Customer Reviews
Very interesting! - By: Hazel M., 26 Oct 2008 
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 & very readable. Each chapter is divided into little bitesized pieces of information, so it's a book that you can pick up & read for five minutes & then put down for a bit without needing to back-track. The author also backs up claims with full references to sleep studies & 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 & humans), to sleep patterns (the body clock, jetlag, larks & owls etc), to REM sleep & dreaming, to sleep problems. It covers just about everything you would want to know about this essential part of our lives & is also scattered with helpful advice about how to get better sleep & how to deal with problems such as jetlag & 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 - By: Felicity, 29 Jan 2008 
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 & accessible - the author has got the balance just right (from my point of view) between the science & 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 & non-fiction books & this was one of my top reads for 2007. I recall & share many of the insights I gained from the book & can honestly say that it has changed some of my behaviours & anxieties relating to sleepin a beneficial way.
