Getting a Good Night's Sleep by Fiona Johnston

One person in three has difficulty getting a good night's sleep. Anxiety, stress, long or irregular working hours, jet lag and the 24-hour society can all disturb sleep patterns, and leave you tired and under performing during the day. Many people worry that they may be at risk of developing chronic fatigue problems.

This book explores the causes of broken nights, including the latest research on the effects of sleep loss and the ways to tackle it.

Fiona Johnston has worked with many professionals - police, nurses and airline pilots - to develop a better sleep programme. In this book she explains how you can change your life to get more restful sleep. Focusing on quality as well as quantity of rest, she shows how you can learn to break the cycle of worry for more relaxing nights and more refreshing days.

Contents

Foreword
Acknowledgements
Introduction

• Why sleep?
• What happens when we sleep
• Sleeping disorders
• Sleep retraining
• Sleeping aids
• Sleep medication and other drugs
• Stress management
• Fitness and sleep
• A good sleep at any age
• Working nights
• The 7 habits of highly effective sleepers
• Your sleep management plan

Places to get help
Further reading
Index

Foreword

Sleep disorders are common in modem life and in no small measure have been caused by the things we do to ourselves. We eat too much, causing overweight, we take too many medicines, we work too hard, we party too long. The net result is that we don't get enough sleep. Finally, we expect too much, of ourselves and of others. This contributes to our stress and our sense of failure, and exacerbates our sleeping problems.

The personal, social and economic costs are enormous, but usually the cause is not appropriately identified. Dealing with these problems is easy, providing a correct assessment has been made. This book should be a starting point in self-awareness and management.
Dr Andrew Veale BSc, MB, ChB, FRACP, Dip DHMed

Introduction

As a health professional who has worked for a number of years in both Britain and New Zealand, I am increasingly aware that the majority of my patients complain of some trouble sleeping — be it poor sleep, unrefreshing or broken sleep, or day-time tiredness. The problem is apparent in a wide range of individuals, from those suffering pain or stress to those experiencing acute psychiatric disturbance. It seems to me that these people have little hope of getting well if their most basic needs are not being met. How can anyone meet the challenges of life if they are not sleeping well and are constantly tired?

This book seeks to share some of the findings and insights I have gained over the years from scientific literature, books and colleagues - but most importantly from my patients. It is dedicated to everyone who wants to get a good night's sleep, not just now and then but as a matter of course.

Sleep well.

About the author
Fiona Johnston gained her training in occupational therapy in Britain. After moving to New Zealand in the 1980s, she worked as a psychiatric health professional for several years before establishing the Auckland Sleep Management Centre. From this base she developed a further area of specialization in the field of shift work, providing staff training and support for a number of large organizations.