When Alice Gregory was a child, she would sneak off to bed when her family was having a late-night party. "I didn't consciously know that sleep was essential for my well-being and development" she says "but I just really enjoyed my sleep!"

Fast forward over 3 decades and Alice is a Professor of Psychology, who has been studying sleep for the past two of them.

Having been raised in St Margarets – she studied at the University of Oxford where her academic interest in sleep began.

She then lived in Japan for a year before starting her PhD back in London.

She moved to Teddington shortly after her first son was born and considers it a wonderful place to raise a family.

Having children of her own encouraged her to share some of her knowledge about sleep – authoring two books.

The Sleepy Pebble and other stories (Flying Eye Books, £12.99) is a book designed to help children relax before bedtime.

Nodding Off (Bloomsbury, £10.99) is a popular science book, which presents information about sleep from cradle to grave in an easily digestible format.

This latter book comes out in paperback on 21st May, 2020 – and in celebration, we are offering readers the chance to enter a prize draw to win one of three free signed copies of the book. (see below for details)

When Teddington Nub News asks Alice for her top 10 tips for getting a good night's sleep – she provides the following:

1) Have a consistent sleep-wake schedule

2) Avoid light at bedtime (you might want to consider blackout blinds or eyemasks)

3) Try to get some exercise during the day

4) Think carefully about what you eat and drink (paying attention to avoid caffeine, particularly as the day progresses)

5) Avoid electronics in the period before bed

6) Try to limit activity in the bedroom to sleep and sex

7) Consider ways of reducing stress in your life (e.g. breathing exercises; mindfulness)

8) Address any health issues you are experiencing (including those linked to your mental health)

9) Avoid daytime naps if you are struggling to sleep at night

10) Avoiding using sleeping pills if possible (discuss this directly with your healthcare provider who can consider your specific circumstances before making recommendations).

Nodding Off: The Science of Sleep by Prof Alice Gregory is published in paperback at £10.99 on May 21st available at Bloomsbury.com

Publishers Bloomsbury say of Nodding Off:

Sleep plays a crucial role in our waking lives, and we need to start paying it more attention. The latest research tells us that it's essential for learning and memory, for mental health and physical well-being, and yet we tend to only think about it when it's proving a struggle.

Nodding Off leads you on a fascinating journey through the science of sleep as it evolves throughout our lives; from babies to teenagers, from middle age to the later years of our life, there are constantly new challenges to our sleep. Based on knowledge accumulated over almost two decades as a sleep researcher, Professor Alice Gregory shares real-life stories and interviews with other sleep experts to find the answers to questions, such as:

Why do so many adolescents enjoy lying in at the weekends?

Why are scientists turning to sleep disorders such as sleep paralysis to try to understand paranormal experiences?

With important tips on improving your sleep, Nodding Off is an essential read for anyone who sleeps, and more important still for those who don't get enough.

Reviews

"While extolling the virtues of sleep and its fundamental importance to our health, Gregory reveals some interesting tidbits." – Science

"Nodding Off is a well paced and engaging read." – Chemistry World

"A revealing new book [...] covers every aspect of sleep [...] For those who have insomnia, this book may help, since knowledge is power." – The Scotsman

"Professor Alice Gregory [...] has proved that sleep science, far from being an exhausted topic, is an endlessly fascinating rabbit hole of surprising facts, discoveries and counter-intuitions." – Sleep Junkies

"Shares real life stories as well as insightful discussions with other sleep experts to answer key questions on all things sleep and sleeplessness." – OM Yoga and Lifestyle

"Alice Gregory has written an engaging and accessible book that guides the reader through sleep-related issues from birth until old age. This is no dry academic tome but instead a lively tour of all aspects of sleep from an expert in the field. Highly recommended!" – Chris French, Professor of Psychology and Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit, Goldsmiths, University of London

"I sat reading Nodding Off during the course of a few sleepless, heavily jet-lagged nights. In its pages, Alice Gregory offers a compendious journey through the ages of sleep. Her expertise and passion for the subject infuses this most readable book. It is an authoritative addition to this often-neglected field." – Ben Holden, editor of Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups, Poems That Make Grown Men Cry and Poems That Make Grown Women Cry

"Sleep matters! That is the battle cry of Nodding Off. Everyone who wants a good night's sleep should read Alice Gregory's excellent book on the science of sleep from birth through adulthood." – Jodi A. Mindell, author of Sleeping Through the Night and Chair of the Pediatric Sleep Council and website BabySleep.com

To order Alice's book click here

To win a FREE copy of Alice's new book Nodding Off in paperback please share your one secret of a perfect night's sleep. Alice will judge the best and most original answers and a FREE signed book will be winging its way to you for some bedtime reading!! Send your answers to: [email protected]