Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 5,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
The Sleep Solution summary
W. Chris Winter
Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix It
4.2 (350 ratings)
18 mins
8 key ideas
Audio & text
What is The Sleep Solution about?
The Sleep Solution (2017) discusses the fundamentals of sleeping. It explains why keeping a consistent rhythm and schedule is important, and how insomnia is not a lack of sleep, but rather a result of dealing poorly with substandard sleep. You’ll learn how to improve your sleeping patterns and, as a result, improve your quality of life.
About the Author
W. Chris Winter, MD, is a certified sleep specialist and neurologist. He is a consultant for large businesses, sports organizations and the US military on the link between sleep and performance. As a writer, he has also contributed to the Huffington Post, Runner’s World and Details.
Table of Contents
The Sleep Solution
summarized in 8 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 8
Sleep is essential for your overall health.
When it comes to the benefits that sleep brings, the list is long. Here are some of the major functions for which sleep plays a pivotal role.
To get rid of waste, the brain uses the so called glymphatic system. This area of the brain was discovered in 2015 by Aleksanteri Aspelund and Antoine Louveau, two researchers who were working independently of each other.
The glymphatic system removes toxins including amyloid beta, a protein found to accumulate in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
This system is 60 percent more productive when you’re sleeping, which is why it’s important not to skip sleep, as your brain will miss the chance to rid itself of waste products. If you’re wishing to bolster your brain’s clean-up rate, a study with rodents at Stony Brook University in New York State concluded that it appears to work best when you’re sleeping on your side.
Sleep also has a positive influence on your heart and immune system. Several studies have shown that poor sleep increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes and heart failure. It can also contribute to an unsynchronized heart rhythm, which in turn can lead to blood clots in your system – a major cause of strokes.
Another benefit of good sleep is that it gives your immune system a boost. So if your parents ever told you to go to bed to avoid getting sick when you were young, they were right.
In 2015, a study at the University of California found that, after being exposed to the cold virus, those who slept six hours or less were more likely to develop a cold than those who slept for seven hours or more.
In summary, the importance of sleep shouldn’t be underestimated. In the upcoming blinks, you’ll learn that many people believe they can operate at their best without sleep – but this simply isn’t the case!
Want to see all full key ideas from The Sleep Solution?
Key ideas in The Sleep Solution
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
Best quote from The Sleep Solution
REM sleep was first discovered in the early 1950s at the University of Chicago.
—W. Chris Winter
Who should read The Sleep Solution
- People who suffer from insomnia
- Stressed out workers who take sleeping pills to get some rest
- Anyone who thinks getting a good night’s sleep isn’t that important
Categories with The Sleep Solution
Books like The Sleep Solution
What our members say
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
Start growing with Blinkist now
25 Million
Downloads on all platforms
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
91%
Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
*Based on survey data from Blinkist customers