Title: Unfuck Your Sleep: The #1 Non-Negotiable Necessity for Emotional and Physical HealthAuthor: Faith G. Harper
Series: Dr. Faith's 5-Minute Therapy #
First Published: October 15, 2018
Publisher: Microcosm Publishing
Pages: 38
Genre: Non-Fiction, Self-Help
Format: Ebook
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating:
Sleep is so, so, so important! We spend a third of our lives doing it... well, ideally we do. In reality, we get far less sleep than our bodies and minds need. Microcosm Publishing bestseller Dr. Faith makes a strong case for upping our sleep game and gives an abundance of clinically-proven advice to help you sleep better. She also weighs in on the various drugs and potions out there that promise sleep assistance--some are terrible and others work alright but with some precautions. If you have problems sleeping, you'll likely find the recommendations you need here.
Sleep and I, we’ve never had a good relationship. I suffered from night terrors and sleep paralysis into my twenties, I always struggled to fall and stay asleep, so I became an unrepentant night owl. I suffer from anxiety, so the quiet night always felt especially busy to me, and I’d stay up until first light and take plenty of afternoon naps. It was acceptable when I was young, but now having a regular nine to five work schedule and a family, my old sleep habits just doesn’t work for me anymore. I’m always miserable when I wake up tired and have to drag myself to work where I need to be alert and cheerful.
I’d tried several treatments in the past with varying effects. Sleeping pills make me feel dead in the morning and drowsy driving the next day is dangerous and terrifying. Melatonin can be hit or miss, warm baths work sometimes. In terms of actionable solutions, I thought that this book could give me a few ideas and ideas it did provide. I’ve learned that I’m a nine-hour sleeper, it’s when I feel the most rested but if left without an alarm, I’ll sleep much longer and feel utterly gross. I regularly run on 6-7 hours of sleep which is not great and I know it.
Dr. Harper does a great job of making the boring science explanation of how sleep works readable, which is a blessing honestly. I’ve taken multiple cognitive and biological psychology classes between my two degrees, and I can say with honesty that I zone out whenever I get to the sleep chapters. I appreciated her down-to-earth way of explaining things, even if the “hip” swear word filled writing style made me cringe. Banana peel tea and weighted Korean mink blankets I had never thought of, but I’m keen to try as non-medical interventions.
This little book is small and easy to read in a sitting, it provides a decent overview of different interventions, the pros, the cons, and an understandable explanation as to why sleep is more important than folks give it credit for. It’s not super in-depth and doesn’t do anything new or original, some of the information can be found elsewhere easily if you know where to look, but it’s short and sweet and gets straight to the point.
“I prioritize and protect my sleep like it is absolutely necessary for my survival… because honestly? It is.”
About Faith G. Harper
Faith G. Harper, PhD, LPC-S, ACS, ACN is a bad-ass, funny lady with a PhD. She’s a licensed professional counselor, board supervisor, certified sexologist, and applied clinical nutritionist with a private practice and consulting business in San Antonio, TX. She has been an adjunct professor and a TEDx presenter, and proudly identifies as a woman of color and uppity intersectional feminist. She is the author of the book Unf*ck Your Brain and many other popular zines and books on subjects such as anxiety, depression, and grief. She is available as a public speaker and for corporate and clinical trainings.