Snoozefest: The Surprising Science of Sleep

by Tanya Lloyd Kyi, Valéry Goulet (Illustrations)

A look at the science of sleep --- covering everything adolescents could possibly want to know about a subject that's suddenly keeping them up at night!

For something that all humans do for hours every night, sleep is not that well understood. One thing we do know, though, is that sleep is crucial for our health and happiness. Here's a look at why sleep is so important, what's happening in our bodies while we're sleeping (it's a lot more than you think!), and how the science of sleep research has evolved. It probes some of the mysteries about sleep, like why we need sleep, why we dream, and even how long we can go without sleep! It also explains why teens and tweens aren't getting enough sleep --- and what school principals can do about it!

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Childrens, Middle Grade

80 pages, Hardcover

Published September 7, 2021

About the author

Tanya writes both fiction and non-fiction, often choosing topics related to science, pop culture, or social history—or a combination of the three. She enjoys combining factual research with intriguing narratives, or the life stories of interesting folks.

In her spare time, Tanya likes to run, bake, and read. Her favourite meal is breakfast, her favourite color is blue, and her favourite children’s book is A Wrinkle in Time.

Tanya grew up in Creston, B.C., and now lives in Vancouver with her husband, who claims to be the world's only Burmese occupational therapist. She balances writing time with parenthood, caring for her daughter Julia and her son Matthew.

Reviews

[Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm an adult insomniac, and I still found this children's book helpful and fascinating. It touches on all things sleep in an engaging and fun way. Highly recommended for science lessons, the curious, or the sleep-deprived of any age.

This unbiased review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.

[Lauren Geier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids Can Press is one of my favorite publishers because they continue to offer fantastic books for clinical bibliotherapy use. I stalk their site and social media presence to catch any new releases! (*At some point, I should probably stop publicly admitting my stalker status but it isn’t like I’m sitting outside their offices and looking in the windows...yet.)

Their newest release, “Snoozefest” by Tanya Lloyd Kyi is definitely a book you are going to want to add to your clinical shelf. It is out today...I’ll pause while you go ahead and order…

Ok, back? Good!

Raise your hand if you have a client who has difficulty sleeping. Yep, thought so. Whether the sleeplessness is caused by anxiety, depression, or poor sleep hygiene, “Snoozefest” is going to have useful information that you can explore, share, or assign. This brief chapter book explores the physiological purpose of sleep, impact on mood, cognitions, and behavior, and strategies for ensuring more rest. Colorful illustrations by Valery Goulet keep the reader engaged and masterfully break up more technical sections. Additionally there are fun facts about bedtime nursery rhymes and the origin of common sleep sayings that check all my nerdy boxes. This book is appropriate for middle schoolers through geriatric clients and would also be a fantastic tool for paraprofessionals working to teach/enhance life skills. The illustrations only enhance the book and will not make it appear too juvenile for use with adult clients. “Snoozefest’ is a fantastic psychoeducational tool for your clinical shelf!

#sleephygiene #therapy #psychoeducation #lifeskills #bibliotherapy

I am thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ecopy in exchange for an honest review. The words and opinions are my own.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well done survey of the science around sleep. Relatively recent research – think 100 years or so – science now knows that sleep is not a dormant phase of our day. Easy to understand information about our brain’s electrical currents, the circadian rhythms that determine our sleeping and waking, and other facts that readers can parse with little difficulty. I like that the author frequently relates the science to the lives of teens and their sleep patterns, a relatively new understanding. The book also covers dreaming, which is of interest to many at this age.

Kyi’s language is clear and direct, with a satisfying balance of science and high interest applications to the life of teens. The digital illustrations serve to break up the text, and show characters of diverse skin colors. I like that the book has a table of contents, sources and an index. A teen who may pick up the book to get help with better sleep will finish it with a better understanding of the “surprising “science that engages researchers still.

Although the illustrations are fun and whimsical, I would have liked some photographs of equipment or laboratories involved in the science.

[Swampscott Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rate 5/5
Content warnings: None in this book

“Snoozefest the Surprising Science of Sleep” is a fantastic book for anyone who is interested in sleep, needs more sleep, or simply likes to read about science and psychology. I would recommend this book for all ages and especially people between the ages of 10 and 25. It discusses the importance of getting enough sleep and more importantly the right kind and quality of it. It explains the science, research, and experiments done by scientists, psychologists, and normal human beings surrounding sleep science. I loved reading this book because it was interesting and educational in a fun way. The book has many colorful pictures which makes it more enjoyable to read. The pictures help connect the concepts to the real world and provide a visual break for the eyes in order to take in the words. I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone, it is highly worth reading regardless of age and interest. It will give you a better insight into sleep and how it affects you, your life, and those around you in more ways than one.

--Teen volunteer Lily, 10th grade

[Kathleen Garber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what happens when you sleep? I decided to read this to see if I would learn something new. It’s juvenile/children’s nonfiction but many times I learn something new even though I’m an adult. Everything I read I already knew but the book explained it well.

Some of the topics covered include:

what happens when we sleep
why sleep is important
what happens if you miss sleep
sleep disorders like sleep apnea, sleep walking and night terrors
how dreaming works
past discoveries and medical treatments from 100s of years ago
how to get better sleep
the circadian rhythm, melatonin and sleep pressure
what is bad for sleep health and why

Ages 11+ would be the ideal age to read this book. It’s very interesting and would make great research for a sleep related science project. I’ve read other books by Tanya Lloyd Kyi including Burn, Seeing Red and 50 Body Questions.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Theediscerning · Rating 5 out of 5]

If any school has sleep studies on its curriculum, this looks like an ideal core text book – delivering all the science (and history of science, like the creation of the EEG machine) in a style amenable to middle school, but dropping the names of all the scientists whose studies are responsible for our understanding of sleep in full A-level manner. Lots of names new to me are brought to us, having found something out that my prior reading had led me to vaguely know, but here is the whole topic writ large and in a very friendly fashion. This is at least the third time I have given this author five full stars for a junior academic book, so anyone deciding not to commission this lady pronto needs a few more hours in bed!

[Amanda Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found an explanation for why my husband can't spell in this book; he got rid of the nerve-cell connection for spelling because he wasn't using it--maybe? I also learned that vaccinations work better on people who get enough sleep. Now is a good time to know that fact. This book is full of interesting studies and facts about sleep. It's a good resource for school and public libraries. I like the way the author showed that accidents could later become experiments. The author included some info on animal sleep studies too. The sidebars had the most interesting tidbits so don't skip them. I am impressed that the author made what I thought would be a boring subject, interesting. I suggest reading it at bedtime to experiment on whether or not reading helps you sleep, goodnight.

[Danielle Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snoozefest introduces young readers to the history and science of sleep. It's written in a way that young minds can understand, while still being interesting for adult readers as well. The target audience is late elementary, but I still found the book educational as a woman in her 30s!


Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Gloria Rodolpho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not gonna lie - I thought this book would be very childish but my goodness it’s a great book for everyone on the history and science of sleep! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it as I learned many new things. #Snoozefest is a great nonfiction book for all. The information flowed naturally and the art was perfect 👌🏼

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this book was brilliant!

I read it as an adult so I am above the target age range but I thought that I learnt a lot from the different topics contained in the book.

It was really easy to follow and understand and I love a book that actually teaches me things too.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, very highly recommended!

[Tompkins County Public Library Youth Services]

Read this book together with your teenage kids! It explains why teenagers always stay up late, which will, hopefully, make you less frustrated when your teenagers put off their bedtime until midnight. Also, when you ask them to go to sleep earlier, you are well equipped with scientific information on the importance of sleep!

[Mike Broderick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non Fiction book club, I think this book is between a 3 and a 4 so I leaned towards 3. As a non fiction book for middle school, I think it was important to bring in more pictures to guide the words on the page. There are lots of cool facts and interesting stories, with some parts that could have been excluded.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic Non fiction book for curious minds. I loved the pictures and great facts. It gives a good overview about the science behind sleep, without the heavy textbook feel. It keeps things lighthearted between the interesting facts.
Thanks NetGalley

[Mandy Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cool! It's upper elementary language is accessible. The layout is easy to understand and friendly. At times, I felt it almost went too in depth for most students. However, I found it to be very interesting, and I learned new things!

[BLDinMT · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who used to push themselves with the I'll-Sleep-When-I'm-Dead motto...I'm glad to see sleep getting a little more respect these days alongside nutrition and exercise as a major player in personal health.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The science behind sleep and stories of the scientists who have studied various aspects of sleep. Interesting short chapters that are detailed enough for YA readers.

[Kerrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Randy · Rating 3 out of 5]

One more book that dives into the science of sleep. Interesting, but not anything new for me.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free eARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[This review will be posted on my blog on 6 September 2021]

As a young person with sleep disorders, I would have really appreciated this book as a child. I've always subscribed to the belief that knowledge is power, and by knowing about something, I felt more in control.

Snoozefest is a wonderful non-fiction title for kids. It talks about the science of sleep, as well as the history of scientific discoveries related to the field of sleep and respiratory medicine in easy to understand language. The narrative style is very direct, as if the author is talking directly to the reader. Some of the content may be a bit complex for a 5 year old, but will be easily understandable to, say, a 9 year old. Obviously it will depend on the child.
The layout was simple and easy to follow, and the illustrations were lovely. The colour palette is quite muted, but I think it fits well with the theme of sleep.
I would definitely buy this for my child (if I were a parent), and I think it would make a good addition to library shelves in primary schools.