The title of this book promised more than it delivered.
Power Sleep: The Revolutionary Program That Prepares Your Mind for Peak Performance by James B. Maas is a good book on sleep. Is it “revolutionary“? Hardly. Although I liked this book far better than Sleep by Carlos H. Schenck, there wasn’t anything in this book that spoke directly to my sleep issues. If you have trouble going to sleep, this is a great book. If you are like me and have trouble staying asleep, then it is an OK book.
I did pick up two tips that I will incorporate.
- I need to buy a better pillow. My pillow failed the pillow test mentioned in the book.
- I will bump up my caffeine-free hour from 6 PM to 4 PM. This will give me a full 6 hours without caffeine before bed and increase my chance of staying asleep longer and achieving the last REM cycle.
One tip in this book that everyone can use is the importance of sleeping longer. When we sleep for 8 hours instead of 7 hours, the body gets an extra REM cycle. Besides restorative and memory functions, REM sleep improves your immunity to viral infections. Sick and tired of being sick and tired? Sleep for 8 hours.