Synopses & Reviews
Healthy sleep has been empirically proven to be the single most important determinant in predicting longevity, more influential than diet, exercise, or heredity, but our modern culture has become a virtual study in sleep deprivation. A world without darkness wreaks havoc on our body clocks. Sleep is sacrificed to meet the demands of our endless days. Doctors regard sleep deprivation as a fact of life and do little to promote sleep health or awareness. Meanwhile, the physical, emotional, and psychological costs of unhealthy sleep continue to mount.
In "The Promise of Sleep", world-renowned sleep authority William C. Dement offers a definitive guide providing the information necessary to reap the benefits of a good night's sleep. Drawing on decades of experience, Dr. Dement explains what happens when we sleep, taking us on a fascinating tour of the sleeping body and mind. Exploring sleep's surpassingly powerful effect on overall health, from the immune system to psychological well-being, readers will learn the many ways that sleep loss and deprivation can put them in harm's way, inhibiting motivation, creativity, and vitality.
Imparting wisdom gained through years of sleep lab experience, Dr. Dement reveals the seven principles of healthy sleep, and gives hands-on advice on such popular topics as sleep disorders and their cures, the role of prescription and over-the-counter sleeping aids, recovery from jet lag, the power of naps, and more. With "The Promise of Sleep", readers will learn not only how to discover how much sleep they truly need, but how to get it -- and why their lives will improve once they do.
About the Author
William C. Dement, M.D., Ph.D., is the world's leading authority on sleep, sleep deprivation, and the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. In 1970 he founded the world's first sleep disorders center at Stanford University. In 1975 he launched the American Sleep Disorders Association and served as president for its first twelve years. Each year since 1971 he has taught the popular "Sleep and Dreams" course at Stanford University and has written the first undergraduate textbook in the field. He was also chairman of the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, whose final report led directly to the creation of a new agency within the National Institutes of Health, the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research. He lives with his family in northern California.
Christopher Vaughan is the author of How Life Begins: The Science of Life in the Womb, named as one of the best books of 1996 by the National Association of Libraries. He lives in Palo Alto, California, with his wife and two children.
From the Hardcover edition.