Publisher's Synopsis
We all know how refreshed we can feel after a "good night's sleep," but in an effort to be healthy, our sleep is commonly overlooked. Like many personal traits, our sleep habits are influenced by both genetic and external factors. Our genes can predispose us to being a morning lark or night owl as well as to needing less or more than the standard 8 hours of sleep each night. Our environment and other behavioral habits also play critical roles in shaping our sleep behavior. Chronic sleep problems-including regular disruption and insufficiency-have already been linked to many common and serious health conditions through scientific studies. However, the relationship between sleep and disease risk is not yet commonly known. Therefore, there is an urgent need to raise awareness among the general population of both the benefits of good sleep and the dangers of neglecting our sleep so that people will take their "sleep" seriously-with a similar level of consideration given to nutrition and exercise. Sleep is key even beyond our basic physical health too. For example, we live in a society where creativity and efficiency are so cherished and praised, and sleep is an essential ingredient for these highly sought-after traits. Good sleep is the little secret that can help you thrive and pursue your dreams. Just as we must commit to healthy habits of exercising and eating healthy foods consistently, we can improve our health, longevity, and overall quality of life by establishing healthy sleep habits. Are you ready to make good sleep a priority so that you can thrive?Ying-Hui Fu, Ph.D. is a human sleep behavior researcher and professor at University of California San Francisco. She is a member of National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, and Academia Sinica of Taiwan. She has published more than 100 high impact scientific papers over more than three decades of research. She continues to devote her effort in researching how to improve sleep which will assist us in healthier aging.
