Let's Talk about Sleep

October 2, 2017
Thorough and informative, Barone’s book invites readers to get a better night’s sleep by becoming more engaged with a seemingly passive process. Barone, a neurologist specializing in sleep disorders, addresses readers in a calm and helpful tone, asking them to consider their own situations and stressing that he does not intend the book to constitute a treatment plan or replacement for consulting a physician. Moreover, he emphasizes, everyone’s sleep is unique, and so possible solutions for sleep issues that he discusses include apps, “natural” remedies, devices like CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines, and medications, but he says that there’s no single answer that will work for everyone. His most consistent suggestion is to improve sleep hygiene, meaning a person’s habits around going to sleep. His tips for achieving improved sleep hygiene include not using electronics for at least 30 minutes before bedtime and going to sleep at the same time every night. Testimonies from Barone’s former patients appear in each chapter and cover an array of issues, among them apnea, insomnia, and even restless-leg syndrome. The variety of options for improving sleep that are discussed, along with Barone’s considerate tone, will put many readers’ minds to rest.