Fast Asleep, Wide Awake: Discover the secrets of restorative sleep and vibrant energy

by Nerina Ramlakhan

A powerful methodology to help you switch on your body’s innate ability to sleep well and how to build extraordinary energy.

Sleep problems aren’t created when you put your head on the pillow. Everything you do during the day – every thought, every behaviour, every choice you make – can impact on how you sleep at night.Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, a physiologist and renowned sleep and energy expert, has worked with people for over twenty five years. Combining this professional experience with academic and personal insights, she shares her view that sleep problems are not just about sleep but rather about how we deal with life and its inevitable challenges.In this ground breaking book, she goes beyond traditional sleep methods to examine the true causes of sleep problems .Fast Asleep Wide Awake shares a unique and highly practical process for accessing deep and restorative sleep and shifting your energy from survival energy to a more sustainable and vibrant source of energy that we all have access to.Using tools and techniques based on Western science and Eastern practices learn how to sleep deeply and find the energy to embrace life’s challenges with courage and optimism.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 11, 2016

Reviews

[Ron S · Rating 2 out of 5]

There isn't enough content in this book to justify a magazine article, never mind a full-length book, or advice that expands on what's become generally accepted gospel. Eat breakfast, ditch the caffeine, exercise and maintain a good work life balance and get away from digital devices and screens at least an hour before bedtime: that's the book. I'll just close by saying that if anyone has been helped by this tome, I'm happy for them, but for those still suffering from chronic sleeplessness, you've likely already followed the advice contained here and will need to continue looking elsewhere.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book. Simply but clearly goes into the basic facts around sleep and energy, debunking a lot of the fear-based stuff we often hear about sleep, and offering real, tangible and practical ways to unwind and sleep better. I also personally loved the mixing of western science with eastern practices, and anyone reading could pick and choose whatever resonated for them, so there's no need to do every technique in the book (and there are many) outside of her five 'non-negotiables' in the first part of the book. As a physiologist, the author looks at things from a holistic viewpoint, so stress, beliefs, and lifestyle are also explored, and I loved this approach. This is also the first thing on sleep/energy I've found which actually identifies the over-stimulated and over-stressed state that can lead to sleep issues, and responds by instilling encouragement and calm, rather than an analytical/obsessively measuring approach which can just increase the over-stimulated, over-thinking response.

[Fuad Rahimov · Rating 1 out of 5]

I came to read this book after “Why we sleep?” By Matthew Walker, but this book is NO WAY on par with Matthew’s work, not an inch. It’s not a scientific book as you’d expect (none whatsoever), I’d say it’s more like spiritual book with some testimonies of the author’s patients. Basically book says drink water, take deep breath, and look into your eyes (“coming to home” as she calls it) when you wake up in the morning for a good sleep. And yes, some meditation tips. That’s all. If you are pro-scientific like me, this book is the last book on Earth you’d like to read, but if you are more of a spiritual person, then this book MAY be for you. For me, it was utter disappointment.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[David J Stricklin · Rating 2 out of 5]

May help a few

20-40% of people respond to placebo and I would guess about the same number will derive benefit from reading this book. I will try to reduce caffeine intake and evening blue light exposure. This book is a mixture of sleep hygiene and CAM therapies with a focus on traditional therapies coming from India and China—belly breathing, yoga type therapies and meditation type stuff. All might be helpful for some but not sure you need this book for that. What bothered me is that this self proclaimed ‘physiologist’ got fundamental things so wrong. She talked about drinking too much water causing hypernatremia when it causes the opposite. Then, when talking about ‘alkalinization’ suggested the optimal pH for humans is 7.35 which would be slightly acidic of the normal pH of 7.40. Most of the ‘alkalinize crowd’ talk about trying to alkalinize the interstitial space (between tissues and cells) any so blood pH likely a poor marker. If your body is set at 7.40 you aren’t going to maintain a new set point on either side for very long so why not, as a physiologist, make the point (assuming you believe alkalinization has sufficient standing) that you are providing an alkaline pool that would allow the body to rid itself of excess hydrogen ions? For 99 cents I suppose it was worth a try.

[Riham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not one to take life advice from authors and books. and I admit, I'm not going to apply what I have learned from this book to my day to day life. However, I am a person who suffered from sleeping problems and especially during the past few months. I didn't realize that the author was going to tackle subjects that I'm interested in until she started talking about Shen, Chakras and energy. I'm a strong believer in the power of energies. There's a lot of reference from ancient eastern medicine as well as western medicine and in way, she tries to make both complement each other to benefit people. My sleeping problems are not cured but it's comforting to know that I'm not alone.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A better book is Mathew Walker's "Why We Sleep". But, I will give the author a big thank you for one bit of advice that was missing from my life. You need to feel safe when you go to bed, no worries, no stress. Whatever concerns you have, tell yourself that's in the past and you're now in a safe place. Your bedroom is your sanctuary. It made a difference for me!

[Spudd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't find a big help from her tips. I had one night of gorgeous perfect sleep but then it never returned, although I kept following the tips for quite some time.

[Purple Booklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

5*****/5*****.