Sleep

by Carlos H. Schenck

We spend more than 200,000 hours sleeping in a lifetime, the equivalent of more than 8,000 days. Yet research has only just begun to decode the mysteries behind what can go wrong. Here, Dr. Carlos H. Schenck, one of the most prominent sleep doctors and researchers in the country, takes us on an incredible journey into the mechanisms of sleep, and the spectrum of disorders that can occur when these mechanisms go bizarrely awry.

Dr. Schenck discusses the causes and treatments for common problems-insomnia, restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, and more. But what sets this book apart is the rare glimpse it offers into the cutting-edge science that he and others have pioneered in identifying, understanding, and explaining the realm of "parasomnias"-the mysterious, more extreme sleep disorders,such as dream enactment, sleep-related eating disorder, sexsomnia, sleepwalking, sleep terrors, sleep paralysis, and even sleep violence, which affect at least 20 million Americans.

Comprehensive, engrossing, and backed by the latest medical research, Sleep is a groundbreaking work about what continues to be one of our most mysterious medical puzzles-making it an indispensable guide for sufferers of all sleep disorders and their families.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Psychology, Medicine, Reference, Academic

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Kelly K · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
A fascinating read as I've experienced a few of these personally (sleep paralysis, exploding head syndrome, lucid dreaming) and my fiance sleep laughs, well, more of a giggle.

[Alisa Kester · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most interesting areas of study is what happens when we sleep...and this book tells everything that can go wrong when we don't sleep well. Everything from sleep sex, to sleep eating, to sleepwalking is covered, and as well as being interesting, it works as a how-to-get-help guide for those actually suffering these ailments. There are number of freaky/scary stories in here...it's nearly as frightening in places as a good Stephen King story, like the story of the woman who sleepwalked into her 9 year old daughter's bedroom at night, sat down on her bed, facing the cemetery visible through the window, and proceeded to carry on a 'conversation' with an invisible person about the people buried there. Unsurprisingly, her daughter (now an adult) still won't sleep in the same house as her mother! And I won't even describe what one woman did to her cat while sleepwalking....come to think of it, maybe this is where Stephen King gets his ideas...

[Phung Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and informative. This book provides many technical details but is not a dry read. Recommended for those who experience troubled sleep or sleep-related problems, and for everyone else as well. Who knows, anyone of us can develop sleep-related symptoms later in our life. Better watch out!

[Kim Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you know that we all become paralyzed when we dream? Or that some people eat strange foods like raw bacon or cat food while asleep, only to wake up the next morning with no memory of it?

If you have an extreme sleeping disorder--from narcolepsy, to night terrors, to sleep walking--this book is a must-read. And for everyone else, it's a fascinating glimpse into the world of sleep, and particularly what can happen when the divisions between sleep and waking life get blurred.

[Flahr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very informative and engrossing sleep disorders & parasomnias book. So fascinating! A few were ones I had always wondered about like sleepsex (fact or myth?), sleep talking/laughing because a friend does that! And a few of them were eye-opening fountains of information for ME personally as I didn't know thwy were normal/benign/rare occurrences!

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a book to help me sleep better and instead, I found a really interesting book about something we do every day. =)

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Interesting!

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written book. I'd recommend this to anyone who's had even a single bad night of sleep.

[Zhihua · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's really informative and easy reading book about most of the sleep disorders. The author is highly experienced.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the best and most complete that I've read today on sleep parasomnias. We still have a lot to learn in sleep science.

[Basak · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is an easy read. I think it was a bit too easy in a way, I expected a more scientific approach, learnt some interesting facts nonetheless.