The Women's Guide to Overcoming Insomnia: Get a Good Night's Sleep Without Relying on Medication

by Shelby Harris

Overview

For every woman who “does it all” . . . except get a good night’s sleep!

More than 60 percent of American women have trouble sleeping— which isn’t surprising, as they have a higher risk of developing sleeping problems. But addressing this issue is more nuanced for women than for men; pregnancy and menopause are just two factors that add complexity to an already difficult problem. At the risk of jeopardizing work, parenting, relationships, or overall health, no woman can afford to deal with sleep deprivation on her own.

The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia is a roadmap for those who experience anything from occasional bad nights to chronic insomnia. It outlines several methods to overcome these issues and improve physical and emotional well- being. From medical sleep aids to nonmedical approaches, the book looks beyond the basics of sleep hygiene, helping women to retrain their bodies and minds for a good night’s sleep every night.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393711622
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	07/02/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	641 KB

About the Author

Shelby Harris, PsyD, is in private practice in White Plains, NY where she specializes in the use of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for anxiety and depression. She is board certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine (BSM) by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and treats a wide variety of sleep disorders (insomnia, nightmares, circadian rhythm disorders, narcolepsy, apnea treatment noncompliance) using evidence-based non-pharmacological treatments. Before going into private practice, Dr. Harris was the longstanding director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center. 

Dr. Harris currently holds a dual academic appointment as Clinical Associate Professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in both the Neurology and Psychiatry Departments. Dr. Harris has published and presented research on the neuropsychological effects of insomnia in older adults as well as behavioral treatments for insomnia, parasomnias, narcolepsy, and excessive daytime sleepiness. She is frequently invited by hospitals and organizations to give grand rounds lectures and workshops.

She obtained her undergraduate degree with honors from Brown University and graduated with her doctorate in clinical psychology from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University. Dr. Harris completed her predoctoral internship at Montefiore Medical Center where she trained in the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center and received advanced postdoctoral training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy for anxiety and depression.

Dr. Harris has been an invited columnist for the New York Times "Consults Blog," Dr. Oz's website "You Beauty," and Psychology Today and is frequently quoted in the media, including such publications as The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, and New York Magazine. She has appeared on the Today Show, World News with Diane Sawyer, Good Morning America, ABC7-NY's Eyewitness News, CBS News and ABC's Primetime: Live.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Why a Book on Sleep Only for Women? 1

Part 1 Sleep, Insomnia, and Our Hormones

Chapter 2 The Nuts and Bolts of Sleep 11

Chapter 3 What Is Insomnia? 20

Chapter 4 As Your Hormones Change, So Will Your Sleep 32

Chapter 5 Other Sleep or Mood Disorders That Might Look Like Insomnia 41

Chapter 6 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia 55

Part 2 Change Your Behaviors

Chapter 7 Track Your Sleep 65

Chapter 8 Stomp Out the Sleep Stealers 80

Chapter 9 Learn to Love Your Bed Again 98

Chapter 10 Spend Less Time in Bed to Sleep More 113

Part 3 Change Your Thoughts

Chapter 11 Change Your Thoughts for Better Sleep 141

Chapter 12 Tips for Productive and Unproductive Worries 159

Chapter 13 Mindfulness 165

Part 4 Beyond Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia

Chapter 14 What If CBT-I Isn't Enough? 175

By guest author Dr. Katherine Takayasu

Chapter 15 What to Do When Life Gets in the Way of Sleep 198

Appendix of Resources 213

References 219

Index 233

Editorial Reviews

Women face more than a few unique sleep challenges and Shelby Harris has provided a straightforward, comprehensive, and much-needed resource to explain what's going on and, more importantly, what to do about it. She expertly guides the reader through state-of-the-art treatment for insomnia using her clinical experience to illustrate how even the trickiest situations can be conquered.— Janet Krone Kennedy, PhD, author of The Good Sleeper: The Essential Guide to Sleep for Your Baby (and You) and founder of NYC Sleep Doctor

Dr. Harris's book is an important contribution to our understanding of the unique and often overlooked issues related to insomnia in women. A range of hormonal and lifestyle changes over the course of women's lives negatively affect their sleep patterns, and Shelby Harris provides useful, clear, and easily implementable strategies for combating insomnia at all stages of a woman's life from her years of clinical experience. Essential reading for any woman trying to understand and overcome her sleep disorder.— Renee Monderer, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, Montefiore Medical Center

Most insomnia books do not address the unique biological alterations of sleep throughout a woman's life even though insomnia disproportionately impacts women. In this extraordinary, one-of-a-kind book, Shelby Harris finally talks directly to women about this issue. She is, without a doubt, the best sleep psychologist, having helped countless women sleep wonderfully through the night. It summarizes with ease a complex yet essential treatment modality for insomnia, i.e., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. After reading it, women from any stage of life can conquer their insomnia once and for all!— Neomi Shah, MD, MPH, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY

With clarity and compassion, Shelby Harris translate complex concepts and counterintuitive approaches into well-defined strategies that will restore sleep health and vitality. Harris offers comfort, support, and guidance to the paralyzing voice that fears the ability to sleep is lost. The Women's Guide to Overcoming Insomnia blends years of clinical experience, knowledge of sleep medicine, insightful application, and empathy—creating a trusted companion to any woman in need.— Rebecca Q. Scott, PhD, Research Assistant Professor of Neurology, NYU School of Medicine

This book is packed full of useful tips and information for every woman who wants to achieve more consolidated, deeper sleep on a regular basis. Whether you have chronic insomnia, an occasional bad night's sleep, or any sleep disruption in between, Shelby Harris will have you sleeping more soundly in no time. This book clearly details the gold standard treatment for insomnia, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), in an approachable and entertaining way. You will learn to identify factors that trigger and maintain your insomnia, about 'sleep stealers' that negatively impact sleep, and how hormonal cycles affect sleep. Dr. Harris will help you identify and better understand your sleep pattern and then, most importantly, improve them with scientifically supported interventions. I will recommend this book to all of my patients.— Rene D. Zweig, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Certified Cognitive Therapist, and Director of Union Square Cognitive Therapy

Easy to read, comprehensive, and full of useful information, this book gives helpful advice on practical lifestyle changes and sleep-specific techniques. Often used by sleep specialists, techniques such as sleep restriction therapy, stimulus control, cognitive therapy, and mindfulness can easily be performed by the patient. This is a book that every woman should read to understand good sleep practices, not only those with sleep difficulties.— Michael Thorpy, MD, Director, Sleep-Wake Disorders Center, Montefiore Medical Center

From the Publisher