My Third Coffee Was My Wake-Up Call

Natur Total Verlag · English edition

My Third
Coffee
Was My Wake-Up Call

My Honest Path to Better Sleep Despite Snoring, a Sleep Apnea Diagnosis, and Exhausted Mornings.

In this English-language book, Ralf Hebrock shares his experiences following a sleep apnea diagnosis and his search for a new sleep rhythm.

Explore the editionsRead the English sample

Personal experience · Sleep & everyday life · Written in English

My Third Coffee Was My Wake-Up Call – English cover by Ralf Hebrock
Ralf Hebrock · Natur Total Verlag

PersonalAn honest account

30 nightsSearching for a new rhythm

EnglishBy Ralf Hebrock

The book at a glance

When a tired morning
becomes a wake-up call.

Three coffees just to get through the day: that question gives the book its title. In his early sixties, Ralf Hebrock began looking at his sleep differently, against a background of snoring and a sleep apnea diagnosis.

01

Exhausted mornings

Everyday life between tiredness and the next cup of coffee, and the wish to take a closer look.

02

Snoring & diagnosis

The author's personal experiences with snoring and a sleep apnea diagnosis provide the context for his story.

03

A new rhythm

Thirty nights and the search for a different relationship with sleep are central to this personal account.

Inside the book

20 chapters. A personal journey.

With a 30-night companion, three appendices and a note on sources. Chapter titles below are from the original English EPUB.

Chapters 1–5
  1. The Third Coffee
  2. Snoring Embarrassed Me – But Not Enough
  3. The Night in the Sleep Lab
  4. What Good Sleep Actually Is – and What It Is Not
  5. I Wanted a Quick Fix – What I Got Was a Process
Chapters 6–10
  1. My Evenings Started Far Too Late
  2. Magnesium: Not Just Any Kind, But Mine
  3. Glycine Was the Leap I Could Feel
  4. Melatonin Was Not the Hammer, But the Signal
  5. Caffeine and Alcohol – the Two Friendly Liars
Chapters 11–15
  1. The Sleep Mask: Darkness You Can Touch
  2. The Screen in the Bedroom and the Light That Keeps You Awake
  3. I Had to Stop Scolding My Sleep Every Morning
  4. Weight, Movement, and the Uncomfortable Truths
  5. Stress, Thoughts, and the Day That Comes to Bed With You
Chapters 16–20
  1. When Two People Share a Bed – Sleep and Partnership
  2. The Mistakes I Made – So You Don't Have To
  3. The Month I Stopped Expecting Miracles
  4. My Evening Today – a Day in the New Rhythm
  5. Why I Am Writing This Book
Companion & appendices
  • Your 30-Night Companion
  • Appendix A: The Building Blocks of My Sleep at a Glance
  • Appendix B: Questions I Kept Asking Myself
  • Appendix C: A Letter to You, Lying Awake
  • A Note on Sources

Reading sample · English edition

The Third Coffee

An unchanged excerpt from chapter 1 of My Third Coffee Was My Wake-Up Call.

There is a kind of tiredness that cannot simply be explained by "I slept badly."

It is not just a yawn. Not just a little morning sluggishness. It sits deeper. Behind the eyes. In the head. In the bones. It is already there before the day has properly begun. You get up, go to the bathroom, look in the mirror, and see someone who technically spent eight hours in bed – yet looks like he just finished a night shift.

For me, it did not start suddenly.

There was no single evening when I said: as of today, I have a sleep problem. That would almost have been easier. Then I would have had a beginning. A clear opponent. A story with a date.

But bad sleep often arrives quietly.

For me it began at around fifty-five. Looking back, I see it more clearly than I did then. Back then I thought: that's just age. That's stress. That's the job. That's family. That's normal.

Ralf Hebrock · My Third Coffee Was My Wake-Up Call · Chapter 1

Choose your edition

Read. Listen. Or both.

The English EPUB is available now. The English audiobook bundle is in preparation. The paperback offered below is the German edition.

Digital reading · English

E-book

The complete English edition as an EPUB for compatible reading apps and e-readers.

€6.99

VAT included · no shipping charges

  • 20 chapters and a 30-night companion
  • Cover and linked table of contents
  • Download after payment
Buy the English e-book

READ & LISTEN

English bundle · In preparation

EPUB + audiobook

The planned English bundle combines the e-book and the audiobook.

€9.90

Planned price · VAT included

  • English EPUB e-book
  • English audiobook in preparation
  • Not yet available to order
In preparationView the available German bundle

Print · German edition

Paperback

The German-language printed book for browsing, marking passages and rereading.

€12.83

VAT included · shipping charges apply

  • Language: German
  • ISBN 978-3-69433-001-1
  • Delivery within a maximum of 14 days
Order the German paperback

E-book and audiobook not included.

About the author

Ralf Hebrock

In “My Third Coffee Was My Wake-Up Call”, Ralf Hebrock describes his own experience of snoring, a sleep apnea diagnosis and exhausted mornings, and his decision to reconsider his sleep in his early sixties.

This book describes personal experiences. It does not replace medical diagnosis or individual treatment.

Good to know

Questions about the book.

Is this a book about coffee?

The third coffee is the starting point. The story focuses on sleep, snoring, a sleep apnea diagnosis and the author's personal experience.

What language are the linked editions in?

The e-book and reading sample are in English. The paperback offered on this page is in German. The English audiobook bundle is still in preparation.

Where can I order the book?

You can order the English e-book and the German paperback directly from Natur Total. Digital files are delivered after payment. Paperback delivery takes a maximum of 14 days.

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