The Sleep Revolution Book Summary - The Sleep Revolution Book explained in key points

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The Sleep Revolution summary

Name: The Sleep Revolution
Rating: 3.9 (247 reviews)
Author: Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington

Transforming Your Life One Night At A Time

3.9 (247 ratings)

16 mins

Topics

Education & Upbringing Effectiveness Goals Mental Health Sleep Routines & Habits

Table of Contents

The Sleep Revolution
Summary of 8 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 8

What’s in it for me? Sleep your way to the top.

Be honest: how many hours of sleep do you get a night? Chances are it’s less than seven – which is understandable, given how packed daily routines tend to be. Between all the tasks you have to finish at work, meeting up with friends, going to the gym and updating all your social media profiles, there’s simply too much to do to find enough time for a proper night’s sleep.

But we neglect sleep at our peril. As it turns out, nothing is more important to our health, happiness and productivity than getting enough high-quality sleep. And that’s where these blinks can help. They explain exactly why sleep is so important, and how we all can ensure we get enough of it.

In these blinks, you’ll also find out

why, even on a school day, we should let our children enjoy a lie-in;
why couples who sleep together often stay together; and
why we all should fill our rooms with lavender.

This is a Blinkist staff pick

“These blinks are a sobering exploration of the dangers of sleep deprivation and workaholism. They’re especially poignant today, where our studies and careers seem to demand more and more work and less and less sleep. I loved the tip about putting all screens away by 9 p.m. every night.”

– Clare, Editorial Quality Lead at Blinkist

Workaholism is robbing Americans of sleep, and the poor suffer the most.

Sarvshreshth Gupta, a 22-year-old analyst at Goldman Sachs, hadn’t slept for two consecutive nights when he called his father from his office cubicle at 2:40 a.m. one night. Although Gupta’s father tried to calm him down, Sarvshreshth was found dead on the pavement outside his high-rise apartment building just a few hours later. He jumped to his death, no longer able to bear the pressure of work.

Like Gupta, Americans today are suffering from sleep deprivation because of compulsive working, or workaholism.

Workaholism is on the rise. Between 1990 and 2000, the average annual American workload increased by a full workweek. In 2014, when a travel company called Skift conducted a survey to figure out why so few people were booking their holiday packages, they found that over 40 percent of the American workforce hadn’t taken a single vacation day that year.

This unhealthy culture of workaholism prevents us from getting enough sleep. In fact, according to a 2010 US government report, 30 percent of all employees get less than six hours of sleep per night, while nearly 70 percent describe their sleep as “insufficient.”

And who suffers the most? The working poor.

Lower-class workers often have to take on several jobs just to pay their bills, so they don’t have time to make sleep a priority. A 2013 survey from the University of Chicago found that a person’s quality of sleep decreases as their wealth decreases, which causes sleepiness and can even lead to sleep-related diseases.

Being overworked isn’t the only problem for the poor, either. A professor at Stony Brook University found that poor neighborhoods also tend to be noisier, which makes it even harder to get a good night’s sleep.

Schoolchildren perform better when they sleep in and follow their natural circadian rhythms.

When you were a child, did you ever struggle to stay awake in school or wish you could take 40 winks at your desk until you were ready to face the day? Well, it turns out it might have been better if you had dozed off!

Sleep deprivation starts at a young age, when children are pulled out of bed for school before their bodies and minds are ready to wake up.

Employees are more productive when they have nap rooms and daylight, and are allowed to sleep in or work from home.

There’s an episode of Seinfeld in which George Costanza buys a custom-made desk that can fold into a bed, and back into a desk at the push of a button. The desk contraption lets him get away with sleeping in his office. Thankfully, this kind of subterfuge is no longer necessary in many modern work spaces!

Work spaces benefit when they have nap rooms for letting their employees catch up on sleep.

Partners that sleep next to each other are usually happier – but when it comes to sex, it’s more important that both partners sleep well.

People tend to assume that couples have always slept in the same bed, but it’s actually a holdover from an era when few families could afford separate beds for every member. So should you and your partner sleep in separate beds if you can afford it? Not necessarily – sleeping together can also have the benefit of strengthening your relationship.

According to a 2014 study at the University of Hertfordshire, 94 percent of couples who sleep with their bodies touching each other are happy with their relationships. For couples who don’t sleep with their bodies in contact, the figure is 68 percent.

Athletes often mistakenly believe that sleep deprivation is a sign of toughness, but getting enough sleep can give them a competitive edge.

The cheetah is the fastest land animal on earth. Cheetahs can go from being stationary to running at 60 miles per hour in just a matter of seconds – but they also sleep as much as 18 hours in a day to rest after reaching such remarkable speeds. Unfortunately, human athletes aren’t always as wise.

People often perceive sleep deprivation as macho or tough in the sporting world. Jon Gruden, one of the youngest and most successful coaches in the National Football League, or NFL, even wrote a best-selling book called Do You Love Football?! Winning With Heart, Passion, and Not Much Sleep.

Our addiction to electronic devices keeps us up at night.

What’s the last thing you do before you go to bed? Watch an episode of House of Cards? Write some emails? Read up on the news? Those activities might seem leisurely, but make sure you don’t get addicted to your gadgets.

These days, people are increasingly addicted to electronic devices, and a surprising amount of people take them to bed! According to a 2015 Consumer Mobility Report survey, 71 percent of people keep their smartphones by them while they sleep.

Acupuncture and herbal remedies can help you sleep better.

Let’s say you’ve put away your computer and phone, but you still can’t get to sleep; it might be time for more direct action. You might not have guessed that sticking needles in your ear can help you get to sleep – but it can!

Acupuncture is an effective, natural way to improve your sleep. People have utilized it for centuries, but now even modern medicine has confirmed its efficacy.

We now have new technology we can use to improve our sleep.

Have you ever heard of wearable technology? Wearable technology doesn’t refer to T-shirts with screens or dresses with computer chips, but rather to devices you wear to monitor your biological functions – like sleep!

There are a few sleep-enhancing technological gadgets available now, like smart sleep monitors and sleep-friendly artificial light.

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What is The Sleep Revolution about?

These blinks are about the importance of a basic human necessity that we often brush aside: sleep. Getting enough sleep isn’t just about feeling better in the morning – it improves your work performance, health and even your personal relationships. Similarly, sleep deprivation isn’t a by-product of hard work; rather, it prevents you from reaching your full potential. The Sleep Revolution (2016) explains why sleep is so critical, and what you can do to get more of it.

Best quote from The Sleep Revolution

Sleep really affects teens ability to function and make good decisions. - Dr. Maida Chen, Seattle Childrens Hospital

—Arianna Huffington

Who should read The Sleep Revolution?

Anyone who gets sleepy at work or school
Parents and teachers who aren’t getting enough rest
Athletes wanting to reach their peak performance

About the Author

Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, and a pioneer of implementing better sleep policies in offices. She is the author of several best-selling books, including Third World America and On Becoming Fearless.

Categories with The Sleep Revolution

Personal Development Health & Nutrition

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