I have always been such a smug sleeper. I could sleep on a washing line, I boasted. As long as I have a few hours, I'm great. For years, in the early days of setting up my first business, I barely slept. Forever compared to Maggie Thatcher, I survived on 4 hours sleep for pretty much a decade. Until I didn't.

When I bought my first Fitbit, I realised how. Where everyone else had wavy blue lines with lots of spikes of red, I had a big block of blue. Pure, unadulterated, deep, blue, beautiful sleep. Until I didn't.

Oh how I miss those days. Anyone who has ever experienced insomnia knows how unbelievably frustrating it is. There is no set number of hours of sleep that qualifies someone as having insomnia because each person has different sleep needs. But you know, boy, you know if you haven't had enough.

Whether you have suffered from transient insomnia, qualifying as less than one month, short-term insomnia, qualifying as between one and six months, or experiencing chronic insomnia for more than six months, it's debilitating. It takes a tremendous mental and physical toll on people who suffer from it.

“Epidemiological studies show that lack of sleep is associated with obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, even Alzheimer’s,” says Sara Nowakowski, PhD, a clinical psychologist and sleep researcher at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Other consequences of insomnia include increased risk for psychiatric disorders and motor vehicle accidents. When it comes to health, she adds: “Sleep is just as important as diet and other lifestyle behaviors.”

The Insomnia Diaries by Miranda Levy is a must-read for anyone suffering: "Shocking, relatable and ultimately optimistic, Levy recounts her journey into, through and happily out of, the misery and hell of chronic insomnia."

Following a catastrophic single event, Levy had one sleepless night followed by another that became severe, crippling insomnia that affected every aspect of her life for eight years and which she recounts every stage of in this, often painfully honest, part memoir, part reportage.

SLEEP, part of The Little Book of Self Care series, is a step-by-step guide to resetting your sleep patterns with a wide range of sleep concerns with over 40 proven strategies.

And finally, we present Sleepily Ever After: Bedtime Stories for Grown Ups which is a gorgeous little anthology of upbeat, touching, funny and inspiring stories that will help you relax and drift off to sleep. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. 

Whatever your need, browse this selection of books that have been created to help you this World Sleep Day and every day. World Sleep Society is issuing a global call to action to organize sleep health awareness activities on and around Friday 15th March 2024. The theme for this World Sleep Day is Sleep Equity for Global Health. Sleep is essential to health, but measurable differences in sleep health persist across populations across the world, creating additional burdens and reinforcing health inequities.

World Sleep Day is an opportunity to promote sleep health alongside thousands of other sleep health professionals and advocates. When we all promote sleep health and #WorldSleepDay together, our combined effort is greater than the sum of its parts. Spread the word about sleep health on World Sleep Day, and help elevate the conversation around sleep!

To help you navigate insomnia, and support your health and wellbeing, we have collected a selection of books to accompany you on your sleepless journey, and hopefully remove yourself from the category of 10% of adults who suffer from chronic insomnia and a third of us who suffer from sleep-related issues.

We hope they help you catch some z's.