An entertaining albeit at times rather academic discussion of what
research has uncovered about the nature of sleep and sleep
disorders. Lavie, a sleep researcher and dean of the Faculty of
Medicine at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, is
clearly enthralled with his subject, and his enthusiasm shines
through the sometimes stilted presentation. The author gives a
brief history of the young field of sleep research - the first
sleep recordings of brain-wave activity were conducted at Harvard
in 1935, and the discovery of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, the
sleep of dreaming, was not made until 1953 - describes what goes on
in a sleep laboratory and outlines what science has learned about
biological clocks, dreams, the sleep of animals, and sleep
deprivation. Memorable facts emerge: The dolphin, it seems, sleeps
with half its brain awake, and humans can go without food longer
than without sleep. In the second half of the book Lavie
concentrates on sleep disorders and their treatment. His discussion
of insomnia includes a fascinating account of research conducted in
Haifa during the Gulf War, which concluded that while people were
afraid to go to sleep for fear of missing the warning alarm of a
Scud missile attack, once they fell asleep, they slept normally.
Lavie describes the use of phototherapy, or light therapy, in the
treatment of jet lag and sleep timing disorders; mechanical
solutions to the problems of sleep apnea, in which the sleeper
stops breathing; and the strange malady of narcolepsy, which is
marked by sudden, uncontrollable attacks of daytime sleep. For
parents, there are explanations of children's sleep patterns and
advice on dealing with their sleep problems, and for the elderly,
there are cruel truths about the fragility of sleep in old age. An
eye-opening trip through the land of sleep by a thoroughly
professional guide. (Kirkus Reviews)
Why do we sleep? How much sleep do we really need? What causes
sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and insomnia-and what can be done about
these sleep disorders? Why do older people have more trouble
sleeping than young people? We have all puzzled over-or been
plagued by-the mysteries of sleep. Now a leading researcher on
sleep provides an engaging and informative introduction to the
subject that answers many of our questions. Peretz Lavie surveys
the entire field of sleep research and sleep medicine-from the
structure of sleep stages and the brain centers involved in sleep
regulation to the reasons for and significance of dreams, the
importance of sleep in maintaining good health, and the function of
biological rhythms-interweaving facts with fascinating case
histories, anecdotes, and personal reflections. We learn, for
example, about: *development of sleep patterns from infancy to
adulthood and in the aged; *the wide variety of sleep habits in
animals; *dreams of Holocaust survivors; *sleep under the threat of
Scud missile attacks; *how melatonin influences sleep; *the story
of the "Acrobat's Leap" sleep-deprivation experiments in the
Israeli army; *how to treat insomnia; *what to do with a baby who
refuses to go to sleep; and much more. Originally published in
Hebrew to great acclaim, this book will enlighten and entertain
everyone interested in how and why we sleep.
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