BUDDHA'S BOOK OF SLEEP

Sleep deprivation is a growing problem worldwide. We go to our doctors for advice, but they seem to have nothing but pills – Ambien, Lunesta, Tylenol PM – to counteract this predicament, and these quickfixes fail to get to the root of the problem. This is the first book that treats sleep deprivation from the perspective of mindfulness meditation.

Sleep disturbance cannot be separated from other problems; anxiety, worry, stress, and depression turn into sleep problems when our heads hit the pillow. This book explains why mindfulness meditation is perfect for dealing with these problems, details the practices of meditation, and provides different bedtime exercises.

Buddha’s Book of Sleep is the first book to treat sleep disorders from the perspective of mindfulness meditation. Yet this is a natural choice – mindfulness meditation has proven effective for other psychological problems such as stress, depression, and anxiety and these very issues are what become sleep problems when our heads hit the pillow. Divided into two sections, this book attacks sleep disorders with a combination of wisdom and practical meditation exercises. The first sectiondescribes the reasons why mindfulness meditation’s basis in self-awareness is appropriate for dealing with this problem, detailing the practices of this popular form of meditation. The second section contains seven specific exercises to practice at bedtime or in the wee hours of the morning, depending on when sleeping problems occur. Joseph Emet trained with the Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh at Plum Village, France. After some years, he was made a Dharma Teacher in Thich Nhat Hanh’s tradition. He has written articles for the Reality Therapy Journal, articles on health and nutrition for Healthy Living and Alive magazines, has a doctorate in music from Boston University, and has published A Basket of Plums, a boxed book with two CD’s of songs. He has worked with the MindfulnessMeditation Center in Montreal for fifteen years, and lives in Point-Claire, Canada.