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Note that this book tells you all about why we sleep, and gives you a lot of scary stats, but almost nothing practical about how to sleep better. If you already

by nojs 5y ago

Note that this book tells you all about why we sleep, and gives you a lot of scary stats, but almost nothing practical about how to sleep better. If you already know sleep is important and want actionable advice, this book won’t help.

helpfulmandrill 5y ago
The actionable advice for me was just "you have permission to sleep 8 hours, it isn't a waste of your life. No animal escapes the need to sleep, and thinking you can 'game the system' by robbing yourself of sleep night after night is the height of arrogance." I never had any problem sleeping, I just wouldn't let myself do it enough.
kmtrowbr 5y ago
This is not true -- he does give good advice, it's just that it can be summarized in a single page. In fact the last page of the book has his 12 tips. They are widely shared across the internet -- here is one such place: https://fastlifehacks.com/matthew-walker-12-tips-for-good-sleep/ https://fastlifehacks.com/matthew-walker-12-tips-for-good-sl... So the book is mostly documenting his research into the negative effects of a lack of sleep. Totally worthy and interesting. But the great thing for YOU is that you don't need to read the book. Just those 12 tips. I'm 41. Over the years I have tried lots of ways to sleep well: various herbs, pills, etc. Ultimately I found, for me, there's no way to hack it. Good sleep is a part of lifestyle. Matthew Walker says the most important thing is routine: now I get in bed at 9:30pm, I read for an hour, I fall asleep around 11pm, I wake up at 6:55, etc. Almost every day, I allow some flex on the weekend. And a party is a party, I give myself a freebie on those (sadly increasingly rare) occasions. You must get reasonable daily exercise. You can't drink a lot of alcohol and expect to sleep well. Don't bring your devices into the bedroom, read a paper book. Try to get cozy at night. Chamomile tea is wonderful. Look into sleep masks as I found as I got older I became more sensitive to light & a sleep mask helps. Spend some money on your bedroom: a good mattress, fan, blinds, the right temperature, etc. It totally works! I sleep fantastic these days! Best of luck to you in turn.

by nojs 5y ago

helpfulmandrill 5y ago

The actionable advice for me was just "you have permission to sleep 8 hours, it isn't a waste of your life. No animal escapes the need to sleep, and thinking you can 'game the system' by robbing yourself of sleep night after night is the height of arrogance." I never had any problem sleeping, I just wouldn't let myself do it enough.

kmtrowbr 5y ago

This is not true -- he does give good advice, it's just that it can be summarized in a single page. In fact the last page of the book has his 12 tips. They are widely shared across the internet -- here is one such place: https://fastlifehacks.com/matthew-walker-12-tips-for-good-sleep/ https://fastlifehacks.com/matthew-walker-12-tips-for-good-sl... So the book is mostly documenting his research into the negative effects of a lack of sleep. Totally worthy and interesting. But the great thing for YOU is that you don't need to read the book. Just those 12 tips. I'm 41. Over the years I have tried lots of ways to sleep well: various herbs, pills, etc. Ultimately I found, for me, there's no way to hack it. Good sleep is a part of lifestyle. Matthew Walker says the most important thing is routine: now I get in bed at 9:30pm, I read for an hour, I fall asleep around 11pm, I wake up at 6:55, etc. Almost every day, I allow some flex on the weekend. And a party is a party, I give myself a freebie on those (sadly increasingly rare) occasions. You must get reasonable daily exercise. You can't drink a lot of alcohol and expect to sleep well. Don't bring your devices into the bedroom, read a paper book. Try to get cozy at night. Chamomile tea is wonderful. Look into sleep masks as I found as I got older I became more sensitive to light & a sleep mask helps. Spend some money on your bedroom: a good mattress, fan, blinds, the right temperature, etc. It totally works! I sleep fantastic these days! Best of luck to you in turn.