Post by Emma Doran, Leixlip Library

Did you know that according to a survey conducted by Dreams.co.uk that the average human being spends 26 years of their lifetime asleep and another 7 years of your lifetime trying to get to sleep?

Sleep may seem like such a normal aspect of life that it might seem silly or mundane to even talk about it! It can be one of the most mundane, underrated aspects of people’s lives. But for some people sleep can be elusive and those who have recurring sleep problems, getting to sleep and getting enough sleep can be a real problem. 

World Sleep Day aims to raise awareness of the importance of sleep and hopes to educate people all over the world about how beneficial it really is for our health. So to help all our library users and readers out there we have selected a couple of titles available to borrow from Bolinda Borrowbox all about sleep. From relaxing stories, to books on why you should sleep and even crime thrillers called sleep you can browse them all here. For a small selection of these please keep reading below. Have children or babies who find it hard to fall asleep? We have videos for that too ! Check them out under our book recommendations at the bottom of this post.

Sleep By Nick Littlehales

One third of our lives are spent trying to sleep. Most us have disturbed, restless nights and rely on a cocktail of caffeine and sugar to drag us through the day. Yet the hours we spend in bed shape our mood, motivation and decision-making skills – defining our performance in work, at home and keeping fit.

We need a new approach to sleep. One that helps us cope with our ever more demanding days and always be our personal best.

Nick Littlehales is the elite sleep coach to some of the world’s leading sports stars and teams, across Premiership and international football, British Cycling and Team Sky, rugby and Olympic sports. His groundbreaking practical techniques have transformed the way athletes approach sleep, unlocking higher levels of mental and physical recovery, personal best performances and ultimately a winning mindset.

Now he lays bare his strategies for us all to use. From your personal sleep characteristics and cycles, to posture and bedding, he sets out achievable ways to get the highest possible quality of sleep recovery.

Read Sleep, learn from the best in sport, and kickstart a more confident, successful and happier you.

Available as both an ebook and an audiobook from Bolinda Borrowbox.

Sleep Rituals by Jennifer Williamson

100 simple practices and activities to incorporate into any bedtime routine to help you fall asleep easier and wake up refreshed and renewed.

Do you have trouble getting—and staying—asleep? Sleep rituals can set the mood for restful slumber and help you drift off in peace—let these recommended bedtime routines be your key to a good night’s sleep!

This accessible guide offers 100 easy rituals—including sleep-friendly recipes, relaxing yoga poses, calming breathing exercises, soothing meditations, and comforting writing exercises—suited for every type of person. You can even mix and match them for a completely customized bedtime experience and find the perfect solution to banish any sleepless night.

Available to borrow as an ebook from Bolinda Borrowbox.

Sleep Tight by Andrews Mc Meel

In our hectic world, sleep can be the last thing on our minds—but it often has the biggest effect on our daily lives. Sleep Tight is a book of reassuring quotations and suggestions intended to quiet your mind, preparing you for a good night’s rest. Add this to your nightly ritual and find comfort and rest in the soothing quotes and mantras.

Available to borrow as an ebook from Bolinda Borrowbox.

Sleep Recovery by Lisa Sanfilippo

nsomnia is reaching epidemic proportions: more than half of us will suffer from a sleep problem during our lifetimes. In this practical, compassionate guide, renowned yoga teacher and sleep specialist Lisa Sanfilippo shows how to sweep out sleep saboteurs and rest wreckers, putting in place sustainable strategies that will boost your energy during the day, and help you access a good night’s rest. A unique marriage of yoga, psychological insight and neuroscience, Sleep Recovery will give you the tools to work with your body and change your sleep – and your life – for the better.

Available to borrow as an ebook from Bolinda Borrowbox.

Sleep Well by Sue Fuller

Sleep Well contains six different guided audio practices that have been devised specifically to help relax both body and mind and encourage restful sleep so that you wake feeling refreshed, recharged, and rejuvenated. They are to be followed at the end of the day prior to falling asleep or if you wake during the night and struggle to go back to sleep. These audios will encourage deep relaxation. By making relaxation your goal, falling asleep becomes so much easier. 

Sleep Well contains Relaxations for Sleep, More Relaxations for Sleep, and Meditations for Sleep, all by leading yoga teacher Sue Fuller.

Relaxations for Sleep contains two different thirty-minute guided relaxation sessions that will deeply relax your body and mind, leading you into a fantastic sleep from which you will wake feeling calm, refreshed, and revitalized. More Relaxations for Sleep also contains two thirty-minute guided relaxation sessions created to clear your mind, relax your whole body, and lead you into a fantastic, deep, refreshing sleep. 

Meditations for Sleep contains two thirty-minute guided meditation sessions created to help relax and clear the mind, so that the body can relax, sleep hormones will be produced, and falling asleep is achievable.

Available to borrow as an audiobook from Bolinda Borrowbox.

Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson

Shawn Stevenson is a health expert with a background in biology and kinesiology who has helped thousands of people worldwide to improve their health, through his private work as well as his #1 Nutrition and Fitness podcast on iTunes. 

In his work, Shawn brings a well-rounded perspective to the perennial question: how can we feel better? In investigating complex health issues such as weight loss, chronic fatigue and hormone imbalance, Shawn realised that many health problems start with one criminally overlooked aspect of our routine – sleep. 

In Sleep Smarter Shawn explores the little-known and even less-appreciated facts about sleep’s influence on every part of our life. Backed by the latest scientific research and packed with personal anecdotes and tips from leaders in the field of sleep research, this book depicts the dangers of insufficient sleep – from weight retention to memory loss to increased risk of disease. In his clear, personable and relatable style Shawn offers 21 simple, immediately applicable ways for readers to take their well-being into their own hands and improve their sleep now

Available to borrow as an ebook from Bolinda Borrowbox.


Penguin Sleep Stories

How often do you think about your bedtime routine? 

Almost half of people in Britain say they’re kept awake at night due to worry and stress – so making time to switch off in the hour before bed is more important than ever. 

Penguin Sleep Tales are ten specially designed descriptive audio tales to help you wind down and relax before you drift off.

Developed with The Sleep Council, each track will transport you to a different location, encouraging you to visualise calming settings and landscapes to ease away the day’s anxiety or worry and get you in the right frame of mind for sleep. 

Lie in a hammock on a tropical beach, relax by a campfire or shelter from a distant thunderstorm. These mindful tales are read slowly and soothingly, accompanied by relaxing sounds of nature. 

One has been specially designed to appeal to those with Auto Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR), a physical reaction to sound which can be particularly relaxing.

Create a focused, peaceful environment so you can get a deep, natural night’s sleep and wake up refreshed in the morning. The perfect de-stressor after a long day. 

Each track is 15 minutes long, so you can put your sleep timer on for any duration with no need to return to the screen. 

So dim the lights, and get ready for a good night’s rest. 

Available to borrow as an audiobook from Bolinda Borrowbox.


Why Can’t We Sleep? by Darian Leader

One in four adults sleeps badly.

Sleeping pill prescriptions have increased dramatically over the last three decades, as have the incidence of sleep clinics.

Sleep used to be a natural state, easy as breathing, but increasingly it is an insecure commodity.

…Isn’t it?

Our relationship to sleep surfaces and resurfaces throughout human history, each time telling us something new about our indivudual and collective psychology. From the industrial revolution to blue-light on our phones, from the ancient art of dream interpretation to the modern science of Freud, sleep is connected to wider social patterns, to shifting norms and expectations. Weaving together cultural, social, economic and psychoanalytic influences, Darian Leader delves into the truth about this universal human experience.

Available to borrow as an ebook from Bolinda Borrowbox.


Yoga For Better Sleep by Mark Stephens

As modern science unravels some of the mysteries of our sleeping, dreaming, and waking states, age-old yoga practices are helping us to enjoy better sleep, clearer minds, and healthier bodies. Over 65 percent of U.S. adults are sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation causes and worsens many ailments, including stress, heart conditions, high blood pressure, obesity, and depression. This book provides easy-to-do and effective yoga activities–including postural sequences, breathing exercises, and meditation tools–for better quality and quantity sleep across the life cycle from childhood to older age. Long-time yoga instructor, teacher trainer, and best-selling author Mark Stephens integrates the ancient wisdom of yoga with the practical insights, age- and condition-specific sequences, and discussions of neuroscience and psychology to offer practical tools for improving sleep–naturally and drug-free.

Available to borrow as an ebook from Bolinda Borrowbox.

The Book Of Sleep by Dr. Nicole Moshfegh

Fall asleep, stay asleep, wake up rested―proven strategies for beating insomnia.

Make your bed and actually sleep in it. The Book of Sleep provides dozens of quick, easy, and evidence-based strategies that are more effective and sustainable than sleep medication for people who suffer from insomnia.

Based in CBT-I (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia), the techniques in this book were developed by a clinical psychologist who specializes in insomnia treatment. Find the relief you need and wake up feeling truly restored. A good night’s sleep isn’t just a dream anymore.

The Book of Sleep includes:Stand-alone strategies―Each helpful strategy is complete by itself so you can pick this book up anywhere and find help.What’s your sleep pattern?―Keep a daily log of the quantity and quality of your sleep so you can remember details that are helpful in addressing your insomnia.Sleep tight―From kicking caffeine to keeping cool, get pointers on how to properly set the stage for restful sleep. Rise and truly shine. Follow the seventy-five effective sleep methods in this book and get out of bed feeling your best.

Available to borrow as an audiobook from Bolinda Borrowbox.

LPAT: Healthy Sleep Habits, with Erica Hargaden

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

20 − 18 =