Sleepfaring: A Journey Through the Science of Sleep

£2.32

Very interesting! - I found this to be a very interesting account of the nature of sleep. It took me a while to get through it, as it is jam-packed with information, but it is all very well organised and very readable. Each chapter is divided into little bitesized pieces of information, so it s a book that you can pick up and read for five minutes and then put down for a bit without needing to back-track. The author also backs up claims with full references to sleep studies and research.The book takes you right from the very basics of what sleep actually is, the stages of sleep, what sleep is essentially for etc, to experiments regarding sleep loss (in animals and humans), to sleep patterns (the body clock, jetlag, larks & owls etc), to REM sleep and dreaming, to sleep problems. It covers just about everything you would want to know about this essential part of our lives and is also scattered with helpful advice about how to get better sleep and how to deal with problems such as jetlag and insomnia that you can really use. I think it s a valuable resource that almost anybody could benefit from, whether you have difficulties with sleep or not.On a last note, if you enjoy reading this, check out Counting Sheep by Paul Martin too.

Very informative and enjoyable read - I enthusiastically recommend this book if you want to find out more about how sleep works, from early experiments to the latest scientific research, it is all here.The book is very well written and accessible - the author has got the balance just right (from my point of view) between the science and the anecdotal. This makes the book an easy read, but at the same time you gain valuable hard knowledge.I am a prolific reader of both fiction and non-fiction books and this was one of my top reads for 2007. I recall and share many of the insights I gained from the book and can honestly say that it has changed some of my behaviours and anxieties relating to sleep in a beneficial way.

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• Power, Interest and Psychology: Elements of a Social Materialist Understanding of Distress