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The Gift of the Night: A Six-Step Program for Better Sleep
A fast and easy six-step approach for addressing insomnia and other sleep disorders
• An effective, easy six-step program to help you sleep better as well as thirteen specific techniques to help you fall asleep and stay asleep
• Offers an integrative approach combining evidence-based sleep science with holistic and spiritual techniques
• Provides online support in the form of short videos, audio meditations, and exercises from the author’s successful sleep clinic
More than one third of adults suffer from insomnia or some other kind of sleep disorder. Left unaddressed, lack of sleep can lead to debilitated health, lowered resilience, and decreased performance in all aspects of life. Restoring hope to the sleepless, psychotherapist Philip Carr-Gomm reveals how we each have the ability to unlock better sleep naturally.
Combining his knowledge of sleep science and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with techniques drawn from spiritual traditions and insights from the emerging field of psychedelic therapy, Carr-Gomm presents a fast and easy-to-follow six-step program to help you sleep better. He explores a multitude of approaches to sleep, as well as sleep difficulties and how to overcome them. He looks at the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy and microdosing, applying elements of the psychedelic therapy model as a way of optimizing the conditions for sleep. He recommends thirteen natural ways we can drift into a deep and restorative sleep, including hypnotherapy, Yoga Nidra, sophrology, progressive muscle relaxation, and white, pink, and grey noise, and provides scripts for five of these techniques. His successful sleep clinic provides online support in the form of short videos and audio meditations as well as exercises.
In addition to the six-step program, the author guides you in discovering the factors inhibiting a good night’s sleep and explores the difficulties of sleep phobia, sleep-talking, sleep-walking, and “Exploding Head Syndrome.” He also answers questions about the links between sleep and depression, sleep and obesity, and the value of sleep hacking and lucid dreaming.
Helping you get a better night’s sleep, this concise and simple guide shows you how to benefit from everything the night offers to body and soul.
• An effective, easy six-step program to help you sleep better as well as thirteen specific techniques to help you fall asleep and stay asleep
• Offers an integrative approach combining evidence-based sleep science with holistic and spiritual techniques
• Provides online support in the form of short videos, audio meditations, and exercises from the author’s successful sleep clinic
More than one third of adults suffer from insomnia or some other kind of sleep disorder. Left unaddressed, lack of sleep can lead to debilitated health, lowered resilience, and decreased performance in all aspects of life. Restoring hope to the sleepless, psychotherapist Philip Carr-Gomm reveals how we each have the ability to unlock better sleep naturally.
Combining his knowledge of sleep science and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with techniques drawn from spiritual traditions and insights from the emerging field of psychedelic therapy, Carr-Gomm presents a fast and easy-to-follow six-step program to help you sleep better. He explores a multitude of approaches to sleep, as well as sleep difficulties and how to overcome them. He looks at the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy and microdosing, applying elements of the psychedelic therapy model as a way of optimizing the conditions for sleep. He recommends thirteen natural ways we can drift into a deep and restorative sleep, including hypnotherapy, Yoga Nidra, sophrology, progressive muscle relaxation, and white, pink, and grey noise, and provides scripts for five of these techniques. His successful sleep clinic provides online support in the form of short videos and audio meditations as well as exercises.
In addition to the six-step program, the author guides you in discovering the factors inhibiting a good night’s sleep and explores the difficulties of sleep phobia, sleep-talking, sleep-walking, and “Exploding Head Syndrome.” He also answers questions about the links between sleep and depression, sleep and obesity, and the value of sleep hacking and lucid dreaming.
Helping you get a better night’s sleep, this concise and simple guide shows you how to benefit from everything the night offers to body and soul.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 3, 2023
8 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Philip Carr-Gomm
65 books183 followersPhilip Carr-Gomm was born in London, raised in Notting Hill Gate, and educated at Westminster School and University College London.
He met his first spiritual teacher, Ross Nichols, the founder of The Order of Bards Ovates & Druids, when he was 11. He began studying with him when a teenager, and joined the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids at 18. He studied meditation with Olivia Robertson in Ireland, who later founded the Fellowship of Isis, and in his twenties he founded The Esoteric Society in London, which organised journeys for members to Bulgaria and Egypt, and hosted talks by well-known authors such as Gareth Knight, W. E. Butler, and Arthur Guirdham.
In 1975 his Druid teacher died, and he followed a Bulgarian teacher, Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov for seven years, giving talks on his teachings and helping with the translation and publishing of his books into English. He also travelled to Bulgaria and studied the work of Aivanhov’s teacher, Peter Deunov, visiting Sofia annually for fourteen years, teaching Deunov’s Paneurhythmy dance in England and at Findhorn in Scotland. In his thirties he turned to a study of psychology, taking a BSc degree at University College London and Jungian analysis, with plans to become an analyst. On discovering Psychosynthesis, he trained instead as a therapist at the Institute of Psychosynthesis in London and began a private practice.
In 1988 he was asked to lead the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids. He organised the Order’s teachings into a distance-learning course, and edited his teacher’s book with John Matthews [1]. Since that time, the Order has grown to become the largest Druid teaching order in the world.
He met his first spiritual teacher, Ross Nichols, the founder of The Order of Bards Ovates & Druids, when he was 11. He began studying with him when a teenager, and joined the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids at 18. He studied meditation with Olivia Robertson in Ireland, who later founded the Fellowship of Isis, and in his twenties he founded The Esoteric Society in London, which organised journeys for members to Bulgaria and Egypt, and hosted talks by well-known authors such as Gareth Knight, W. E. Butler, and Arthur Guirdham.
In 1975 his Druid teacher died, and he followed a Bulgarian teacher, Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov for seven years, giving talks on his teachings and helping with the translation and publishing of his books into English. He also travelled to Bulgaria and studied the work of Aivanhov’s teacher, Peter Deunov, visiting Sofia annually for fourteen years, teaching Deunov’s Paneurhythmy dance in England and at Findhorn in Scotland. In his thirties he turned to a study of psychology, taking a BSc degree at University College London and Jungian analysis, with plans to become an analyst. On discovering Psychosynthesis, he trained instead as a therapist at the Institute of Psychosynthesis in London and began a private practice.
In 1988 he was asked to lead the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids. He organised the Order’s teachings into a distance-learning course, and edited his teacher’s book with John Matthews [1]. Since that time, the Order has grown to become the largest Druid teaching order in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 9, 2024
This is a good overview and support for both scientific and more eastern, alternative ways to deal with sleep issues. I liked the author's approach, that sleep is a gift and a productive time for the brain.
February 7, 2024
For most of us insomniacs the night is no gift. Even if we’ve done our best to follow a sleep-inducing routine, we may not fall asleep or stay asleep. Many of us sleep soundly until two or three a.m. only to awaken and lie tossing and turning until morning.
What psychotherapist Philip Carr-Gomm proposes in his latest book is a six-step program to cultivate better sleep. Based on the latest sleep science and tested through his sleep clinic, he offers understanding and relief. I’ve been following Philip since he was Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, a position he held for thirty-two years (1988-2020). I participated in his sleep clinic a few years ago, so was pleased to see the outcome of his studies appear in the form of this book.
What Philip proposes is a shift in our attitude toward sleep. Those of us who suffer from insomnia know that lying in bed worrying about all the things we have to do tomorrow and how wretched we’re going to feel, is the absolute worst thing we can do. The shift is this: Think of the night as a magical time when “the conscious and unconscious minds, the ego and deep self can cooperate to give you the fullest possible experience of life” (20.)
Sleep is not time wasted nor is the time we spend trying to sleep. Rather than suffer, we can transform it into a magical time using a set of tools and techniques. What occurs at night while your body is at rest is: healing, problem-solving, creativity, inspiration, and spiritual development. What Philip outlines in this book is a way to encourage and allow that shift in consciousness so the magic can happen.
His work is both scientific and spiritual. You will learn about your body but also about your mind and spirit. What does he suggest will lead to a generally good night’s sleep?
• Spend time daily with Nature. Communing with trees, plants, and animals and spending time in the sun helps put our Circadian rhythms back on track.
• Address your stress levels through daily practice: mindfulness meditation and visualization, yoga, tai chi, qi gong, sophrology, or yoga nidra. Philip has studied these practices and leads weekly meditations on “Tea with a Druid.”
• Tend to your emotional life in whatever way works for you (counselling, journaling, dealing with your stuff, etc.)
Part 1 of the book is structured in six steps. Briefly:
1. Stop fighting and reframe the night. If you can’t sleep, then rest and meditate. This alone will induce a shift in consciousness. Something that I’ve researched myself is how meditation lowers the speed of our brainwaves from beta (jumpy, monkey mind) to alpha and theta (a blissfully creative state.) I use this technique to write novels.
2. Tune in to your personal sleep story, your patterns and nature, and your chronotype. Are you a lark or a night owl? When is your optimal bedtime?
3. Understand the body and how it’s affected by various substances. Here, Philip provides his opinions (based on facts) about what works, what might work, and what doesn’t work.
4. Create a sleep-inducing setting.
5. Experiment with techniques. He describes thirteen methods to either send you to sleep or into a creative mode.
6. Explore rituals and routines that work for you.
In Part 2, Philip answers most every question ever asked regarding sleep.
All in all, The Gift of the Night is a step forward in sleep consciousness. If you find one or two things that help you personally, it’s worth the cost. For me, it’s visualization and binaural beats; for you it may be hypnotherapy, EFT, or a daily yoga practice. Note that if you purchase the audio edition, Philip will read the book to you in his soothing British voice. For a sample, join him for “Tea with a Druid”—live-streamed every Monday at 8pm UK time on FB and Youtube—for a conversation and meditation lasting 20-30 minutes. You’ll be in the good company of hundreds of druids from around the world who meet together in the sacred grove.
What psychotherapist Philip Carr-Gomm proposes in his latest book is a six-step program to cultivate better sleep. Based on the latest sleep science and tested through his sleep clinic, he offers understanding and relief. I’ve been following Philip since he was Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, a position he held for thirty-two years (1988-2020). I participated in his sleep clinic a few years ago, so was pleased to see the outcome of his studies appear in the form of this book.
What Philip proposes is a shift in our attitude toward sleep. Those of us who suffer from insomnia know that lying in bed worrying about all the things we have to do tomorrow and how wretched we’re going to feel, is the absolute worst thing we can do. The shift is this: Think of the night as a magical time when “the conscious and unconscious minds, the ego and deep self can cooperate to give you the fullest possible experience of life” (20.)
Sleep is not time wasted nor is the time we spend trying to sleep. Rather than suffer, we can transform it into a magical time using a set of tools and techniques. What occurs at night while your body is at rest is: healing, problem-solving, creativity, inspiration, and spiritual development. What Philip outlines in this book is a way to encourage and allow that shift in consciousness so the magic can happen.
His work is both scientific and spiritual. You will learn about your body but also about your mind and spirit. What does he suggest will lead to a generally good night’s sleep?
• Spend time daily with Nature. Communing with trees, plants, and animals and spending time in the sun helps put our Circadian rhythms back on track.
• Address your stress levels through daily practice: mindfulness meditation and visualization, yoga, tai chi, qi gong, sophrology, or yoga nidra. Philip has studied these practices and leads weekly meditations on “Tea with a Druid.”
• Tend to your emotional life in whatever way works for you (counselling, journaling, dealing with your stuff, etc.)
Part 1 of the book is structured in six steps. Briefly:
1. Stop fighting and reframe the night. If you can’t sleep, then rest and meditate. This alone will induce a shift in consciousness. Something that I’ve researched myself is how meditation lowers the speed of our brainwaves from beta (jumpy, monkey mind) to alpha and theta (a blissfully creative state.) I use this technique to write novels.
2. Tune in to your personal sleep story, your patterns and nature, and your chronotype. Are you a lark or a night owl? When is your optimal bedtime?
3. Understand the body and how it’s affected by various substances. Here, Philip provides his opinions (based on facts) about what works, what might work, and what doesn’t work.
4. Create a sleep-inducing setting.
5. Experiment with techniques. He describes thirteen methods to either send you to sleep or into a creative mode.
6. Explore rituals and routines that work for you.
In Part 2, Philip answers most every question ever asked regarding sleep.
All in all, The Gift of the Night is a step forward in sleep consciousness. If you find one or two things that help you personally, it’s worth the cost. For me, it’s visualization and binaural beats; for you it may be hypnotherapy, EFT, or a daily yoga practice. Note that if you purchase the audio edition, Philip will read the book to you in his soothing British voice. For a sample, join him for “Tea with a Druid”—live-streamed every Monday at 8pm UK time on FB and Youtube—for a conversation and meditation lasting 20-30 minutes. You’ll be in the good company of hundreds of druids from around the world who meet together in the sacred grove.
January 30, 2024
Can't sleep? Need some incredibly helpful advice and solutions? Never fear The Gift of the Night is here.
A wonderful read that is absolutely easy to pick up follow and understand step by step. Philip Carr-Gomm has a beautiful writing style that flows easily much like his own voice in his recordings. The audio version of this book would be a great addition and I would say I'd even recommend over the printed book as you benefit from the guided meditations included.
That said the printed version is to the point, clear and offers great insight into why we can't let sleep take over us easily in our busy lives and offers a switch in perspective to aid in re framing what the night is for. I love that the book begins detailing the scientific methods and uses that understanding as a base to go beyond science into a more holistic and no less valid approach.
Merging scientific study with a meditative and spiritual component The Gift of The Night unveils what is profoundly needful about rest and rejuvenation. It is not simply a task to be done in order to live out our daily lives but a blessing that reconnects us to our essential spirit, bring inspiration, deeper understanding and helps us truly process our experiences.
I found the steps very helpful and offered in a gentle non judging manner that is easy to adopt and I found myself excited to try all of them even though I was already sleeping better by step 4.
Do not hesitate to get this book if you are even slightly considering it, you will not be disappointed!
A wonderful read that is absolutely easy to pick up follow and understand step by step. Philip Carr-Gomm has a beautiful writing style that flows easily much like his own voice in his recordings. The audio version of this book would be a great addition and I would say I'd even recommend over the printed book as you benefit from the guided meditations included.
That said the printed version is to the point, clear and offers great insight into why we can't let sleep take over us easily in our busy lives and offers a switch in perspective to aid in re framing what the night is for. I love that the book begins detailing the scientific methods and uses that understanding as a base to go beyond science into a more holistic and no less valid approach.
Merging scientific study with a meditative and spiritual component The Gift of The Night unveils what is profoundly needful about rest and rejuvenation. It is not simply a task to be done in order to live out our daily lives but a blessing that reconnects us to our essential spirit, bring inspiration, deeper understanding and helps us truly process our experiences.
I found the steps very helpful and offered in a gentle non judging manner that is easy to adopt and I found myself excited to try all of them even though I was already sleeping better by step 4.
Do not hesitate to get this book if you are even slightly considering it, you will not be disappointed!
January 6, 2024
Excellent, interesting and very helpful. I particularly like how it gives down to earth ideas (so no crazy weirdo systems) and helps remove the stress of worrying about not sleeping. I am already noticing an improvement so thank you Philip!! Definitely one of my best buys 😁
March 9, 2024
Great tips and extremely soothing voice in the audiobook.
August 25, 2025
The exercises and step-wise program in this book were extremely useful and helpful. However, information was a bit repetitive in multiple sections.
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January 18, 2026A must for all those who have insomnia - written by spiritual teacher and psychologist who has been very influential in my own personal healing. Easy to read. Potent and uncomplicated strategies to put in place to help promote better sleep.
September 7, 2024
Fixed my insomnia
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews