The Sleep Myth

Does a lack of sleep really cause diabetes, cancer, and dementia? Is it true that we’re sleeping less than ever? Can a melatonin supplement “fix” our sleepless nights? These days, we’re able to customize our sleeping environments, track personal sleep data and find out more than we ever thought possible about sleep with the touch of a button. So why are we still tired? For most of us, getting the rest we need is easier than the wellness industry wants us to believe. In this fascinating journey through the history, science, and culture of sleep, award-winning journalist Amanda Ruggeri debunks the modern myths driving today’s $78 billion sleep industry. Part exposé, part sleep self-help, The Sleep Myth untangles the narrative around sleep, rest, fatigue, and wellness with the aim of helping you feel more rested. Offering a nuanced understanding of the latest sleep science, Ruggeri unpacks: How our sleep habits have changed (for better or worse) since humanity’s hunter-gatherer days Why the misleading modern ideal of “eight uninterrupted hours” of sleep should not be considered a “one size fits all” Exciting new research changing our understanding of sleep, including how complex factors like seasonality, chronotype, and mindset shape tiredness The hidden costs of the wellness industry, from melatonin supplements to wearable sleep trackers How society’s growing obsession with sleep wellness and data is causing paradoxical insomnia and orthosomnia (an obsession with “perfect” sleep) Simple, science-based alternatives to improve your relationship with sleep Everyone deserves to feel well-rested. Incisive and reassuring, The Sleep Myth offers a big-picture look at why and how we sleep, so you can relax at bedtime and wake up feeling refreshed.