Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health (Hardcover)

by Dr. Michael Breus (Author) "Early in my career, I entered an exam room in our clinic prepared to do an initial office evaluation of a new patient..." (more)
Key Phrases: multivitamin today, worry journal, arterial aging, Good Night, Myth Buster, Other Hazards (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Clinical psychologist Breus, WebMD.com's sleep expert, has reassuring news: the heavy sleep debt that most of us have racked up through years of high-stress, stimulant-filled living can be recouped. According to Breus, by calculating the amount of sleep needed and eliminating habits that conflict with a healthy sleep regiment and disrupt natural circadian rhythms, most people can achieve full, deep and restful sleep without pharmaceuticals; resist major diseases; lose weight; think more clearly; look younger; and improve their relationships and sex life. Even those who travel frequently or work on revolving shifts, Breus says, can implement simple strategies to get quality sleep. He offers a 28-night program in which readers go through "sleep boot camp," including a sleep diary, bedroom makeover, diet overhaul, exercise and relaxation techniques. By taking quizzes and examining lifestyles, readers will pinpoint obvious (anxiety, caffeine) and not-so-obvious (medications, hormones, confused body clocks) causes for insomnia and exhaustion. He discusses the pros and cons of taking medication, as well as the dangers of taking melatonin. Breus's enthusiasm for his subject is as attractive as his promises-and may make readers eager to do some hard work tackling stubborn habits that stand in the way of a good night's sleep.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
“Dr. Breus can show you how to get a restful night’s sleep and gain all the energy, focus, and productivity you need to live a balanced and successful life.”
—Jack Canfield, CEO, Chicken Soup for the Soul Enterprises, and coauthor of The Success Principles™: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult; 1 edition (September 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525949798
• ISBN-13: 978-0525949794
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #49,147 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best and most comprehensive guide to sleep and wellness, February 23, 2007

By	Talia Mana (New Zealand) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After more than 25 years of insomnia I've read my share of books on sleep and this is by far the best.

It provides a great guide to sleep hygiene which includes everything from choosing the best mattress, to sound proofing your room, developing good bedtime habits and understanding your own issues.

The book is full of handy quizzes that help you identify problem areas and provides comprehensive solutions for you to address these issues and get a good night's sleep. The book is full of examples and helpful tips and includes worksheets for you to record your sleep during the four week program.

If you're impatient to jump into the 4 week program you can start that immediately but I would strongly recommend reading the preceding chapters so you can eliminate problems from light, noise, pets, uncomfortable pillows and the like.

Good Night covers all the basics of getting a good night sleep, including recommendations on snacks to help you get to sleep and ideas for decorating your room to minimise distractions.

The book distinguishes between disordered sleeping and sleep disorders covering off the common sleep disorders and how they are diagnosed. The pros and cons of various remedies including sleeping pills and alternative remedies are also covered.

For anyone interested in weight loss or wanting to look younger or remove those black circles under the eyes, Good Night tells you why sleep might be interfering with your energy, appetite and appearance as well as providing guidelines to look and feel younger healthier and slimmer. What could be better?

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Practical Advice, November 15, 2006

By	Julie (Burbank, CA) - See all my reviews

I thought I'd heard every statistic and help tip that existed re: sleep problems and sleep hygiene -- keep your room cold and dark, wear earplugs, etc. But refreshingly, this book had a few tips I hadn't seen or heard elsewhere -- including descriptions of several yoga-like relaxation and meditation exercises to help you unwind.

I'm particularly fond of the concept of a "power down hour" where you spend a full, committed hour to unwinding before bed. Though it sounds unrealistic in the modern world, that anyone would take a full hour to do this, the cool thing is that 1/2 of this wind-down hour is meant to be devoted to doing what the author calls "mindless chores" like folding laundry. Makes a lot of sense to me, to save these chores for late night, when doing them may actually help put you to sleep!

There are a lot of tips like this in the book. Highly recommended overall.

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, holistic answer to insomnia and other sleep problems!, March 2, 2007

By	Michelle - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health (Hardcover)

Surely all of us, at one time or another, have gone a few rounds with insomnia. When you've had trouble sleeping, you drag yourself out of bed in the morning feeling all achy and exhausted, just as if you had been in the ring battling an opponent all night. In his book Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health, Dr. Breus coaches you on all the effective ways to overcome insomnia - ways that many of us would never even think of! - and put it down for the count. I found his book expertly written in a conversational and friendly style with suggestions and instructions that are easy to understand and follow.

Part I of the book is called "Quick-Fix Sleep Solutions" and includes the first four chapters. You know what a bad night's sleep is, but what exactly is a good night's sleep? In chapter one, Dr. Breus explains enough about the science of sleep to give you a good foundation for understanding how and why a good night's sleep is necessary to feeling good and looking younger. Chapter two introduces you to the "Three Most Troublesome Culprits in Disordered Sleep...and How to Conquer Them." (If you guessed that caffeine is one of the three, you're right; however, the third culprit might surprise you!) The discussion in chapter three is about the people in your life - your partner, children, and business associates - and how you can manage the disruptions in sleep they may cause. Chapter four is "The Extreme (but Easy!) Bedroom Makeover" and is one of my favorite chapters. In it you learn how to make small changes in the bedroom that add up to a big difference, enabling you to improve your quality of sleep!

"Part II: From Waistlines to Face Lines: You Are What You Sleep" includes chapters five, six, and seven. Did you know that a poor night's sleep can undermine your diet, exercise, or combination weight-loss program? The first chapter in part two discusses how the body chemistry behind a good night's sleep can not only enhance your weight-loss, but acts as a "cosmetic medicine" that empowers your cells to rejuvenate and reverse the damage caused by age, stress, environment, and other factors. Chapter six talks about the important role played by quality sleep in the areas of exercise and sex, and how the right kind of sleep can not only perk up your love life, it can enhance those intimate moments with your partner. If you have ever thought that a nap in the afternoon was a good idea, chapter seven will show you how right you are, and Dr Breus explores different types of naps to help you choose the one that will deliver just the right amount of rest and energy without adversely impacting your sleep that night.

Part III launches the remarkable four-week program, "28 Nights to Sound Sleep Forever" developed by Dr. Breus. Chapter eight takes you step-by-step through the first week of his comprehensive and detailed program to improve your rejuvenating, regenerating sleep. He leads you through a series of small changes from scheduling sleep time to relaxation techniques while you keep a Sleep Diary to record your reactions. Evaluation is the keyword for chapter nine; here you will take the second week to review your Sleep Diary entries from the previous chapter so that you may evaluate the effectiveness of each change, and try some new techniques if you need to. You also receive friendly reminders that help you to stay on track. Weeks three and four of the program comprise chapter ten; here you finalize and follow your personalized sleep program by combining and practicing all the bedtime routine, relaxation, and other techniques that worked well for you.

"The Sleep Aid Industry" is the topic of Part IV of the book. Dr Breus answers a few common questions concerning sleep-aid supplements and pharmaceuticals. As a holistic practitioner myself, I especially value this information about the hazards of using medications or other "quick fix" techniques in attempting to attain quality, restful sleep. To close, The Sleep Doctor offers some excellent guidelines to follow in order to reap the benefits of a completely natural night's sleep for business and vacation travelers, and people who work evening or night shifts.

The two appendices at the end of the book include a reminder list in outline format along with Sleep Diary charts, and a list of additional resources.

I am delighted to have this book in my toolkit to recommend to stress-management clients as well as to other holistic practitioners. You can learn more about Dr. Breus and his book Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health, by visiting his website www.soundsleepsolutions.com . You will find many articles about a variety of sleep problems, and you may also subscribe to his free "Sleep eNewzzzletter!" You should also visit "The Insomnia Blog" http://www.theinsomniablog.com/ where you may find not only great posts to read, but you can listen to several podcasts of Dr. Breus sharing his expertise in order to help you to overcome your sleep problems!