Life Time: The New Science of the Body Clock, and How It Can Revolutionize Your Sleep and Health
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- Author：Russell Foster
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Summary
** THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER **
A GUIDE TO USING THE SCIENCE OF THE BODY CLOCK TO CREATE THE OPTIMUM PERSONAL ROUTINE: SLEEP BETTER， WORK BETTER， FEEL BETTER。
'A superlative guide to some of the most intriguing questions of human existence' - Bill Bryson， author of The Body: A Guide for Occupants
'Who knew our body clocks determined so much of our health， happiness， and lifespan？ I learned so much' - James Nestor， author of Breath
In the twenty-first century， we increasingly push our daily routines into the night， carrying out work， exercise and our social lives long after dark。 But we have forgotten that our bodies are governed by a 24-hour biological clock which guides us towards the best time to sleep， eat and think。
In Life Time， Professor Russell Foster shares his life's work， taking us on a fascinating and surprising journey through the science of our body clocks。 Using his own studies， as well as insights from an international community of sleep scientists and biologists studying circadian rhythms， he illustrates the surprising effects the time of day can have on our health， including:
- how a walk outside at dawn can ensure a better night's sleep
- how eating after sundown can affect our weight
- the extraordinary effects the time we take our medication can have on our risk of life-threatening conditions， such as strokes
In the modern world， we have neglected an essential part of our biology。 But with knowledge of this astonishing science， we can get back into the rhythm， and live healthier， sharper lives。
A GUIDE TO USING THE SCIENCE OF THE BODY CLOCK TO CREATE THE OPTIMUM PERSONAL ROUTINE: SLEEP BETTER， WORK BETTER， FEEL BETTER。
'A superlative guide to some of the most intriguing questions of human existence' - Bill Bryson， author of The Body: A Guide for Occupants
'Who knew our body clocks determined so much of our health， happiness， and lifespan？ I learned so much' - James Nestor， author of Breath
In the twenty-first century， we increasingly push our daily routines into the night， carrying out work， exercise and our social lives long after dark。 But we have forgotten that our bodies are governed by a 24-hour biological clock which guides us towards the best time to sleep， eat and think。
In Life Time， Professor Russell Foster shares his life's work， taking us on a fascinating and surprising journey through the science of our body clocks。 Using his own studies， as well as insights from an international community of sleep scientists and biologists studying circadian rhythms， he illustrates the surprising effects the time of day can have on our health， including:
- how a walk outside at dawn can ensure a better night's sleep
- how eating after sundown can affect our weight
- the extraordinary effects the time we take our medication can have on our risk of life-threatening conditions， such as strokes
In the modern world， we have neglected an essential part of our biology。 But with knowledge of this astonishing science， we can get back into the rhythm， and live healthier， sharper lives。
Reviews
L
，
Very interesting！ I really enjoyed this and once again am reminded of why I prioritize sleep。
Herbert
，
Fascinating。 But font too small。 Should be on "Overdrive" = Library consortium for free Kindle downloads。 Fascinating。 But font too small。 Should be on "Overdrive" = Library consortium for free Kindle downloads。 。。。more
Faiz Mohammad
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Wonderful book to dive deep into the science of body clock。
Aneil
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You’ll Have the Time of Your Life Reading This Pardon the pun on the title of the book。 This was superb from beginning to end， and the author narrating his book definitely enhanced the quality of the listening experience。 I learned a great deal not only about our circadian body clocks and sleep， but also about neurology， pharmacology， and nutrition， among other subjects。 I will be gifting this book to others — my highest possible accolade！
Julia Goldstein
，
Life Time combines thorough research with relatable examples to explain the connection between sleep and circadian rhythms。 Some of the information is “common knowledge，” but the author also explains why some of what many people believe about sleep isn’t true。 This book contains valuable insights for shift workers， parents， and older adults who worry about the effects of poor sleep on their brains and bodies。
Monika
，
For a clearer， more approachable， and comprehensible breakdown of sleep science I would recommend skipping this book and turning instead to Matthew Walker's Why We Sleep。 Around 75% of the book tackles the same topics， with the same conclusions; SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP！A couple of minor points do differ: Foster suggests use of Tryptophan-containing foods to boost serotonin and melatonin levels， helping both sleep and mood （glass of whole milk before bed？ yes please）。 He also refutes the idea that it i For a clearer， more approachable， and comprehensible breakdown of sleep science I would recommend skipping this book and turning instead to Matthew Walker's Why We Sleep。 Around 75% of the book tackles the same topics， with the same conclusions; SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP！A couple of minor points do differ: Foster suggests use of Tryptophan-containing foods to boost serotonin and melatonin levels， helping both sleep and mood （glass of whole milk before bed？ yes please）。 He also refutes the idea that it is the blue light from our devices that keeps us awake， but rather the whole stimulation effect of playing on a computer （absence of evidence in not evidence of absence）。 For my part I begrudge Foster for this revelation as it is easier to follow a recommendation if there are multiple reasons for doing so （and now I've lost a reason to not look at my phone before bed， which I'm sure doesn't help）。Foster's narrative style was ingratiating and a little annoying for another thing （though this should not deter others。 I find most popular science authors annoying）。 By the end one is under the impression that schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders are as common as headaches， so keen was he to give tailored-advise to this *apparently massive* strata of society。 Obviously this was for entertainment purposes （what ISN'T entertaining about bipolar eh？） but this meant that his advice was often useless for the general reader。Foster is not a clinician。 This is quite clear。 He has this bizarre， amusing， and frankly insulting idea that doctors are completely formed after medical school。 He implies on a number of occasions that your GP or hospital clinician could not have the foggiest clue about sleep science because it is not an integral part of the medical school curriculum。 Give me a break。 As if， after the age of 22 the medical brain is impermeable to all other information。 Doctors couldn't possibly begin to advise pharmaceutical companies because God-forbid they ever attempt to read a paper that wasn't explained to them in second-year physiology。 It's laughable。 Medical school is， in actuality， like a preparatory pre-school for the school of intensive medical formation that continues up until， well， a doctor's。。。 death。（And then there's the bit where he bangs on about how nocturia can keep you up at night （terrible）， and then advises his previously maladvised clinician colleagues to prescribe all of their patients their DIURETICS before bed。）It's not just medical students。 Foster （like Walker in fairness） has his intellectual baby。 He thinks that sleep science should change the face of the school curriculum:"If the topic of sleep is taught at all， it is through the efforts of dedicated teachers， who try and carve out a few hours in the gridlocked national curriculum。 And this is not easy。 Appropriate and standardised materials are lacking， and support from headteachers is often lukewarm， chilled by the constraints of the National Curriculum which does not include sleep education » And while I probably agree that sleep education would be more welcomed and appropriate in primary schools than say。。。 sex education， let's be a bit more realistic。 。。。more
Manuel Gómez-Ortigoza
，
good information， but is not for the general readerGood information on the subject of knowledge and advances in the field of circadian cycles and how they are relevant for our health。Yet， it gets too dense at times and more oriented to medical professionals than to the general reader。
Hazel Bright
，
While the author provides some excellent information about the importance of sleep and circadian rhythm disruption （SCRD） and its health and economic impacts on individuals and on the general public， the author completely disregarded one key issue of interest to me， namely， what causes night eating syndrome （NES） and how to address this issue。 Given the fact that millions of people suffer from NES （1。5% of the population）， this is kind of a glaring omission。 The lack of information on this subje While the author provides some excellent information about the importance of sleep and circadian rhythm disruption （SCRD） and its health and economic impacts on individuals and on the general public， the author completely disregarded one key issue of interest to me， namely， what causes night eating syndrome （NES） and how to address this issue。 Given the fact that millions of people suffer from NES （1。5% of the population）， this is kind of a glaring omission。 The lack of information on this subject is made worse by the fact that a） Foster does discuss sleep related eating disorder （SRED）， which is similar to NES， but is much less common; and b） Foster describes a study that touched on NES - an analysis where mice were fed only during the day （their night） and they developed mousy NES while their other bodily functions remained nocturnal。 He also describes the dialogue between gut bacteria and appetite in the context of night shift workers， another opportunity to discuss NES， but he assiduously avoided discussing the syndrome。 It seemed almost cowardly。Additionally， the author goes into a long discussion about cholesterol buildup and how statins work to reduce levels of cholesterol in the blood。 He then describes the optimal time to take statins。 He neglects to mention that numerous studies report absolutely no reduction of overall mortality when statins are prescribed （as in the majority of cases） as a prophylactic measure against heart problems in high-risk individuals。 See Ray et al （2010）， "Statins and All-Cause Mortality in High-Risk Primary Prevention: A Meta-analysis of 11 Randomized Controlled Trials Involving 65，229 Participants。" From that paper， "Conclusion: This literature-based meta-analysis did not find evidence for the benefit of statin therapy on all-cause mortality in a high-risk primary prevention set-up。" These rather egregious missteps reduce the credibility of the work in its entirety for me， unfortunately。 I would like to have confidence in what I learned from this book， but alas， I do not。 When he discussed subjects upon which I am informed， he missed the major point， which， for statins， is that they may reduce your cholesterol levels， but unless you have a clinical history of coronary heart disease， they won't lengthen your life， and for NES he provided nothing at all。 The writing was clear and engaging， if a bit repetitive at times。 Not a bad book， but disappointingly flawed。 。。。more
J。T。
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Great book， very meaty， over 900 references。 Not a basic circadian rhythm book for sure， the author knows his stuff。
Michael Ross
，
Quite good！ Much like Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams， it really uses the "scared straight" approach to convincing me that I should be in bed much longer than I usually am。 It was helpful to get more chapters on circadian rhythms in general and how they impact other elements of your life （especially drug timing！）。 Quite good！ Much like Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams， it really uses the "scared straight" approach to convincing me that I should be in bed much longer than I usually am。 It was helpful to get more chapters on circadian rhythms in general and how they impact other elements of your life （especially drug timing！）。 。。。more
Paul
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This well researched and focuses on circadian rhythms。 A very interesting read。 Recommended to those that want more info on the topic。Thanks very much for the free ARC for review！！
Tana
，
Lighter and easier to read than Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker which is brutal。 That said there's loads of random facts in here， some are interesting and some pages just seemed unnecessary。 Chapter 1: The Day Within discusses the 24-hour cycle。 Circadian rhythm and the main Chronotypes， such as larks and owls。 Diurnal animals: humans， deer and dogsNocturnal animals: mice， bats， owlsChapter 2: A Heritage from Our Cave DaysIn Greek mythology， Hypnos is the God Lighter and easier to read than Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker which is brutal。 That said there's loads of random facts in here， some are interesting and some pages just seemed unnecessary。 Chapter 1: The Day Within discusses the 24-hour cycle。 Circadian rhythm and the main Chronotypes， such as larks and owls。 Diurnal animals: humans， deer and dogsNocturnal animals: mice， bats， owlsChapter 2: A Heritage from Our Cave DaysIn Greek mythology， Hypnos is the God of Sleep。 He is the son of Nyx （night） and Erebus （darkness） and his twin brother is Thanatos （death）。 They live in the underworld （Hades）。 So even in ancient time sleep has been linked to darkness， death and hell。 Thomas Edison （electricity dude） considered sleep as waste of time。 There's difference type of sleep， not just REM and NREM but also deep sleep and slow-wave sleep （SWS）， which we progressively move from stage 1， 2 & 3 and then reverse。 NREM sleep is linked with our ability to form memories and problem-solving。 We dream in both REM & NREM but it's longer and more intense in REM sleep。 Depriving people suffering depression REM sleep can improve their condition short-term， but makes it worse long term。Chapter 3: The Power of the EyePage 51: "In the 4th century BC， Plato argued that we are able to see because light emitted from the eye and that this light seizes objects with it's rays。 This was the "extramission" theory of vision， and as bizarrely as it seems to us today， until the 1500s this was the widely held view in Europe of how the eye worked。 To his credit Aristotle （384-322BC） was one of the first to reject the extramission theory of vision， arguing in favour of the "intromission" theory， whereby the eye receives light rays rather than projecting light into the world。 Sadly， this eminently sensible theory from the ancient world was not embraced。 Even Leonardo da Vinci in the 1480s first supported the extramission theory， but after dissecting the eye in the 1490s， he switched to the intromission theory。 early observations by Islamic physicians， notably Hasan Ibn al-Haytham， who lived from 965 to 1040 AD and is known in the West as Alhazen， documented that the pupil dilates and contracts in response to different levels of light and that the eye is damaged by strong light。 He used these observations to argue correctly that light enters the eye and that light is not emitted from the eye。"Chapter 4: Out of TimeWeight Gain & Obesity: high levels of cortisol （stress hormone） can lead to weight gain， because "cortisol mobilises the liver to produce more glucose， but if the glucose is not metabolised it gets converted into stored fat in fat cells （adipose tissue）。。。 cortisol directly alters appetite sensitivity and increases the cravings" Social jet lag， a term developed by Till Roenneberg， is what people suffer if they are either living on a Western edge of a time-zone （book doesn't explain what location that is）， or from Daylight Savings hours （created by Germans originally to ration coal）， or due to social/work demands we sleep irregular hours。Chapter 5: Biological chaosLists the difference sleep disorders and issues from sleep-walking to obstructive sleep apnoea （OSA） and advise on what can be done for it。 Chapter 6: Back in the RhythmTryptophan an amino acid， may aid sleep as it's a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin， the hormone melatonin， and vitamin B3。 Full fat milk has Tryptophan。No one exactly knows why we yawn。Kava （plant） might help sleep but we don't know the long-term consequences （not enough research）。Benzodiazepines， which was discovered accidentally by Leo Sternbach in 1955 who worked for Hoffmann–La Roche after escaping the Nazis。 The first was chlordiazepoxide （Librium））， then diazepam （Valium）。 There's also Z-drugs （zolpidem， zaleplon and zopiclone）。All of these drugs work to enhance GABA release （the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid）， but have long-term use problems。 People are instead encouraged to try CBTi: cognitive behavioural therapy for insomniaThe male praying mentis has his head eaten while mating （doesn't stop the act） and then the female eats the rest of him。 Poor sod。Women are more likely to wake up early。 Menstrual cycle can change sleep and mood （is there a causation）。 No evidence the moon influences the Menstrual cycle。 a s and testosterone play a part in male and female sleep patterns。 Chapter 8: The Rhythm of LifeMen and women are biologically different- they are broadly "sexually dimorphic"， and this extends to several notable differences in our circadian system。。。。oestrogen in females has been linked to more consolidated circadian rhythms with a greater amplitude。。。 more robust circadian rhythms。。。 as women age oestrogen levels decline。。。 age related-insomnia increase of insomnia reported by many women。Menstrual cycle can impact mood and promote SCRD。Chapter 8: The Seven Ages of SleepThere is evidence that young adolescents show increased sensitivity to evening light， and this helps shift adolescent clocks to a later time。。。 elderly people show a decreased circadian photosensitivity to dusk light。。。 One suggestion for this decline。。。 problems such as cataracts。As we age we become more morning types and our sleep duration reduces。。。 Even our urine production changes。Chapter 9: Time Out of Mind3 elements to Cognition:1。Attention: notice key features in the enviroment and filter out "irrelevant" information2。Memory: ability to retain and retrieve information， initially as a transient memory before it becomes set into long-term memory 3。Executive function: ability to plan， monitor and then control complex behaviours that achieve specific goals or enable us to complete specific tasks1。Attention: is particularly to sensitive to sleep loss， e。g。 the 1986 Chernobyl disaster was due to sleep loss。 Exxon Valdez oil spill caused by sleep deprivation。 The 2001 Selby train crash in the UK was due to Gary Hart falling asleep at the wheel of his Land Rover and crashing into the tracks of the railway due to a microsleep。 2。Memory: is divided into 3 processes and is aided by sleep。i。 acquisition: encoding， memory is formed but at risk of being forgottenii。 consolidation: gradually turned into long-term memories。 2 types of long-term memories， declarative （conscious control） & procedural （how we perform actions） memories。 iii。 retrieval: recall of the memory3。Executive function: people sleep on a problem has helped problem-solving， e。g。 Nobel Prize winner Otto Loewi woke up with the idea on his theory of chemical neurotransmission。 Dimitri Mendeleev and his periodic table， August Kekule and benzene molecule， and Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney woke up one night of sleep in 1964 with the melody for "Yesterday" fully formed。 SCRD and depression has links。Chapter 10: When to Take Drugswhen really unwell and various illnesses described here。Chapter 11: A Circadian Arms RaceWe now appreciate that every aspect of the immune response is being regulated by the circadian system。 The skin is one of the most important， but most overlooked， parts of our immune defence。。。 providing an effective barrier。The circadian system plays an important role in skin porousness （permeability）。 Permeability is increased in the evening and at night， and lowered in the morning and during the day。 This means that there is more water loss in the evening， which is why we feel more skin itchiness towards the evening and night as our skin dries out which can lead to more chance of disease。 But we also have more blood flow during the night to help fight them。 Loads of STIs and infections go rampant。 Sleep breaks down our immune response and the infections impact our sleep causing further infection。 Chapter 12: Eating Timemetabolic syndrome is the medical term for a combination of diabetes， high blood pressure （hypertension） and obesity。 People who don't sleep much crave sugary snacks for a burst of energy which can lead to diabetes。Chapter 13: Finding Your Natural RhythmWe evolved with very little sugar in our diet。 Chemically refined sugar was most probably first produced in India around 3，500 years ago and spread east to China， West through Persia and the early Islamic World reaching the Mediterranean in the thirteenth century。Chapter 14: The Circadian FutureThe value of sleep is being acknowledged。Page 330: appendix at the end measuring sleep is great！ 。。。more
Abdullah Mothana Obadi Ali Al Yemen
，
A very good book I enjoyed every minute of the book The eye open book a lot of information in this book needs to be read again。
Cathy
，
Although the book’s sub-title， ‘The New Science of the Body Clock， and How It Can Revolutionize Your Sleep and Health， might give the impression this is purely a self-help book in fact it’s a detailed account of the current thinking， based on scientific research by the author and others， about the effects of the body’s circadian rhythms – the so-called ‘body clock’ – on sleep， physical and mental health。If I had to place the book on a scale between popular science and academic text， I’d say it t Although the book’s sub-title， ‘The New Science of the Body Clock， and How It Can Revolutionize Your Sleep and Health， might give the impression this is purely a self-help book in fact it’s a detailed account of the current thinking， based on scientific research by the author and others， about the effects of the body’s circadian rhythms – the so-called ‘body clock’ – on sleep， physical and mental health。If I had to place the book on a scale between popular science and academic text， I’d say it tends more towards the latter although the ideas it contains are expressed with clarity and precision。 Some chapters go into more depth than others and I’ll confess there were some sections I skipped entirely because of their complexity。 There are detailed diagrams with even more detailed notes providing supplementary or explanatory information。 With a few exceptions， I would say it’s not necessary to read all the additional information in order to understand the concepts the author is discussing or the propositions he is examining。 For those wary of embarking upon a book of nearly five hundred pages， over a hundred pages are taken up by appendices， references and index。Life Time is full of fascinating information and you get a real sense of the author’s passion for his subject。 I certainly learned a lot about how much of our body’s functions are influenced by circadian rhythms， everything from saliva production to control of appetite， and how disruption of our body clock can have an impact on our sleep， our cognitive ability， our physical and mental health， even the effectiveness of medication。 The book focuses a lot on the impact of sleep and circadian rhythm disruption （SCRD）， especially in relation to night shift workers。 For example， that this is likely to have been a factor in the accidents at the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear plants or the Exxon Valdez oil spill。If this is all sounding a little heavy， there are moments of humour。 For instance， at the end of each chapter the author includes examples of questions he has been asked at talks and lectures he’s given。 My favourite was， ‘If we shouldn’t eat at night， why do they put a light in the fridge？’。 Actually， the author demonstrates that there is scientific evidence for what we call the ‘munchies’。 He also provides some useful， and often amusing， analogies。 For example， when discussing the relationship between SCRD and stress， that stress is ‘a bit like the first gear of a car engine – it provides rapid acceleration – which can be very useful short term。 But if you keep the engine in first gear for a long journey you will destroy the engine’。 Or， when discussing the key elements of cognition， that essentially our ‘executive functions are the processes in the brain that allow us to solve problems – like E=MC² – or for most of us， how to turn what we find in the fridge into dinner’。 He also demonstrates there is science behind the old adage that you should sleep on a problem。The book ends with a ‘call to arms’， for more communication about the impact of sleep deprivation on education and employment， especially healthcare， and the actions that can be taken to mitigate this。 My main takeaway from the book is summed up by the author’s comment that ‘what we do when really matters’。 。。。more
Warren Berkson
，
A lot of repetition， but as a result of the book and research of major medical web sites， I’ve changed my medication schedule from AM to PM。 It’s supposed to be more effective with fewer side effects。 Also his research indicates that having a vaccination in the morning produces 3 times more antibodies than an afternoon vaccination。
Jason RB
，
A book that everyone should read。 Should be part of the curriculum for everyone as is almost essential for surviving life
Andrea Wenger
，
This book explains how circadian rhythms affect sleep and other metabolic processes。 It’s a treasure trove of information on how to better work with the body to improve health。 It’s entertaining and easy to read。 Thanks， NetGalley， for the ARC I received。 This is my honest and voluntary review。
Jeff
，
Approachable Combination Of Science And Self-Help。 This book is exactly what I said in the title - an approachable combination of the hard science （explained in such a way that anyone with a roughly high school education should be able to follow along reasonably well enough） and practical self-help type recommendations showing just how much sleep and the circadian rhythm affect virtually everything about the human mind and body， even down to things we may not associate with them such as cardiova Approachable Combination Of Science And Self-Help。 This book is exactly what I said in the title - an approachable combination of the hard science （explained in such a way that anyone with a roughly high school education should be able to follow along reasonably well enough） and practical self-help type recommendations showing just how much sleep and the circadian rhythm affect virtually everything about the human mind and body， even down to things we may not associate with them such as cardiovascular troubles or the effectiveness of cancer treatments。 It doesn't hurt that includes one of my favorite short jokes at the beginning of one of the chapters as well。 :） Clocking in at around 29% bibliography， the narrative here uses a sequential numbering system for its footnotes that I distinctly remember was at least approaching - and may have surpassed - 600 individual citations。 It also has an almost "FAQ" section at the end of each chapter， briefly answering common questions the author has encountered about the ideas discussed in that specific chapter。 An excellent book for anyone seeking information about this topic， particularly those who may have questions about how sleep and circadian rhythms could potentially be affecting their own health。 Very much recommended。 。。。more
J Earl
，
In Life Time: Your Body Clock and Its Essential Roles in Good Health and Sleep Russell Foster presents the science and the application of circadian rhythms in human life and does so in very accessible terms。Ever since taking a MOOC about seven years ago on "Circadian Clocks，" of which one of the instructors is mentioned in Foster's book， I have been interested in the topic。 My personal interest is both in the science and the way the information can improve our lives， from structuring work to per In Life Time: Your Body Clock and Its Essential Roles in Good Health and Sleep Russell Foster presents the science and the application of circadian rhythms in human life and does so in very accessible terms。Ever since taking a MOOC about seven years ago on "Circadian Clocks，" of which one of the instructors is mentioned in Foster's book， I have been interested in the topic。 My personal interest is both in the science and the way the information can improve our lives， from structuring work to personal decisions about time management。 Foster does a wonderful job of weaving the two together so that any reader with an interest can follow along and have some idea how to make changes。As much as I enjoyed the actual expository parts of the chapters， I really think the little Q&A at the end of chapters were a great idea。 These are questions that many readers would likely have， and ones he has heard numerous times before。 I think what it does is help the reader to think about questions they might have， many of which may well be answered upon a second reading。The appendices are also very helpful for anyone wanting to learn how to apply the ideas to their own habits。 While some things may be out of our control （what job we have， other key lifestyle patterns） if we can learn to make even some improvement we can be a little healthier and feel a bit better。 Even something as small as， for 3rd shift workers， not running errands right after work and sleeping instead。Highly recommended for anyone interested in the topic of circadian rhythms in biology as well as those seeking to make their own lives better。 With extensive references you can dive deeper into any area that intrigues you。Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more
Tariq Mahmood
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The circadian clock is a universal entity familiar to all natural living beings from the cellular level to the giant whales of our world。 It would be foolish to ignore its rhythms， yet we have chosen to disregard them。 This book is pivotal in highlighting the importance of circadian rhythms in our lives， it is a start but a very important step in the right direction。
Isabelle Thomas
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So much useful information packed into this book。 The writing flowed really well & broke down complex topics。 Definitely worth a read。
Mo
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A complex topic written in language that is easy to understand。 Already I have discovered that taking certain drugs at night makes them more effective than in the morning。 A life changing read。
ErnstG
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For all the author's undoubted knowledge， I never could understand who the book was written for。 Not for me， I think， perhaps because there is too much general background not applicable to me。 For all the author's undoubted knowledge， I never could understand who the book was written for。 Not for me， I think， perhaps because there is too much general background not applicable to me。 。。。more
The Contented
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Read or listen to this book。 It could save your life， or at least improve its quality tremendously
Ted Richards
，
I picked this up thinking it would be a nice， easy self-help book about getting better sleep。 It was， in fact， a hard science deep dive into the mechanics of circadian rhythms， light patterns and human biology。 Russell Foster opens the book with some simple ground rules。 Everyone is different。 There is no 'one way' that a person's body clock should work。 Some people are 'larks'， and have an early chrono type， some people are 'owls'， and have a later chrono type。 What is so satisfying about Foste I picked this up thinking it would be a nice， easy self-help book about getting better sleep。 It was， in fact， a hard science deep dive into the mechanics of circadian rhythms， light patterns and human biology。 Russell Foster opens the book with some simple ground rules。 Everyone is different。 There is no 'one way' that a person's body clock should work。 Some people are 'larks'， and have an early chrono type， some people are 'owls'， and have a later chrono type。 What is so satisfying about Foster's early chapters are that they do not attempt to universalise the phenomena he is discussing， and he treats each subject with a great deal of care when he is going through it。 He frames every study he puts forward as one subject to numerous repetitions an highlights areas in circadian science in need of further research。 As easy as the book is to read， or listen to， there is a sense that some material here is designed to signpost for undergraduate students areas they might take their future studies。 History books do this all the time， and it is fun to see it in the context of biology。 Foster has a great deal of wit in his writing， and the cadence with which he delivers his own narration is frankly superb。 Around chapter 10， the focus of the book begins to narrow in on specific subjects， and it is here where many more casual readers may begin to find their interest slipping。 Drugs， food， exercise and current academia are all areas people would likely want to know more of， but for some reason the subject matter landed a lot less smoothly in these chapters than earlier entries。 Admittedly， part of the difficulty is personal。 I expected this to be a lot lighter than it was， and my concentration was not on form。 Fortunately， tis was not because of a lack of sleep and Foster's excellent detailing of Sleep Circadian Rhythm Disorders （SCRD） helps to illuminate some of the issue people struggle with when it comes to sleep。 One of my favourite things was that， towards the end of the book， Foster posits that one day people might well regard those machismo 'only slept four hours' boasts， with the same contempt they currently treat smoking。 The meaning behind this is that the work patterns encouraged by modern capitalist economies are not only individually disastrous， but actively bad for the economy。 They lead to poorer attention spans， bad decision making and a collapsing work force。 Probably the highlight takeaway from the book is this; everyone is different， and it is up to the reader to decide what sleep patter works for them。 But we all exist， in a way， around light， and it is non sensical to pretend that we can so greatly shift our body clock to do without the sun。 Night shifts are not only bad for people's health， they are bad for their relationships， and Foster's best chapter may be on this very subject。 Moreover， light exposure from our phones， as contrary as this seems， is not as bad as everyone seems to make out。 What is actually happening， is that it increases our alertness and not particularly impeding our body clocks as much as was previously thought。 So if you want to read an e-book before bed， or feel more comfortable after browsing fo a few minutes， do not go beating yourself up about it。 Proper sleep patterns are far more influenced by stress， diet， duration and light exposure throughout the day， than anything that fits inside of our pocket。 My takes on Foster may not be wholly correct， but that is the joy of having a book to discover for yourself。 It is well worth reading， though any potential reader should brace for a far more analytical book than might be otherwise expected。 。。。more
Roland Glotzer
，