Forget that early-to-rise myth; getting too little sleep is
unhealthful, costly, and downright unproductive, according to this
lively, anecdote-laden report on the perils of sleep deprivation.
Coren, a Canadian neuropsychologist whose previous work had wide
appeal among dog lovers (The Intelligence of Dogs, 1994), will win
the kudos of sleep lovers with this one. After a brief look at
sleep in the rest of the animal kingdom, he focuses on what happens
to the human mind and body when deprived of sleep. Citing research
and using notes from a diary he kept while systematically cutting
back on his own sleep, he demonstrates that reducing sleep
decreases the quality and quantity of one's work. Furthermore, to
ignore our biological clocks is to court disaster, for Coren notes
that sleep deprivation weakens the immune system, leaving the body
more vulnerable to infection and illness, even death. He looks
specifically at the effects of sleep deprivation on truck drivers,
airline pilots, air traffic controllers, hospital interns and
residents, and shift workers such as police and fire-fighters. The
statistics and anecdotes he provides are certainly eye-opening. A
1988 figure he cites gives the cost of sleep-related accidents in
the US that year as $56.02 billion, and he presents persuasive
evidence that the major disasters of Chernobyl, Three Mile Island,
and the Exxon Valdez were all caused by human beings with too
little sleep. Tucked in among the sobering data are several charts
and tables, quizzes to help one analyze one's own sleep habits and
needs, and some tips on overcoming jet lag and getting a good
night's sleep. All the justification one needs for turning off the
alarm and catching another 40 winks. (Kirkus Reviews)
In this examination of the facts and folklore of sleep, Stanley
Coren provides evidence that we are becoming an increasingly
sleep-deprived society, and that this condition is seriously
affecting our work, posing a danger to ourselves and to others. He
argues that the "Exxon Valdez" oil spill and the space-shuttle
"Challenger" disaster were associated with people suffering from
sleep deprivation. He also looks at some of the more subtle and
insidious effects of sleep loss on our physical and mental health.
Coren asks questions such as: do fish sleep?; are there really
"morning" and "night" people?; do some people really only need four
hours' sleep a night? There are stories about sleep oddities, such
as people who commit murder in their sleep, and descriptions of
strange sleep disorders that affect a large number of people and
might even be involved in unexplained infant deaths. Finally, the
book describes specific techniques to improve the quality and
efficiency of your own sleep.
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