Healthy Sleep

by Andrew Weil, Rubin R. Naiman

s/t: Fall Asleep Easily, Sleep More Deeply, Sleep Through the Night, Wake Up Refreshed
Acclaimed physician Weil joins sleep expert Naiman to teach natural lifestyle approaches and practical exercises to attain healthy sleep. Unabridged. 2 CDs.

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

2 pages, Audio CD

First published September 1, 2007

About the author

Andrew Weil, M.D., is a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, a healing oriented approach to health care that encompasses body, mind, and spirit. He is the author of many scientific and popular articles and of 14 books: The Natural Mind, The Marriage of the Sun and Moon From Chocolate to Morphine (with Winifred Rosen) Health and Healing, Natural Health, Natural Medicine; and the international bestsellers, Spontaneous Healing and 8 Weeks to Optimum Health, Eating Well for Optimum Health: The Essential Guide to Food, Diet, and Nutrition The Healthy Kitchen: Recipes for a Better Body, Life, and Spirit (with Rosie Daley) Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Well-Being; and Why Our Health Matters: A Vision of Medicine That Can Transform Our Future (issued in paperback with new content as You Can’t Afford to Get Sick).

Combining a Harvard education and a lifetime of practicing natural and preventive medicine, Dr. Weil is Director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, where he also holds the Lovell-Jones Endowed Chair in Integrative Rheumatology and is Clinical Professor of Medicine and Professor of Public Health. The Center is the leading effort in the world to develop a comprehensive curriculum in integrative medicine. Graduates serve as directors of integrative medicine programs throughout the United States, and through its Fellowship, the Center is now training doctors and nurse practitioners around the world.

Learn More:
Facebook.com/DrWeil
YouTube.com/DrWeil
Instagram.com/DrWeil
Flickr.com/DrWeil
Pinterest/DrWeil

Reviews

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doctors Andrew Weil and Ruban Naiman have created an audiobook to help cure the various troubles one may have while falling to sleep.

I liked their multimodality approach to a problem that everybody seems to have. They start with an exercise to help you figure out what type of sleep problem you may be facing. They discuss the differences between "rest" and "sleep", which I had never considered. They also talk about how to structure your bedroom to give yourself the best opportunity for sleep.

Dr. Weil gives some natural suggestions for sleep like maintaining a consistent diet and exercise routine, going to sleep the same time every night, realigning your body with the natural rhythms of the outdoors, and more. He also discusses holistic remedies and the doses he recommends to his patients with potential side effects.

There are also multiple meditations to assist with relaxation and then sleep. As Dr. Naiman points out in the program, one does not truly "go to" sleep as it's not a location or something you can "catch". Sleep is more about stepping back and allowing your body to naturally do its thing.

The doctors also go into the importance of dreaming for the health of the psyche. If you're not sleeping, there's some underlying issues that your consciousness may not have time to deal with during the waking day. Managing your sleep is more than a benefit for your health, it is also vitally important for your mental health too.

In addition to sleep for individuals, they talk about sleeping with a partner and the special challenges that can bring. I could see this being particularly helpful for sleep-challenged couples and is another aspect of the sleep environment that I hadn't necessarily considered before.

Highly recommended for people who are looking to increase or improve the quality or quantity of their zzz's.

[Phillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a good Enough book. It provides information and exercises the authors walk the listener through. Action orientation means it is more likely to be effective for the listener.

[Sian Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this book, and to be honest I didn't listen to all of the informational/discussion chapters. What informational chapters I listened to were fascinating, but what I needed immediately was the practical exercises, so I lept right to the them -- and I loved them. I really responded to the combination of creative visualization, self-compassion, and pranayama, not to mention the soothing sound of Dr. Naiman's voice. Listening to these exercises has become a regular practice for me. I highly recommend.

[Bree · Rating 2 out of 5]

Notes::
Just too much new age religion, naimann even refers to the kabbalah

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing new

[Jeph · Rating 2 out of 5]

Healthy Sleep seemed more like a college lecture/seminar or workshop than an audiobook. It's a short two hours of audio. The first disc is a discussion on the values of sleep and the factors in life that could be disrupting it. One of the most valuable tools is a guided sleep inventory that helps diagnose where, if any, are your problems in sleep.
The second disc is mostly guided exercises on waking and getting to sleep.

Perhaps one of the best things about this CD was that, unlike most guided exercise books, this one was very fundamental and basic. The exercises were simple, short and easy to memorize. For once I didn't feel like I'd have to own this book and constantly refer back or make notes on the exercises if I wanted to repeat them later in the future. As icing on the cake, the reader is constantly urged to make the exercises individual, or adapt them to their needs if they can be made easier. This made the exercises stress-free and flexible.

The two speakers, Andrew Weil and Ruben Naiman, complement each other well, filling in the gaps of physiology and psychology, drawing together a good blend of sound advice for body and mind.

[Shannan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This audiobook had some good information and reminders, but nothing earth shattering or novel. I already knew most of it. And eliminating "bed noise" is difficult when it's your husband snoring. HA! Listening to the audiobook in the car was definitely not the appropriate place, but if I'd listened at home on the couch, I would have fallen asleep. I do know a couple of people I will recommend this to, people who have trouble falling asleep, which I think this book would be more helpful for.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

so boring it put me to sleep, only kidding ha ha

[Mckinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basics of setting patterns for healthy sleep. Many people suffer from poor sleep. Listening to this pragmatic approach, I'm not so badly off as I was thinking. Helpful.

[Anie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book; however, it is much like exercise. You have use the methods, in order to realize the benefit!!!!!

[Kaq Kaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good breathing techniques to help fall into a quick sleep esp. when the mind is working!!