THE SLEEP SOLUTION: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It (Hardcover, $26), a book by neurologist and double-board certified sleep specialist W. Christopher Winter, MD, D-ABSM, D-ABIM (sleep), D-ABPN (neurology), F-AASM, is available on April 4.

Winter’s dedication to helping you understand your sleep problems once you hit the sheets for the night—and even before you hit the sheets—is what makes this book different. Winter sheds new light on real ways to finally fix your sleep instead of falling back into your old habits, and the feedback loop of fear and guilt we often associate with “I can’t sleep.” You can and you do sleep, and Winter explains why.

Winter explains the story of sleep while dispensing vital advice, including:

  • The why and how of our sleep: homeostatic and circadian systems, and why they are important to understand (much of what you’ve heard about REM sleep and dreaming are untrue)
  • How shift workers are at greatest risk for health issues related to sleep—and how many people, even if they don’t hold “shift oriented” jobs, are experiencing the same issues due to second jobs, raising families, going back to school, etc.
  • Why you should always wake up at the same time every day, even if your bedtime varies
  • Why sticking to a schedule is key—you schedule everything else in your life, why not sleep?
  • Why bedding and temperature are critical to a good night’s sleep
  • Why light is bad, naps can help, and stimulants will hurt (caffeine, alcohol, nicotine)
  • The proper uses—and dangers—of sleeping pills