Recent years have seen a rapid evolvement of sleep medicine as a new medical subspecialty. It is estimated that at least 30% of the adult population suffer at least once from some sort of sleep disturbance. Patients with sleep disorders are frequently among the most difficult to treat and account for a high percentage of absenteeism in the workplace. Furthermore, recent evidence indicates that sleep apnoea can be a major underlying factor of cardiovascular disease. This authoritative handbook covers the whole area of sleep, from the history of sleep medicine to the pathophysiology of sleep disorders, effective treatment and long-term management of the problem. The Sleep Disorders Handbook has been written for those working in specialist clinics as well as GPs, internists and non specialists. The editors have developed strategies for the management and agressive treatment of sleep disorders which are now used worldwide and which are clearly presented here. Enhanced by an entertaining selection of literary quotations on the subject of sleep and sleeplessness, this unique book will provide practical and much needed support in this new area of medicine.