In Search of Sleep by Bregje Hofstede
In Search of Sleep: An Insomniac’s Quest to Understand the Science, Psychology, and Culture of Sleeplessness by Bregje Hofstede
English | 2023 | Self Help | 4.7 MB
“Bregje Hofstede is an extraordinary writer.”—Rutger Bregmans, author of Utopia for Realists and Humankind: A Hopeful History
Jenny Odell’s How to Do Nothing meets Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep in this fascinating deep-dive into the science and history of sleep.
In Search of Sleep is both a self-help manual for insomniacs, and a sweeping critique of the hustle culture that blinds us to the real reasons we lie awake at night: from politics to pandemics to poverty.
Amsterdam-based writer Bregje Hofstede struggled with insomnia for 10 years, but advice from doctors and books always felt lacking in perspective. Wasn’t insomnia more than just an individual struggle? Might it also be a rational reaction to our increasingly turbulent world?
Unlike the vast majority of books about sleep, In Search of Sleep examines insomnia as both a physical and psychological condition and an early warning sign that something is off in society. As Hofstede points out, studies show that insomnia increased during the pandemic and that people with less money sleep the worst. She also shows that sleeplessness is tied inextricably to loneliness, while meaningful relationships can provide the security we need to slumber.
