10 best books to help you sleep

Do you struggle with getting a good night’s sleep? If you do, you’re not alone. The U.S. Center for Disease Control reports that over 1 in 3 adults don’t get the quality or amount of sleep they need on a regular basis.

In our 2022 Muse Brain Health Report, a comprehensive study of the state of brain health in America, found that sleep was one the biggest struggles for Americans when it comes to maintaining a healthy brain. Over one-third (39%) of Americans believed that poor sleep negatively affects brain health—highlighting a pressing concern in a crucial aspect of our daily wellbeing.

If you’ve been experiencing sleep issues, we know we hardly need to tell you how significantly it can impact nearly every aspect of life. From how we feel on a daily basis, to our productivity and ability to focus, to our long-term brain health — getting a good night’s sleep matters.

For many of us, poor sleep can create a cascade of effects that contribute to an endless cycle of sleepless nights followed by mornings that come too soon and then lead to sleep deprived days.

To help you get a handle on your sleeping habits, we’ve selected our top 10 favorite sleep books. From tips on how to reset your sleep schedule to the science of sleeping, we hope these books provide the insight and support you need to get some shut-eye and start feeling like your best self every day.

Our top 10 books for better sleep

Written by the director of the Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab at UC Berkeley, Matthew Walker, PhD, Why We Sleep explores the nature of sleep and of dreaming, as well as the widespread impact that lack of sleep can have on us. You’ll also find plenty of useful tips to help you master your REM cycles and improve your sleep.

Gain a detailed understanding of the science of sleep and the root causes that often prevent us from getting some quality shut-eye in The Sleep Solution. With 24 years of experience as a sleep expert and neurologist who’s helped 10,000+ patients get better rest, Dr. Chris Winters dives into the most common causes of what keeps us up at night and provides tips to achieve a good night’s sleep without relying on sleeping pills.

Written by co-founder of the Huffington Post, CEO and Founder of Thrive Global, and renowned author Arianna Huffington, The Sleep Revolution takes a modern look at our relationship with sleep and the societal drivers of sleep issues.

What inspired her to write this book? After falling asleep while working face first into her desk and actually breaking her cheekbone, Huffington realized her non-stop lifestyle was affecting her health and wellbeing. In this book, you’ll explore the latest research on dreams and sleep, how our technology use is affecting our sleep, other common societal drivers of sleep problems, issues with sleeping medications, and other evidence-based strategies for getting a good night’s sleep.

Sleep deprivation is not a new issue in the United States. Workers have been losing sleep since the 19th century, according to health and labor historian Alan Derickson in his book, Dangerously Sleepy. In his book, Derickson explores the inherently at odds nature of a culture that prizes productivity above all else with the human need for sleep, and how our work schedules are negatively affecting our health. If you’d like to explore the roots of sleep issues from a larger societal perspective with a larger context, this is the book for you.

Ready for a deep dive into all things insomnia? Try The Promise of Sleep, by founder and director of the Stanford University Sleep Research Center, Dr. William Dement. Built on decades of sleep research, this book takes you through why we need sleep, what happens in our bodies when we do or don’t get it, and how you can reclaim the peace of mind that only comes with quality sleep.

With wit, charm, insatiable curiosity and unrivaled enthusiasm, award-winning author Kat Duff takes an interdisciplinary approach to the subject of sleep. She explores it from a philosophical, psychological, sociological, and brain health perspective, bringing to life dense sleep research through insightful questions and compelling storytelling to give you a more well-rounded grasp on sleep.

This book serves as a six-week step-by-step program for sleep training to help you make your sleep problems a thing of the past. Developed at Harvard Medical School, this program reports its methods have improved sleep in 80% of their patients, and did so without drugs. If you’re looking for less “why” and more “how to,” this is the book for you. Although you’ll still learn plenty about the best habits for healthy sleep.

 

This is another practical guide that blends background on sleep science with 75 strategies you can use to start getting a better night’s sleep. Based on cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, author Dr. Nicole Moshfegh shares easy-to-implement techniques including how to create relaxing and sleep-promoting evening routines, stick to effective morning routines, build healthy sleep hygiene habits, and understand your sleep patterns so you can address your unique sleep needs.

Explore a more holistic and natural approach to getting better sleep in this relaxing illustrated guide designed by sleep expert Dr. Nerina Ramlakhan. If you struggle with quieting your mind so you can relax and head to sleep, this book offers plenty of tips in the form of mind-body practices, body-awareness techniques, yoga, ayurveda, and more to help you calm your mind and drift to sleep.

Rather than ruminating in frustration that the one thing you crave eludes you, The Nocturnal Journal invites you to take your mind off your sleep troubles through thought-provoking questions designed to pull out the roots of what may be preventing you from falling asleep. This journal comes with lovely illustrations and prompts to encourage greater peace of mind, deepen your understanding of yourself, and relax your mind so you can sleep more easily.

Looking for more support on your journey to a good night’s sleep?

If you're seeking advanced tools for better sleep, explore Muse's cutting-edge EEG sleep tracker, the Muse S Headband. With an impressive 86% accuracy in detecting sleep patterns, Muse S goes beyond tracking – it transforms your sleep experience.

Proven to improve 20% in sleep quality, Muse S is equipped with SmartSense EEG sensors that provides real-time feedback. Easily interpret your sleep results through easy-to-understand graphs, gaining insights into deep sleep intensity and positions.

Beyond its precise sleep tracking capabilities, Muse enriches your sleep experience with Digital Sleeping Pills. A program designed to help you fall or fall back asleep, it includes sleep stories and relaxing meditative tracks you can drift off to, gentle neurofeedback to help you stay in your slumber, and unrivaled sleep data to help you sleep smarter.

Take your sleep to the next level with Muse's innovative technology and comprehensive sleep solutions. Embrace a transformative sleep experience that aligns with your pursuit of a healthier, more restful life.