Description
Healthful sleep has been empirically proven to be the single most important factor in predicting longevity, more influential than diet, exercise, or heredity. And yet we are a sleep-sick society, ignorant of the facts of sleep–and the price of sleep deprivation. In this groundbreaking book, based on decades of study on the frontiers of sleep science, Dr. William Dement, founder and director of the Stanford University Sleep Research Center, explains what happens when we sleep, when we don’t, and how we can reclaim the most powerful–and underrated–health miracle of all.
Taking us on a fascinating tour of our sleeping body and mind, Dr. Dement reveals the price we have paid for ignoring sleep–an epidemic of heart disease, 33 percent of traffic-fatigue-related accidents, and immeasurable mental and psychological disadvantages. And he offers a hands-on prescription for vibrant good health and longevity, including…self-tests to determine how much sleep you really need…the role of prescription and over-the-counter sleeping aids…the latest research on how sleep affects the immune system…how to combat insomnia, snoring, and jet lag…plus information on sleep disorder clinics nationwide, Web sites, and more.
Taking readers on a fascinating tour of our sleeping body and mind,
Dr. William C. Dement reveals the price paid for ignoring sleep–an epidemic of heart disease, traffic-fatigue-related accidents (responsible for a full third of all traffic accidents), and immeasurable mental and psychological disadvantages. Offering a hands-on prescription for vibrant good health and longevity, THE PROMISE OF SLEEP includes self-tests to determine how much sleep you really need, full information on the role of prescription and over-the-counter sleeping aids, the latest research on how sleep affects the immune system, helpful methods for combating insomnia, snoring, and jet lag, plus information on sleep disorder clinics nationwide, sleep disorder Web sites, and more. –>
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Amazon Customer –
The author marvels about how something that is so important, sleep, could be so overlooked by the medical community and by the public. By the time you have read this book you will be amazed by how little you knew about something so important as your sleep. This is without a doubt the best book on sleep available. The only downside is that it is long, and some people may not have the motivation or discipline to finish it. The many biographical notes by the author increases the length, and the book repeats itself. Nevertheless, this is vitally important information. I was surprised about many misconceptions I had about sleep which I believe have been quite detrimental to me. For example, I had no idea of the concept of sleep debt — that you must “pay back” the hours you are awake by sleeping at the rate of about 1 hour per 2 hours awake (the exact rate depends on the individual) — and that for the most sleep debt carries over from night to night. For example, if you have a large sleep debt, then sleeping 8 hours a night for a week will not make it go away, you will continue to be the run-down the whole week and you need to sleep more than 8 hours a day to pay that debt back. The book shatters many terrible misconceptions — such as the being sleepy is evidence that you slept too much, when in fact it is evidence you need to sleep more. It also explains the mistaken belief most people and doctors have that sleeping pills are addictive, cause dependence, and can even result in overdose (the ones from 30 to 40 years did, but today’s don’t). It explains how snoring is probably evidence of a very common and very serious disorder (sleep apnea), which, when treated can improve the quality of your life tremendously. It also provides a section, late in the book, to help you diagnose and understand your own sleep and sleep problems. Extremely enlightening book and on an overlooked and crucially important subject. Understanding and application of the information in this book truly has the power to improve, and in many cases, save your life. Don’t hesitate to buy it, and follow up by reading it all.
Cliente de Kindle –
Amplio y extenso con mucho contenido e información especÃfica sobre el tema, lo cual me gustó, aunque un poco desactualizada.
Bonnie –
Yes, it’s too long; and the lack of an index is frustrating. But Dement presents ideas here that need to be heard, and haven’t before. Sleep is not a simple process that can be distilled into a soundbyte – and his scientist’s training won’t let him devolve this into a mere list of “tips to sleep better”. So, it it worth wading through 450 pages? A resounding yes. My own sleep problems were helped the very night I skipped ahead to the sleep hygeine chapter (the closest things to tips in the book). My understanding of jetlag and “prime time” for creative work will help me in the future. My respect for sleep has grown and will change my decisions. My realization of how close I have been to falling asleep at the wheel is terrifyingly clear. I am sending the book to one friend who I am sure suffers from a life threatening sleep lack. And unlike the reader who found Dement’s career history self serving, I hear instead a plea for more research on this vitally important subject. Fascinating, readable, likeable, surprising, and worth every minute of your time to read. Although the writer’s style is easy and readable, it alone would not rate five stars. But the content is five star plus. Buy it!
D. butler –
Excellent book, great seller and amazing service. If you suffer from a sleep disorder this is a must. Its out of print but you can find it second hand on amazon at a great price.
Stephen –
Not far into this but it has already got me captured in the moment of reading abit every night. Big book so plenty to get through. Bought second hand but still in great condition
Sager –
A must read book by every Medical professional, and all who want to know about sleep. All the experiences of Sir William C Dement his experiments
and discoveries of sleep have been described very interestingly. Sir Dement has given a synopsis of his life time work and research on Sleep in a very concise book.
I recommend this book to ENT, Neurophysicians, General Medicine, Emergency medicine, Cardiologist and every medical fraternity must read book.
Steve –
I should have read Dr. William Dement’s classic, The Promise Of Sleep, many years ago. Perhaps the sheer size (almost 500 pages with minimal pictures) was somewhat intimidating, but I finally ordered a used copy off of Amazon, and found myself completely engrossed. I finished it while communting back and forth on the train in one week. It was written in 1999, but most of his information still holds true. The sad thing is that despite all warnings about the dangers of untreated sleep disorders and a call to all primary care physicians to wake up to the countless numbers of sleep deprived people who are literally killing themselves, not much has changed, from what I can see. Even in medical schools today, very little time is devoted to sleep medicine.
This book is Dr. Dement’s personal plea to everyone in this country to take sleep problems seriously. As the father of sleep medicine, he and a handful of sleep medicine pioneers created this new specialty within the past few decades. He switches back and forth between laugh-out-loud and hilarious accounts as a sleep researcher to heart-breaking stories of numerous people who died from easily preventable causes.
I was attracted to this book to discover what he had to say about obstructive sleep apnea, but ended up being more fascinated by his descriptions of all the other various sleep disorders. His repetitive reminders about the importance of a cumulative sleep debt along with alerting cycles is an important concept that everyone should know about. His description of circadian rhythm disorders and adjusting to time zone differences is clear and easy to understand–by far the best that I’ve seen to date. At the end of the book, I expected to see the standard laundry list of sleep hygiene issues that all other books talk about. I was wrong. He gave balanced, common-sense reasons for why these recommendations are usually made, but leaves plenty of room for flexibility and adjustment for individual differences.
Dr. Dement’s book should be required reading for all medical students, physicians, and the lay public alike (in addition to my book, Sleep, Interrupted).
SB –
just read part of the book and realized its value in guiding life and thoughts, though too long to be finished in shrot time.