The Science of Sleep

Gets to the heart of why sleep can elude us – and what we can do about it. Cut through the sleep-industry clamour and allow yourself to sleep naturally.

Heather Darwall-Smith’s message in this book is simple: don’t panic!

Sleep is the hottest of hot topics. Experts queue up to warn us that lack of sleep, or the wrong kind, will bring down a bewildering array of dire consequences. But how do we keep from being overwhelmed by this deluge of data? What if all this knowledge just feeds anxiety and drives sleep even further from our grasp? Heather Darwall-Smith’s message is simple: don’t panic! Humans are biologically programmed to sleep – and by interrogating the factors that might impede this innate instinct, we can make changes in our lifestyles and find our way back to good sleep.

Heather explains the interrelated network of factors – sociological, physiological, neurological, and psychological – that make up our individual sleep habits. When it comes to sleep, it’s never “one size fits all”: your sleep challenges – and solutions – are unique. In-depth answers cut through myths and fads and deliver only the straight science. Why do I constantly wake at 4.30am? Does snoring mean I’ve got a health problem? Will more sleep protect me against dementia? Armed with the facts, you can take control of your choices and transform your sleep habits, one night at a time.

Understand and transform your sleep habits, one night at a time.

Heather Darwall-Smith is a psychotherapist with an MA from The Karuna Institute. She is now working towards a PGDip in Sleep Science. Heather is the founder of “What is Stress?” – a stress management programme that combines workshops and one-to-one coaching. Alongside her work as Sleep Therapist at The London Sleep Centre, Heather runs a practice in Oxford, UK.

© 2021 Heather Darwall-Smith © 2021 DK Audio