The Savvy Insomniac

Lois Maharg took her doctor’s advice, read books on insomnia, followed recommendations—and still got no respite from her wakeful nights and washed-out days. So she set out to explore insomnia, visiting sleep clinics, researchers, therapists, conferences, and fellow insomniacs, in the hope that deeper understanding would lead to better sleep. The Savvy Insomniac documents her journey and offers the sleepless an illuminating and practical guide to getting rest.

Lois Maharg took her doctor’s advice, read all the books on insomnia, followed the recommendations—and still got no respite from her wakeful nights and washed-out days. Clearly, she needed more than quick answers and standard advice. As an experienced reporter, she set out to explore insomnia in the hope that deeper understanding would lead to better sleep. The Savvy Insomniac documents her tour through the world of the sleepless. She visited sleep clinics, sleep researchers, sleep therapists, sleep conferences, and fellow insomniacs. Along the way, she learned about: * The body systems that control sleep and waking * Cutting-edge research from leading sleep scientists * The latest thinking in sleep therapy * The history of insomnia and cultural attitudes toward it * The benefits—and risks—of sleeping pills * Insomnia treatments and new therapies in the pipeline. She also shares her personal experience with insomnia, talks with fellow insomniacs, and learns from their stories and solutions. With stylistic verve and a reporter’s ability to make complex information accessible to all, The Savvy Insomniac offers the sleepless an illuminating and practical guide to getting rest.

Lois Maharg is a journalist with insomnia that began in her teens. Doctors dismissed the problem as inconsequential, so she turned for advice to self-help books. But the remedies proposed—relaxation exercises, hypnotic CDs, melatonin—didn’t help much. Sleeping pills brought temporary relief, but psychotherapy, beneficial in other ways, didn’t do a dime’s worth of good for her sleep. At 40 she was a confirmed insomniac, grabbing what little sleep she could and striving to be productive while feeling exhausted. So she took matters into her own hands, setting off on a quest to understand what ailed her and find relief. Talking to dozens of insomnia sufferers along the way, she traveled the country interviewing sleep specialists and attending conferences on sleep and sleep disorders. Eight years of legwork and immersion in medical journals brought her up to speed in the field of insomnia studies and became her passport to better sleep and increased stamina. Maharg began her career as a teacher, capped off when she authored a pair of ESL textbooks with her husband. She then became a journalist, working both freelance and subsequently as a staff reporter and features writer. She has written about Latino affairs, education, government, health, social issues, travel, and food. While reporting in Pennsylvania, she won Keystone Press Awards and awards from the Pennsylvania Women's Press Association. Her stories have been picked up by the Associated Press. She now lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the perfect place, with its top-tier medical library, for in-depth research. Her wide-ranging exploration of sleep and insomnia gave rise to The Savvy Insomniac. Her blog, thesavvyinsomniac.com, is dedicated to sharing new information about insomnia and sleep.