"The Power of Rest" Book Review

The book I want to share with you today is titled, "The Power of Rest: Why Sleep Alone Is Not Enough." The author, Matthew Edlund, M. D., M.O.H., is an award-winning expert on rest, body clocks, and sleep. He founded the West Coast Regional Sleep Disorders Center, and now runs both the Center for Circadian Medicine and the Gulf Coast Sleep Institute in Sarasota, Florida.

Dr. Edlund has really hit on a topic that we can all relate to. After years of clinical research and consultations with hundreds of patients, he discovered that many people aren't just sleep-deprived, they are rest-deprived. That leads to our hearts, minds, and central nervous system being overloaded, our health suffering, and our bodies never really feeling refreshed.

Because I am so interested in health and have several business wrapped up in helping people getting healthy, I was very intrigued by this book. Not to mention, since I have been pregnant with my second child, I feel like I can never get enough rest. Dr. Edlund explains that rest is not only about sleep, but about so much more. He gives you the ideas and tools you need to change your life and your rest habits so you feel the benefits!

I really like how this book is layed out. He starts in the first chapter by explaining why you need active rest, which I thought was just a fascinating part of the book. He explains there are four types of active rest: physical rest, mental rest, social rest and spiritual rest. We need to give ourselves permission to rest and that starts with understanding how hugely beneficial it is for our health and well-being.

Dr. Edlund starts you on a one-week sleep makeover in the next chapter. There are several exercises to help make this makeover fit your specific needs, and I think the makeover itself was awesome! I learned so much about how I can sleep better and little changes I can make that will have a big effect! In the next several chapters, he goes into more detail on the four types of active rest, which is just fascinating.

In Part 2 of the book, he talks about how to fit all these tips and new facts into your life in a beautiful way - like a musical. One of my favorite sections here was the one about how we need to control our multitasking. I could really relate to that, as I am sure many of you can too!

This book was interesting, easy to understand and very relatable. At the end of each chapter, he gives a summary of the chapter, which was very helpful. I can't recommend this book enough, and I already have several of my clients who I am going to pass it on to.

You can find this book here or you can buy it on Amazon also. Make a great decision for your health today, and let this book help you get started feeling rested and refreshed!