Felt like it went off on a tangent.
Feature image credit: Mpho Mojapelo (via Unsplash)
Remembered for his valuable contributions to public health by making science accessible and inspiring to all, Dr. Michael Mosley’s legacy is sure to continue. During his lifetime, Dr Mosley used his love of science, medicine, and diet to provide practical health advice through television and in print. He is most renowned for popularising the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet. His final publication, 4 Weeks to Better Sleep, serves as a practical handbook for anyone suffering from insomnia, struggling with shift work, or dealing with irregular sleep patterns.
The book is split into two titled parts, with an informal third section containing 70 pages of recipes by Dr Clare Bailey and Justine Pattison. The first part, ‘The Science of Sleep,’ is all about what makes us sleep, what is considered normal, how much is enough, and ways to increase your sleep time duration (or better yet, its efficiency). Dr Mosley draws on information from multiple areas of research including diet, historical patterns, gut health, the microbiome, and genetics. He also highlights the success of sleep restriction therapy (pages 187-192), the benefits of power naps, and how sleep influences cognitive function.
The second part is a four-week sleep plan for readers to follow – with or without the guidance of a medical practitioner (depending on your situation). Finally, the third untitled section includes the variety of recipes for all types of meals that focus on improving one’s gut health, and therefore sleep.
The book felt heavily biased towards adopting the Mediterranean diet and did not explore other dietary options in depth. Whilst Dr Mosley dispelled some dietary myths — such as cheese causing nightmares, or the tryptophan in turkey making you feel sleepy — he continually returned only to this diet as a thread throughout.
I found this recurring focus somewhat contradictory. For instance, when discussing sleep restriction therapy (pages 187-192), Dr Mosley claimed it cured many patients, himself included, without any changes to their (or his) diet. This made the ongoing emphasis on the Mediterranean diet feel more like a personal promotion than a necessary component. Although he validated many links between what we eat (or not, including the timing) and its effect on sleep, these points were tied to other reasons, such as one’s microbiome. As such, the focus on the Mediterranean diet specifically seemed out of place in a book that is meant to be centred on improving sleep.
I probably wouldn’t recommend this book for people who already sleep well unless you can detach yourself from the advice. I actually sleep really well but know many people with insomnia, so was reading the book to then pass onto friends with insomnia as a recommended read. Unfortunately for me, the book pointed out so many things I apparently ‘do wrong’ which caused me some unnecessary anxiety. I had to take a step back and realise that my habits are fine, even if they don’t all align with his recommendations. This made me worry less and not take on the advice – if what I do works, why ‘fix’ it? – so to speak.
Nevertheless, this is still a good book to read if you or someone you know wants to fix their sleep, diet and overall health, and needs a practical, detailed plan to get started. Happy reading!
Reviewed by Rebecca Wu
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Simon & Schuster
Released: March 2024
RRP: $34.99
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