The Enchanted World of Sleep

By Peretz Lavie

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300074360
• ISBN13: 9780300074369
• Release Date: February 1998
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 286 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

This book was Amazing!!!!

I read this book in a week. I am not big on books, but I couldn't put this book down. It cover past theory on sleep, brain waves, studies, sleep disorders and much more. I couldn't get enough of it. It even talk about how work schedules effecting our sleep, which hit home for me. This book is something you can't live without. It makes you view your sleep and dreams so much differently then you have before.

Paradoxical Sleep and Parasomnia

This is a riveting read! What I found fascinating is that to determine if other animals sleep we look for the strong amplitude spikes of slower frequency wavelengths. Animals that need to sleep on the move or always be alert have high rates of "paradoxical sleep" (light REM sleep) while animals assured of protection (like bears) have deep dreamless sleep, with strong amplitude spikes. The author's argument that REM was monophasic -- arising from the cerebellum connections as an evolutionary transition to more deep, restorative sleep, is fascinating. So infants have more REM sleep because they need to be able to wake up more often for fast growth and since they have little protection, the same for fish, birds. Until the book it's been thought that REM was necessary for long-term memory storage, which appears to be more of a combination of REM with other factors while the "monophasic" use of REM is primary. The author presents that amazing evidence of a patient who had next to no REM and had amazing long term memory capabilites. The author's discovery that repression of traumatic memories was the key to restful sleep is amazing since it goes totally against Freudian psychology! So the practice is to never discuss the trauma! On the otherhand it presents an argument for the legitmacy of secrecy regarding experiences that are classified in "parasomnia" realms. The "silent channel" tactic to enable restful sleep during war is also fascinating. How genetic factors tie into nacrolepsy and how the hypothalamus is tied to somnambulism is also very intriguing. That somnambulism usually disappears after puberty and that somanambulism is also associated with traumatic dreams of "night monsters" and bizarre deviance sex behavior is also intriguing. From the perspective of yoga it is the strong amplitude, high frequency paradox that enables the awareness to leave the body while in a deep sleep trance state. So for the example of one parasomnia patient, who achieved lucid dreaming, and apparently had a dream of a future catastrophe (the Bhopal Carbide disaster), there is some indication that REM sleep can be utilized for astral travel as well.

we always take sleep for granted...

this book is an easily accessible and enjoyable story of sleep. it will be interesting for scientists and non-scientists alike.

Sleep levels, dreams and biological cloks.

You will not want to stop reading this book. It tells all about the mechanism of sleep, about dreaming and biological clocks. It is easy to read, informative and very interesting. It is very important to read this book to learn about so many myths about sleeping. It will change your life forever! Ron.