A fourth-generation insomniac, Patricia Morrisroe decided that the only way she'd ever conquer her lifelong sleep disorder was by becoming an expert on the subject. So, armed with half a century of personal experience and a journalist's curiosity, she set off to explore one of life's greatest mysteries: sleep. Wide Awake is the eye-opening account of Morrisroe's quest--a compelling memoir that blends science, culture, and business to tell the story of why she--and forty million other Americans--can't sleep at night. Over ...
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A fourth-generation insomniac, Patricia Morrisroe decided that the only way she'd ever conquer her lifelong sleep disorder was by becoming an expert on the subject. So, armed with half a century of personal experience and a journalist's curiosity, she set off to explore one of life's greatest mysteries: sleep. Wide Awake is the eye-opening account of Morrisroe's quest--a compelling memoir that blends science, culture, and business to tell the story of why she--and forty million other Americans--can't sleep at night. Over the course of three years of research and reporting, Morrisroe talks to sleep doctors, drug makers, psychiatrists, anthropologists, hypnotherapists, "wake experts," mattress salesmen, a magician, an astronaut, and even a reindeer herder. She spends an uncomfortable night wired up in a sleep lab. She tries "sleep restriction" and "brain music therapy." She buys a high-end sound machine, custom-made ear plugs, and a "quiet" house in the country to escape her noisy neighbors in the city. She attends a continuing medical education course in Las Vegas, where she discovers that doctors are among the most sleep-deprived people in the country. She travels to Sonoma, California, where she attends a Dream Ball costumed as her "dream self." To fulfill a childhood fantasy, she celebrates Christmas Eve two hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle, in the famed Icehotel tossing and turning on an ice bed. Finally, after traveling the globe, she finds the answer to her insomnia right around the corner from her apartment in New York City. A mesmerizing mix of personal insight, science and social observation, Wide Awake" "examines the role of sleep in our increasingly hyperactive culture. For the millions who suffer from sleepless nights and hazy caffeine-filled days, this humorous, thought-provoking and ultimately hopeful book is an essential bedtime companion. It does, however, come with a warning: Reading it will promote wakefulness.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
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Seller's Description:
Good. Good condition. Good dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
I loved this book, a combination of memoir and good journalism. Morrisroe, in her 50s, has struggled with insomnia her entire life.
Personally, I can relate: I struggle falling asleep. Morrisroe can fall asleep but in the middle of the night she wakes and cannot return to sleep.
In fact, she's a fourth generation insomniac, and I was touched by the stories of her family members' insomnia, especially those of her beloved grandpa.
Yet Morrisroe writes with sharp wit, especially as she describes her adventures with overnight sleep studies, napping service companies, insomnia drugs, dream therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, hypnosis, music therapy, mattresses that promise a good night's sleep and even a second home in the country. But the book's more than a funny story about an overnight sleep study: Morrisroe parses through research on sleep and sleepness using her fine-tuned background in journalism to help novices like myself understand what really can be known for sure on the subject. I've learned about the iffy science, business interests and New Age hokus pokus behind insomnia. Just as important, however, I learned that freedom from insomnia requires solutions that are individual and could involve some of the very solutions Morrisroe questions.
Morrisroe ultimately finds an effective solution to insomnia. You'll have to read it to find out what that is!
