Say Good Night to Insomnia: The Six-Week, Drug-Free Program Developed At Harvard Medical School [Paperback]

Gregg D. Jacobs (Author), Dr. Herbert Benson (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 1999

Imagine an insomnia treatment that improves sleep in 100 percent of insomniacs, helps 75 percent of insomniacs become normal sleepers, and allows 90 percent of insomniacs to reduce or eliminate their use of sleeping pills. This treatment is safe, natural, and has no side effects except improved mood, higher energy, increased mind/body control, and better health. No, this is not a new miracle drug. It is Dr. Gregg Jacobs's drug-free program described in Say Good Night to Insomnia.

At Harvard Medical School's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dr. Jacobs has tested and developed a six-week, drug-free program that conquers insomnia in a large majority of patients. The first clinician to offer proof that insomnia can be overcome without drugs, Dr. Jacobs's program provides techniques for: Eliminating sleeping pills Establishing sleep-promoting habits and lifestyle practices Changing negative, stressful thoughts about sleep Implementing relaxation and stress-reduction techniques Enhancing peace of mind and reducing negative emotions

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

First-time authors Jacobs and Wiedman bring two complementary and responsible viewpoints to the topic of insomnia. Both have suffered from insomnia, write extensively about the ineffectiveness and sometime harmful consequences of sleeping pills, and suggest starting treatment by keeping a sleep diary. Jacobs, a professor at Harvard Medical School and founder of the Behavioral Medicine Insomnia Program, promotes a drug-free program of healthy sleep patterns based on biofeedback, relaxation, positive thinking, and good sleep habits. Wiedman, a mortgage broker by trade, suggests a very simple three-step plan. While the two books offer similar information, Jacobs's scholarly manner will satisfy those looking for an authoritative answer, while Wiedman's more informal approach will appeal to readers seeking something more personal; Wiedman also includes an excellent annotated list of Internet resources. Both titles are highly recommended for growing consumer health collections, but librarians should be aware that other recent works on this topic by Theresa DiGeronimo, Jodi Mindell, and Gary Zammit (LJ 6/1/97) may already be on the shelves.?Kelly Hensley, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"The breakthrough program with the scientifically proven power to help you sleep again." --Joan Borysenko, author of Minding the Body, Ming the Mind

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks (November 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805055487
• ISBN-13: 978-0805055481
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (112 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #431,014 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Gregg D. Jacobs is an Insomnia Specialist at the Sleep Disorders Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and a leading authority on the treatment of insomnia. At Harvard Medical School, Dr. Jacobs developed the first drug-free insomnia program proven more effective than sleeping pills in research funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Visit his website and learn more about his CBT insomnia program at www.cbtforinsomnia.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

166 of 169 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I've slept since I read it. May 30, 2005

By Beanhauer

Format:Paperback

I bought this book based on a recommendation from a February 22, 2005 article on Slate by Amanda Schaffer. If it wasn't for this recommendation, I'm not sure I would have kept reading after the first chapter. The book is full of exclamation points, oversimplification and glib promises. Very "self help"y.

So why 5 stars? Because I have slept deeply all night every night since I read the book. I was coming off the worst bout of insomnia of my life...several weeks at 3 hours or less per night. I planned to start the first week of the program, a sleep diary, the next night I slept badly. It hasn't happened. For me, just having read the program and realizing the simple changes I could make seems to have done the trick. And if my sleep problems resume, I feel confident that pursuing the six week program faithfully would solve the problem.

The author is condescending, overly perky, and seems to be writing for an IQ level of about 87. But if you have a serious insomnia problem, I recommend you get past the style and try out the substance. I'd read a lot more annoying books if I knew I'd sleep well afterward.

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars 30% self promotion, 30% folksy talk, 30% okay April 1, 2005

By Zenon W. Pylyshyn

Format:Paperback

I took this book back. A book that spends as much time as this one telling you how good it (and the author) is turns me off. It presents research findings as though they are rumors, with no mention of the source. There's not even an index to look up topics. There are very much better books on this topic. The factually best is by William Dement -- the founder of the field of sleep medicine ("The Promise of Sleep"). A more accessible one is by Hairi & Linde, "No More Sleepless Nights."

49 of 50 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute must-buy for long-time insomnia sufferers!! February 21, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

This book is wonderful--I finished it in 2 days! It is a very easy-to-read explanation of the physiology of sleep, why we lose it, and how we can get it back. The techniques Dr. Jacobs describes to stop insomnia are easy to follow (although they do take patience and persistence) and really make sense. And, best of all, this program works!!! I suffered from insomnia for over 16 years, and I never thought I would be free of endless days and nights worrying about sleep. To my amazement, the night following the day I started reading the book, I fell asleep within 10 minutes! Unheard of for me! And, I wasn't even employing any of the techniques suggested in the book yet. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to all insomniacs who suffer from constant anxiety about sleeping as I did, and wish you endless nights of restful sleep!

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hope for Insomniacs January 13, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

This book was simply the best I have read on insomnia. I thought I was doing everything right to promote sleep, until I read this book and saw how I was sabotaging my sleep. It explained things better than my sleep therapist could. After 17 years of feeling hopeless from insomnia I have my life back due to this book. You won't be disappointed.

83 of 92 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Tiring, and thereby helpful July 29, 2005

By M. Freeman

Format:Paperback

This book has been immensely helpful for me and my understanding of why I have always had so much trouble with sleep. Dr. Jacobs sets the record straight on a number of sleep myths but can be repetitive when he is trying to make a point. For example, he drones on for 16 pages about how sleeping pills will do more harm than good. This may be an effort to extend the length of this book.

Instead of providing us with a 200 page verbose browbeating the author would have better served us with a concise text that could have easily been less than 100 pages. And also, when he is trying to prove a point, Dr. Jacobs will cite some vague statistic. When trying to prove the effectiveness of his "Relaxation Response," or "RR" for short, the author says, "Dozens of scientific studies have proven that the RR is an effective treatment for insomnia," and that is it. If he's not going to be specific, why bother mentioning it at all.

As for the "6-week solution" this book provides, it seems to have been added as an afterthought. The 6 week program consists of keeping a sleep diary for 6 weeks. That's it. The point, of course, is to try to find a connection between what you did to help yourself sleep and how much you slept, but don't buy this book looking for a miracle 6 week cure.

In the end I still recommend this book to anyone with sleep trouble. There are some incredibly useful things in this book that make trudging through it worthwhile.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A life saver August 28, 2003

By Lyudmila

Format:Paperback

I bought this book out of desperation. It seems that one day I suddenly lost ability to fall asleep. After several weeks spent virtually without sleep, I went to a doctor and got sleep medication, which worked well. However, I was unable to sleep without it and my husband and I wanted to have a second baby. Thus, I knew I would have to get off the medication; but when I tried to sleep without the pill, I couldn't fall asleep.

Thank you to all the readers who have recommended this book and helped me choose the right one! As a result of following Dr. Jacobs' advice, I no longer need any medications and have no sleep-related problems. This was a great investment!

This book can be helpful to anyone who would like to improve quality (or quantity) of his or her sleep.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It Changed My Life August 22, 2001

By Patience Crabstick

Format:Hardcover

No kidding. I was resistant at first to start the book, I thought that by exploring my sleep I'd make the problem worse. Believe me, the exact opposite is true. "Knowledge is power" has never held so much truth. It took almost no time to feel a definite change in my sleep patterns. I started falling asleep in less than 20 minutes every night. If I woke up during the night I was able to get back to sleep almost instantly. By limiting my time in bed I was able to retrain my brain to think of a bed as a place to sleep again. At first I only got four hours of sleep a night, but now I'm up to as much as six and a half and I'm only into the second week of the program. Please do youself a favor, if you have insomnia, there is no need to suffer any longer. BUY THIS BOOK at any price, peace of mind can be yours again.