The Science of Sleep: Stop Chasing a Good Night's Sleep and Let It Find You

Experts of every kind are queuing up to warn us that lack of sleep, or the wrong kind, will bring down a bewildering array of dire consequences.

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

Humans are biologically programmed to sleep, and by interrogating all the factors - sociological, physiological, neurological, and psychological - that might be impeding this innate instinct, each of us can work out the changes we can make in our own lifestyles to allow ourselves to sleep naturally again.

This book demystifies the bewildering data around sleep by combining science with natural self-help techniques.

Inside the pages of this illustrated guide to sleep, you'll discover:

- A visual approach to understanding the science of why and how we sleep through info-graphics, graphs and diagrams that unpick the data and present the facts in an easy-to-follow format.
- Proven techniques and strategies for better sleep from the author - based on extensive clinical practice and drawing on the most up-to-date evidence from scientists around the world.
- The latest research and evidence to debunk the myths and misconceptions around sleep.

Heather Darwall-Smith has combined her research findings, clinical expertise, and curated techniques to create a uniquely visual approach to explaining the interrelated factors that make up our sleep habits. She also provides natural techniques to deal with these underlying causes. Humans are biologically programmed to sleep, Heather encourages each of us to work out the changes we can make to our lifestyles to nourish our body clocks for us to sleep naturally again.

The Science of Sleep provides in-depth answers to questions about sleep challenges and exposes myths and fads using science that is accessible to all. Armed with facts, this book equips readers to take control of their choices, understand and transform their sleep habits one night at a time.

Heather left behind a career in the marketing and design industry to retrain as a Mindfulness-based Psychotherapist who specialises in sleep. Alongside her work at The London Sleep Centre, Heather runs a private psychotherapy practice in Oxford, bound by the UKCP code of ethics and regularly supervised in line with requirements.

An important part of her work addresses the cyclical question: what comes first, poor sleep or poor mental health? She has completed further training, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and is currently working towards a PGDip in Sleep Science at the University of Oxford.