EBOOK Sleep: A Very Short Introduction

Why do we need sleep? How much sleep is enough? What is sleep? What happens when        we don't get enough?We spend about a third of our lives asleep - it plays a crucial        role in our health and wellbeing. References to sleep abound in literature and art,        and sleep has been recognized as fundamental to the human condition for thousands of        years. Over the past century, our knowledge of how sleep occurs, what it does, and        what happens to our health if we do not have enough has developed hugely. The impact        of poor sleep on our quality of life is also gaining recognition and the prevalence        of sleepdisorders in the population appears to be increasing as we live ever        stressful lives.This Very Short Introduction addresses the biological and        psychological aspects of sleep, providing a basic understanding of what sleep is and        how it is measured, looking at sleep through the human lifespan and the causes and        consequences of major sleep disorders. Russell G. Foster and Steven W. Lockley go on        to consider the impact of modern society, examining the relationship between sleep        and work hours, and the impact of our 24/7 society.