Description
A renowned neurologist shares the true stories of people unable to get a good night’s rest in The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience, and the Secret World of Sleep, a fascinating exploration of the symptoms and syndromes behind sleep disorders.
For Dr. Guy Leschziner’s patients, there is no rest for the weary in mind and body. Insomnia, narcolepsy, night terrors, apnea, and sleepwalking are just a sampling of conditions afflicting sufferers who cannot sleep—and their experiences in trying are the stuff of nightmares. Demoniac hallucinations frighten people into paralysis. Restless legs rock both the sleepless and their sleeping partners with unpredictable and uncontrollable kicking. Out-of-sync circadian rhythms confuse the natural body clock’s days and nights.
Then there are the extreme cases. A woman in a state of deep sleep who gets dressed, unlocks her car, and drives for several miles before returning to bed. The man who has spent decades cleaning out kitchens while “sleep-eating.” The teenager prone to the serious, yet unfortunately nicknamed Sleeping Beauty Syndrome stuck in a cycle of excessive unconsciousness, binge eating, and uncharacteristic displays of aggression and hypersexuality while awake.
With compassionate stories of his patients and their conditions, Dr. Leschziner illustrates the neuroscience behind our sleeping minds, revealing the many biological and psychological factors necessary in getting the rest that will not only maintain our physical and mental health, but improve our cognitive abilities and overall happiness.
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anNa –
Super schnell. Perfekter Zustand.
rylee –
I LOVE THIS BOOK! If you are interested in sleep disorders this is the book for you! I loved getting to hear about so many patients experiences and am rereading it after a few months because I find all of the stories completely fascinating! If you enjoy the book ‘the man who mistook his wife for a hat’ you will enjoy this just as much, its the same concept, a patient story for each chapter and getting to hear about the struggles people face when dealing with different sleep disorders including sleep apnea and narcolepsy and cataplexy
HSV83 –
“You can survive longer without food then without sleep.” A quote from this book, which explains some of the most common sleep irregularities in individuals. Each chapter touches on a different patient (treated by the author) and all in all is well written.
So whether you suffer from poor sleep yourself or are just interested in the topic, this is a great book to read!
Myrrh –
Very interesting, informative and enjoyable to read. I discovered many sleep conditions I didn’t know, and found out many connections with other ailments that I had no idea of.
Saverio –
Nonostante sia un libro di divulgazione scientifica in lingua inglese, il testo è perfettamente comprensibile da una qualsiasi persona con competenze medie nella comprensione. Mi sento di consigliare la versione Kindle per avere a disposizione il traduttore ed il wiki a portata di mano, perché sono molti i termini scientifici che si possono approfondire durante la lettura.
LR –
I never knew there was so much happening in my brain while I’m sleeping. Very interesting and informative descriptions of Dr. Leschziner’s patients’ experiences with their sleep problems. Well written (but I have found a few editing errors) and a fast read while still being scientific. I highly recommend the book, especially if you have sleep apnea, as I do. I’m just glad I don’t have some of the same problems as some of the patients.
OKPolack –
This book has many, very interesting examples of patients with serious sleep problems. But, it is written for the serious medical professional.
Grandma Pink –
As a child, my daughter would sleepwalk. Actually she would sleepRUN!! She never collided with a thing as she ran up and down the hall. Then she would get back into bed. These night runs stopped around the age of 10. I’ve had an interest in sleepwalking since. I enjoyed this book and found it was informative and easy to read.
Aran Joseph Canes –
As the Nocturnal Brain points out, theories of dreams and sleep extend from ancient Egypt, to the Hebrew Bible, to the modern theories of Jung and Freud. But Dr. Leschziner chooses a different tack. Focusing on the neurological origins of sleep-disorders he simultaneously derives insights into the nature of sleep and the workings of the human brain.
He does this by mixing case-studies from his own clinical practice with detailed sections explaining the neurotransmitter imbalances and lesions to the brain that are at the root of sleeping disorders.
The disorders range from the irritating (restless leg syndrome) to serious (narcolepsy) to the bizarre (sexsomnia). All all told with a wealth of detail and human interest that makes the book a page-turner.
The neuroscientific sections are not for the faint of heart. I’ve read a lot of popular science on neurology and had trouble keeping straight all the different brain regions and neurotransmitters relevant to sleep abnormalities.
But the examples from clinical practice well balance the more technical sections and all in all make for an engaging read.
I would even go further and say this is an important book. For too long sleep disorders have been clouded by Freudian psychoanalytic babble. Understanding their neurological basis is sure to help the large swath of the population who encounter a sleep disorder at some point in their lives.
An essential read for all who want to understand the workings of their own brain via the mechanisms behind sleep disorders. Guaranteed to not make oneself fall asleep while reading.
One of the rare books that adds something genuinely novel to popular scientific literature. Highly recommended.
Kindle Customer –
What an interesting book, especially if you have any sleep or neurological disorder as I do. It was easy to read especially on such a complicated subject. It reminds me very much of books by Oliver sacks.
Andres Kabel –
A most enjoyable read from a noted sleep researcher and neurologist. Some of the oddities and pathologies have to be read to be believed. Of particular note is the author’s nuanced survey of our state of knowledge about sleep.
Miss P –
Just finished reading the Nocturnal Brain and absolutely loved it. I work in medicine but not specifically neurology and found it really easy to follow. Such a fantastic book, highly recommend for anyone interested in the world of sleep.
Ana F –
Excellent.