"The Harvard Medical School Guide to A Good Night's Sleep"; By Lawrence Epstien, MD: My Review

I'm going to let the cat out of the bag now and let you know that I cheated for this book review.  I didn't read the entire book.  I skipped the parts that weren't pertinent to my life, such as the detailed description of what it's like to visit a sleep clinic, since the odds of me ever going to one are practically nonexistent. 

Otherwise, I did read The Harvard Medical School's Guide to A Good Night's Sleep (McGraw Hill; 2006) and can recommend it for anyone concerned about getting a good night's sleep.  This is a short look at sleep problems written for the layperson.  It does not go into much detail for particular problems like insomnia, narcolepsy, restless  legs and other disorders, but does give you enough information to know that you really do not want to have these problems.

There is a big section devoted to children's sleep problems, which parents will (hopefully) find useful.  Since I do not have kids I can't evaluate how good the information is.

This is part of a series of short, easy-to-read medical guides put out by the Harvard Medical School and Harvard Health Publications.  Harvard Heath Publications' website is a reputable and understandable medical reference for people not involved with the medical industry.

The only big criticism I have of the book is it's 7 Step Plan for getting good quality sleep. Step one is "Recognize the need for good sleep."  Really?  That's a step?  Wouldn't the fact that you picked up the book negate this step?  It's advice like that that keeps me up at night.  Am I recognizing the need for good sleep enough?