Sleep—we all need it, we all want it and most of us don't get enough of it. It's on our minds since we're "springing forward," changing our clocks and (womp, womp) losing an hour of sleep for Daylight Savings this weekend. The essentialness of sleep paired with the mysteriousness of dreaming has made it a compelling topic for fiction writers who have made it central to futuristic, dystopian, horror, suspense, science fiction, and literary fiction books. We can't recommend these books if you're suffering from insomnia or another sleep disorder—we can almost guarantee they will keep you up reading long into the night.

But you're in luck—we've also included a list of recent nonfiction titles designed to teach you about the role sleep plays in our health and wellness and changes you can make to get a truly good night's sleep. Finally, we've included several memoirs by epically poor sleepers which may just make you feel better by comparison.

Fiction

Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

Sleep Over: An Oral History of the Apocalypse by H.G. Bells

Remember what it's like to last an entire night without sleep? That dull but constant headache. How easily irritated you were. How difficult it was to concentrate, even on seemingly menial tasks. It was just a single restless night, but everything felt just a little bit harder to do, and the only real comfort was knowing your head would finally hit the pillow at the end of the day, and when you awoke the next morning everything would return to normal. But what if sleep didn't come the next night? Or the night after? What might happen if you, your friends and family, your coworkers, the strangers you pass on the street, all slowly began to realize that rest might not ever come again? How slowly might the world fall apart? How long would it take for a society without sleep to descend into chaos?

The Little Sleep by Paul Tremblay

Mark Genevich is a South Boston P.I. with a little problem: he's narcoleptic, and he suffers from the most severe symptoms, including hypnagogic hallucinations. These waking dreams wreak havoc for a guy who depends on real-life clues to make his living. Clients haven't exactly been beating down the door when Mark meets Jennifer Times—daughter of the powerful local D.A. and a contestant on American Star—who walks into his office with an outlandish story about a man who stole her fingers. He awakes from his latest hallucination alone, but on his desk is a manila envelope containing risqué photos of Jennifer. Are the pictures real, and if so, is Mark hunting a blackmailer, or worse?

Wanderers by Chuck Wendig

When her little sister is afflicted by a bizarre sleepwalking disorder that begins to affect people all across the country, Shana is embroiled in an apocalyptic epidemic involving a decadent rock star, a religious radio host, and a disgraced scientist.

Sweet Dreams by Tricia Sullivan

Charlie is a dreamhacker, able to enter your dreams and mold their direction. Forget that recurring nightmare about being naked in an exam—Charlie will step into your dream, bring you a dressing gown and give you the answers. In London 2022 her skills are in demand, though they still only just pay the bills. Hired by a celebrity whose nights are haunted by a masked figure who stalks her through a bewildering and sinister landscape, Charlie hopes her star is on the rise. Then her client sleepwalks straight off a tall building, and Charlie starts to realize that these horrors are not all just a dream…

Sleeper by MacKenzie Cadenhead

Insomnia by Stephen King

Ralph Roberts never expected to live out his remaining golden years mourning the death of his beloved wife. He also never expected to begin suffering from chronic insomnia for the first time in his life. Each night he wakes up a little bit earlier, until he’s barely sleeping at all. During his overnight walks, he’s now observing some strange things going on here in Derry, Maine—and they’re more than sleep-deprived hallucinations. There’s definitely a mean streak that’s always been running through this small New England city; underneath its ordinary surface, awesome and terrifying forces are at work. The dying has been going on in Derry for a long, long time, and Ralph Roberts will soon find that lack of sleep is the least of his worries…

Black Moon by Kenneth Calhoun

Insomnia has claimed everyone Biggs knows. Even his beloved wife, Carolyn, has succumbed to the telltale red-rimmed eyes, slurred speech and cloudy mind before disappearing into the quickly collapsing world. Yet Biggs can still sleep, and dream, so he sets out to find her. He ventures out into a world ransacked by mass confusion and desperation, where he meets others struggling against the tide of sleeplessness. All around, sleep has become an infinitely precious commodity. Money can’t buy it, no drug can touch it, and there are those who would kill to have it. However, Biggs persists in his quest for Carolyn, finding a resolve and inner strength that he never knew he had.

Non-Fiction

Sleep: The Myth of 8 Hours, the Power of Naps, and the New Plan to Recharge Your Body and Mind by Nick Littlehales

One-third of our lives is spent trying to sleep. The time we spend in bed shapes our moods, motivation, alertness, decision-making skills, reaction time, creativity…in short, our ability to perform, whether at work, at home, or at play. But most of us have disturbed, restless nights, relying on over-stimulation from caffeine and sugar to drag us through the day. The old eight-hour rule just doesn't work, and it's time for a new approach. Sleep shares a new program to be your personal best. You'll learn how to map your unique sleep cycle, optimize your environment for recovery, and cope with the demands of this fast-paced, tech-driven world. Read Sleep and rest your way to a more confident, successful, and happier you.

Sleepyhead: The Neuroscience of a Good Night's Rest by Henry Nicholls

Whether it's a bout of bad jet lag or a stress-induced all-nighter, we've all suffered from nights that left us feeling less than well-rested. But for some people, getting a bad night's sleep isn't just an inconvenience: it's a nightmare. In Sleepyhead, science writer Henry Nicholls uses his own experience with chronic narcolepsy as a gateway to better understanding the cryptic, curious, and relatively uncharted world of sleep disorders. We meet insomniacs who can't get any sleep, narcoleptics who can't control when they sleep, and sleep apnea victims who nearly suffocate in their sleep. We learn the underlying difference between morning larks and night owls; why our sleeping habits shift as we grow older; and the evolutionary significance of REM sleep and dreaming. Charming, eye-opening, and deeply humanizing, Sleepyhead will help us all uncover the secrets of a good night's sleep.

Why We Dream: The Transformative Power of Our Nightly Reset by Alice Robb

While on a research trip in Peru, science journalist Alice Robb became hooked on lucid dreaming: the uncanny phenomenon in which a sleeping person can realize that they're dreaming and even control the dreamed experience. Finding these forays both puzzling and exhilarating, Robb dug deeper into the science of dreams at an extremely opportune moment: just as researchers began to understand why dreams exist. They aren't just random events; they have clear purposes. They help us learn and even overcome psychic trauma. Why We Dream is a clear-eyed, cutting-edge examination of the meaning and purpose of our nightly visions and a guide to changing our dream lives&;and making our waking lives richer, healthier, and happier.
 

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew P. Walker

Sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life, wellness, and longevity. Until very recently, science had no answer to the question of why we sleep, or what good it served, or why we suffer such devastating health consequences when we don't sleep.  Neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker gives us a new understanding of the vital importance of sleep and dreaming. Walker answers important questions about sleep: how do caffeine and alcohol affect sleep? What really happens during REM sleep? Why do our sleep patterns change across a lifetime? How do common sleep aids affect us and can they do long-term damage?

Sleep Rituals: 100 Practices for a Deep and Peaceful Sleep by Jennifer Williamson

This accessible guide offers 100 easy rituals including sleep-friendly recipes, relaxing yoga poses, calming breathing exercises, soothing meditations, and comforting writing exercises suited for every type of person. You can even mix and match them for a completely customized bedtime experience and find the perfect solution to banish any sleepless night.
 

Women's Guide to Overcoming Insomnia: Get a Good Night's Sleep Without Relying on Medication by Shelby Harris

For every woman who “does it all” . . .except get a good night’s sleep! Harris, a psychologist and sleep medicine specialist, offers a guide for women to overcoming insomnia without using medication. She focuses on the use of cognitive behavioral therapy to retrain women’s bodies and minds to sleep more efficiently. She explains the basics of sleep and insomnia; the impact of hormones on sleep; other sleep and mood disorders that mimic insomnia; strategies for sleep hygiene, changing thoughts that affect sleep, including dealing with worrying and using mindfulness; and complementary strategies to cognitive behavioral therapy, such as herbs and supplements, and what to do when life gets in the way of sleep.

Memoirs

Sleepwalk With Me and Other Painfully True Stories by Mike Birbiglia

The comedian offers a humorous memoir about first love, denial, sleepwalking, and the perils and pitfalls of being himself.

Sleep Demons: An Insomnia's Memoir by Bill Hayes

An acclaimed journalist and memoirist and partner of the late neurologist Oliver Sacks, Hayes has been plagued by insomnia his entire life. The science and mythology of sleep and sleeplessness form the backbone to Hayes's narrative of his personal battles with sleep and how they colored his waking life, as he threads stories of fugitive sleep through memories of growing up in the closet, coming out to his Irish Catholic family, watching his friends fall ill during the early years of the AIDS crisis in San Francisco, and finding a lover. 

Insomnia by Marina Benjamin

Sleepwalker: The Mysterious Makings and Recovery of a Somnambulist by Kathleen Frazier

Growing up the good girl in an Irish American family full of drinkers and terrible sleepers, Kathleen Frazier was twelve when her seemingly innocent sleepwalking turned dangerous. Over the next few years, she was a popular A+ student by day, the star of her high school musical. At night, she both longed for and dreaded sleep. This is the journey Frazier illuminates in her intimate memoir. While highlighting her quest to beat her sleep terrors and insomnia, this is ultimately a story of health, hope, and redemption.

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Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!

Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.