Book – Hasan Merali, MD, MPH

Sleep Well, Take Risks, Squish the Peas shows us how toddlers bring out the best in humanity and how we can, too. It’s a whole new way of looking at and learning from toddlers.

Lose weight naturally
Sleep better
Build stronger friendships
Improve teamwork
Be more productive
Have more fun, and
Live a more fulfilling life

Toddlers hold the secrets to having more fun and living a fulfilling life. These are secrets we once knew and ones that you can rediscover. Toddlers can teach you many things, including how to:

Narrated by Shawn K. Jain, Sleep Well, Take Risks, Squish the Peas is also available as an audiobook wherever you listen to audiobooks!

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Praise for Sleep Well, Take Risks, Squish the Peas

"From the psychology of toddlers comes a surprisingly intuitive blueprint for a better life. This is one of the most original advice books I've read in a long time!”

-Cal Newport, New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work

"Sleep Well, Take Risks, Squish the Peas is one of those books that you find yourself thinking about well after you've finished it. It turns out we already know how to live a fulfilling life. We just forgot the lessons. Hasan Merali provides a much needed fresh perspective, showing us with plenty of evidence to back it up, why we need to be a little more like a toddler. A must-read for anyone looking to have a healthier, happier, more productive life."

-Steve Magness, author of Do Hard Things and coauthor of Peak Performance

"In this telling (balanced, of course, by the downsides), understanding the toddlerverse is a point of entry into a marvelous stage of children's lives and a more positive way of being an adult."

-Harvard Magazine

Sample Toddler Teachings

Self Talk

This is Aubrin Sage, a four year-old from Yakima Washington who narrates her journey snowboarding down a “big ol’ hill.” Self-talk, something toddlers do all of the time, has been shown in adults to help with emotional regulation, and problem solving.

Teamwork

There is nobody more helpful than a toddler. In this video, 18-month-old Thomas helps his family to carry water jugs the size of him, without being asked. Toddler lessons from the way they function in teams include respectful communication, reengaging team members who may be struggling, and ensuring everyone on a team has their voice heard.

Kindness

A standard toddler greeting as Maxwell and Finnegan run toward each other for a big hug. The kindness toddlers show to everyone around them is unmatched. They act kindly not only to family and friends, but also toward selfish and antisocial people. Nothing can deter them. This is in important lesson as kindness and giving been shown in multiple studies to increase our own happiness as adults.

HASAN MERALI