Those close to me know that I haven't had a consistent string of good sleep for more than a decade now. To combat this, I've done a lot of reading and tried many techniques, all to no avail.
In The Gift of the Night, Carr-Gomm offers a thorough review of a wide collection of complex information and many practices -- both scientific and spiritual -- for you to try.
The first part of the book, Six-Step Program to Get You Sleeping Better, opens with a look at psychedelic therapy and what it can offer to improve sleep. Unsurprisingly, Carr-Gomm reminds us that “set and setting” are vital -- with the "set" referring to being grounded and unafraid, while being in a "setting" of safety with people you love (or your therapist). Part One looks at the six steps :
* Steps 1, 2, and 3 focus on creating the optimal conditions for sleep. This is a combination of re-framing how you think about the night and your rest, finding your "sleep personality", and understanding how what you ingest is affecting your sleep.
* Step 4 shifts to preparing the proper setting for sleep,
* Step 5 offers thirteen methods to use to get better sleep.
* Step 6 highlights the importance of creating meaningful nighttime rituals.
While much of this might not be new to those of us struggling with sleep, it is framed in such a way that we can come to understand how many seemingly small issues are creating a large problem.
A key element for me was the reminder that sleep is the time when, “the conscious and unconscious minds, the ego and deep self can cooperate to give you the fullest possible experience of life” (p. 20). It is a time when the body rests and the mind engages in healing, problem-solving, creativity, inspiration, and spiritual development.
Part Two, Almost Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Sleep, covers many of our concerns, such as whether or not to take naps, how much sleep we really need, when we should go to bed, whether or not to use alarms or use cannabis, how to handle shift work, and snoring, There is even a FAQ on lucid dreaming. Further materials include resources, acknowledgments, and information about the author.
This is an extremely accessible book full of effective techniques and wisdom.
~review by Lisa McSherry
Author: Philip Carr-Gomm
Findhorn Press, 2023
pp. 192, $18.99
