The Insomnia Workbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Getting the Sleep You Need [Paperback]

As a busy Family Medicine doctor, I see several patients suffering from chronic insomnia every week, and certainly, like millions of others, I've suffered from it myself. What a difference it would make in people's lives if all my insomniacs read this book! I must also admit that despite a fair amount of knowledge in this area, I learned a lot as well. You can tell that Dr. Silberman researched this book thoroughly as she references several leading national organizations to explain sleep disorders in a plain-English understandable way to "the rest of us". As a primary care doc, I find that ability to translate the "medicalese" for patients a critical, but all-too-rare skill.

For example, bet most of you didn't know that there are entire organizations with names like
"American Academy of Sleep Medicine",
"American Psychiatric Association", and
"National Sleep Foundation",

...and they publish titles like
the "International Classification of Sleep Disorders" and
"Understanding Sleep: The Evaluation and Treatment of Sleep Disorders";

...and there are entire books with names like
"Sleep Disorders Medicine",
"Sleep and Movement Disorders",
"Review of Sleep Medicine", and
"Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine";

...and there are entire journals published filled with articles almost every month with names like
"Sleep Review",
"Sleep Medicine",
"Sleep Medicine Reviews",
"Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine",
"Journal of Sleep Research",
and of course my favorite, the elegantly succinct "Sleep".
(It makes you wonder, do they have a coffee maker in the staff lounges at these places?)

Well, Dr. Silberman knows about all of those, and offers and invaluable service to millions of insomniacs by distilling it all down and helping us figure it out.

First, she walks you through all the techno-babble about the stages of sleep and how they change as we get older (important for understanding why insomnia may be due to trouble falling asleep vs. trouble staying asleep), and how missing sleep can screw up your health in various ways, as well as some common myths about sleep. Then she explains to us what exactly insomnia is by guiding us through some of the research out there. For example, one group lists 11 subtypes of insomnia, and another list 4, and the author explains how really all you need to know is that insomnia is either secondary (due to something else -- another disorder or a medicine or substance you may be taking), or primary (not exclusively caused by something else).

Even more importantly, she walks you through how to figure out whether your insomnia is primary or secondary, and if it's secondary what that "something else" is, and how to address it. Some of this is really tricky whether you're the doctor or the patient, such as figuring out if depression or anxiety is causing insomnia, or vice versa, but again clear, step-by-step guidance is given.

The book explains that as common as secondary insomnia is, even more of the sleepless are thought to be primary insomniacs (also called psychophysiological or "learned" insomnia) -- described as basically a bad habit that you somehow unintentionally develop where you get yourself all worked up at bedtime rather than calm and tranquil. Frustrating as it is, Dr. Silberman goes through dozens of steps you can take to break the vicious cycle of: can't sleep --> stay up late trying to fall asleep --> get even more anxious the later it gets --> wake up dead tired --> but can't sleep again (mainly because you're worried you won't be able to sleep!)

She also takes a chapter to go through the pros & cons of pretty much every medicine available out there that people take for sleep. I greatly respect her bias towards sleep hygiene and self-calming techniques, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (the nuts and bolts of which are laid out for you in the book), rather than sleeping pills. She also details way more than I've ever learned about how to better prepare yourself for a good night's sleep.

Sure, I write short-term prescriptions for sleeping pills often, but never feel very good about it. Many patients come in thinking they need a pill, perhaps even desperate for one, when I know what they really need is a lot of education and guidance and at least a little willpower and they can get break the insomnia habit. (After all, that's how I cured my own insomnia.) Like diet pills, at best they'll provide a crutch for a few weeks, but without permanent changes in those little everyday choices and routines, the problem inevitably returns, with or without pills. Unfortunately the doc (and often the patient) seems to have precious little time to give such discussion the time it deserves.

Thankfully, having read this book I feel I'm able to squeeze a lot more useful counseling into those few minutes available. Certainly, the vast majority of my patients who take the time to read "The Insomnia Workbook" will be able to cure themselves. The rest will have a much better understanding of the need for professional help and why. Why would you waste another hour of your life to insomnia?

As someone who has suffered from sleep issues for several years, and who has experienced worsening symptoms during my current pregnancy, I ordered this book hoping to find a cure for my insomnia without having to resort to sedatives or other medications. This book doesn't disappoint! While I have only been using the workbook for 1 month, my sleep habits have already improved a great deal. I still wake up 2-3 times each night to use the bathroom (pregnancy symptoms--can't wait until those end!), but now I have a MUCH easier time falling back asleep--- whereas up until now I would lie awake in bed for hours. The author offers many useful tips and strategies for combating insomnia, and I also learned that I had been doing a lot of things wrong in the past that made my insomnia worse. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to treat their insomnia without the use of medications.

The program outlined in "The Insomnia Workbook" is really great! After just a few short weeks, I went from sleeping 4 to 5 hours per night (trouble falling asleep and waking up 3 or 4 times per night), to a solid 7 to 8 hours every night. No more waking up during the night, and now I actually fall asleep within about 10 minutes of going to bed. I've also stopped taking sleeping pills, which has helped me to feel better and less groggy during the day and to actually fall asleep in a natural way. I must admit that I was a bit skeptical that it would work at first, but I am so glad that I tried the program. This book is about much more than just changing your sleep habits. It's a proven method that really works! It's important to follow through and take the time to read this entire book (except for perhaps the last 2 chapters if they don't apply to you). Since it's a workbook, the format is very useful. I've already lent this book to another friend with insomnia, and she says that it is working for her too. I highly recommend this book to anyone with trouble sleeping.

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