interested in the science of sleep I highly recommend this book. I learned things I hadn’t known before, and the writing style makes it an enjoyable read.
January 29, 2014
I won this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
I was pleasantly entertained by this book. I was expecting the book to start with some dry scientific information that I would have to read through, instead I got a colorful history of sleep and how it relates, not only to us, but to other cultures. I was very interested in the history of sleep since it seems our society views it less important although our sleep issues increase. I seem to be the odd person out who likes to get that 7-8 hours a sleep every night and wouldn’t pass up a nap if time permits.
The author goes with the many stages of sleep and many sleep disorders that affect many of us. I was a little surprised that it’s not unusual to wake up more than once a night. I often wake a few times in a night and I immediately panic that I won’t get back to sleep. In fact, when I was reading the book I woke up and 4 am and my mind immediately started planning my day and everything I would have to deal with. I followed the advice in the book and after about 15 minutes I fell back asleep.
She shares a lot of her personal stories, scientific studies, and a bit of philosophical perspectives to sleep and dreaming. It had a nice flow and I learned a few things that I didn’t know before. I enjoyed her personal stories and found them very relatable. If you’re looking for a book on sleep that’s not dry and not heavy on science this would be a good read for you.
I was pleasantly entertained by this book. I was expecting the book to start with some dry scientific information that I would have to read through, instead I got a colorful history of sleep and how it relates, not only to us, but to other cultures. I was very interested in the history of sleep since it seems our society views it less important although our sleep issues increase. I seem to be the odd person out who likes to get that 7-8 hours a sleep every night and wouldn’t pass up a nap if time permits.
The author goes with the many stages of sleep and many sleep disorders that affect many of us. I was a little surprised that it’s not unusual to wake up more than once a night. I often wake a few times in a night and I immediately panic that I won’t get back to sleep. In fact, when I was reading the book I woke up and 4 am and my mind immediately started planning my day and everything I would have to deal with. I followed the advice in the book and after about 15 minutes I fell back asleep.
She shares a lot of her personal stories, scientific studies, and a bit of philosophical perspectives to sleep and dreaming. It had a nice flow and I learned a few things that I didn’t know before. I enjoyed her personal stories and found them very relatable. If you’re looking for a book on sleep that’s not dry and not heavy on science this would be a good read for you.
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