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Contents
We spend, on average, one-third of our lives sleeping. And yet, for some of us, sleep can feel difficult, elusive, or downright impossible. When was the last time you got in bed before midnight, fell asleep easily, slept through the whole night without waking up, and awoke feeling rested and refreshed in the morning? Perhaps you can remember a time when sleep was like this. Or maybe this experience of sleep is something youve never had, and you can only imagine what it would be like. Maybe you sleep well, but you have a partner, family member, or friend who has difficulty sleeping. No matter what your relationship is to sleep, this book will provide helpful advice and information on natural ways to improve your sleep.
I was initially drawn to health and medicine through a desire to understand my own life experiences. Though I thought I might work as an engineer, a series of experiences with meditation early in life showed me that happiness is much more closely connected to health than to material possessions or technology. I found myself more and more wanting to understand how people worked, instead of how things worked. Conventional medicine, with its narrower focus on disease and dysfunction, wasnt able to satisfy my desire for a medical system that integrated every level of human experience, from physical to spiritual. However, I didnt want to abandon the incredible detail and analytic capacity of Western science. Naturopathic medicine was the perfect combination, and when integrated with a classical understanding of Chinese medicine, provides me with an extremely comprehensive understanding of human health.
This book begins with a general overview of sleep: what it is, why its necessary, what types of benefits come from good sleep, and what can go wrong when sleep issues occur. Next, we will look at the concept of natural remedies and gain insight into what makes them distinct from more conventional types of sleep remedies, such as medications. Once we have created some context, we will then get you set up with a sleep toolkit. The toolkit chapter ( ) reviews the specific resources you will need to start getting a good nights sleep, and how to prepare for this daily journey into the land of slumber.
The next several chapters will discuss specific remedies. For each chapter, you will learn how and why the remedies work; for each individual intervention, we will discuss the rationale behind the remedy, take a brief look at some of the scientific evidence, and see how it may work for you. Of course, not every remedy is appropriate for every person, which is why we will cover a great many potential remedies that you can use. Finally, in the last chapter ( ), we will discuss specific sleep situations you may have experienced or are experiencing, as examples of how to apply the remedies in the previous chapters.
Though I am sure the material in this book will be of value to you, it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Dont be afraid or embarrassed to reach out for additional help, or to get confirmation about the usefulness of a particular therapy for yourself.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
This book is meant to be used as a reference. Each technique or remedy presented includes clear indications of when to use it, instructions for how to use it, and potential cautions. You do not have to read through the entire book before checking out a particular therapy. However, gaining a deeper understanding of sleep will only be to your benefit. In particular, some of the lifestyle modifications discussed in at a minimum.
I hope this book proves valuable and useful to you, and that after reading it you have the resources you need to start getting the excellent sleep youre seeking.
Welcome to the first step on your path to good sleep! In this chapter, we will cover the basics: what is sleep, why do we need it, and what happens when we dont sleep well. We will also define what makes a remedy or therapy natural in order to compare natural remedies to more conventional treatments, such as medications. Near the end of this chapter, you will find a basic self-check for your current quality of sleep, which will be a valuable metric as you begin implementing some of the remedies in later chapters. By returning to this self-check, you will be able to see how your sleep has improved.
WHAT IS SLEEP?
We have all experienced sleep, and most of us have observed other people or animals sleeping, so we all have a basic idea of what sleep feels and looks like. Sleep can be defined as the natural, easily reversible periodic state of many living things that is marked by the absence of wakefulness and by the loss of consciousness of ones surroundings.
