Customer Reviews

Sleep: A Groundbreaking Guide to the Mysteries, the Problems, and the Solutions

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is an excellent overview of sleep and sleep disorders. It's written in an interesting, readable way and gives great information. Some of the sleep disorders are fascinating -- Schenck goes beyond "the basics." Sleep sex? Who knew? This is a great book for anybody who's having trouble getting the sleep they need.

Heard him on the radio a few weeks ago and was so intrigued on the various sleep studies and disorders. I suffer from chronic insomnia for about three months now and finally picked up this book for a solution. It was easy to digest & offered a lot of different solutions to combat the insomnia. With prescribed medication and a change in behavioral patterns, the nights are getting better. There is also an astonishing amount of information on all kinds of sleep disorders - some I never even knew existed... check it out!

From the commonplace to the esoteric, from insomnia to sleep sex, night eating binges and sleep terrors, Dr. Schenck guides us through the fascinating panorama of unusual sleep behavior. The book gives ways to recognize and treat troublesome sleep problems, and gives a fascinating glimpse into areas of behavior we never knew existed. Numerous personal stories and relevant literary references make the journey an eye-opening pleasure at all times. The book begs the question: what else do we still not know about human behavior during sleep? I, for one, look forward to any future answers to this question.

I first found this book at the library and found it so interesting that I bought a copy for myself (which I then lent to my uncle who has sleep issues). Very informative and cutting edge with newer discoveries. This doctor talks about a wide veritity of sleep disorders and solutions.

Sleep - A Great Overview of Sleep Disorders - Suitable for Everyone
By Christina L. Graves
4 Stars

This review is written to provide a detailed synopsis on Dr. Carlos H. Schenck's "Sleep," to help interested readers in the selection process. Dr. Schenck is a leading practitioner and researcher in sleep medicine, and has more than 25 years experience. He is affiliated with the Regional Sleep Disorders Center.

Simply, and appropriately titled "Sleep," Dr. Schenck's "guide" to the common sleep disorders is highly informative, well written, and a great synopsis for anyone interested in disorders of sleep, whether a patient or a practitioner. This guide is terse, yet thorough, and within each chapter, he discusses what the disorder(s) is/are, who is afflicted, how they may be diagnosed, and possible treatment options.

"Real-life stories"
Throughout the book, Dr. Schenck uses "real-life" patients that he has had in the past, and has included testimonials along with each of the disorders. He tells some of the stories himself, punctuated by testimonials. The delivery of content in this way is a highly effective rhetorical tool, and really allows the reader to empathize, in some cases. There is even a point in the book where he relays a personal story about both he and his wife's experiences with sleep disturbances, and this personal inclusion on the details of "the doctor's" life a refreshing, and help to alleviate the often-sterile disposition patients so frequently encounter with Doctors.

Organization
After a brief "Tour of Sleep," which includes a brief synopsis on the different stages of sleep, the book is broken down into chapters based on specific sleep disorders, or a particular class of sleep disorders. The book begins with the seemingly more common sleep disorders (for example, insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, and restless legs syndrome), and progresses through the more rare disorders, such as narcolepsy, REM sleep behavior disorder, sleepsex and NDD (nocturnal dissociative disorders). The organization of the book in this way makes it east to find a particular disorder (if you should happen to be looking for one), or to progress along with book as things unfold. I particularly appreciated the sections on sleepsex and sexual activity during sleep, as it seems these topics are absent from even a great number of "medical" textbooks on sleep. They are all too common to be so neglected, and Dr. Schenck does a wonderful job of covering these interesting disturbances. I did find, however, some of the information to be a little bit outdated. For example, we know a great deal more about narcolepsy than was referenced in the book. However, it takes a bit of time for current research to become accepted into mainstream medicine, and as a result some of the information is a little bit lagging, although everything is well referenced.

Parasomnia Potpurri
My favorite chapter of the book was one of the final chapters entitled "Parasomnia Potpourri." Here, the reader can find all of the disorders or abnormal sleeping events that occur without enough frequency to warrant their own chapter in this book, or to warrant a great deal of medical research. Topics covered in this section include exploding head syndrome, sleep laughing, and also talks about "pets with parasomnias!"

Bed Partner Insomnias
The final chapter discusses bed partner's insomnias, addressing the impact that a partner's sleep disorders may have on a person. I really appreciated this section of the book, because this seems to be a topic not many people cover. In sleep medicine, so much emphasis is put on the person with the disorder itself, that it is rare to find a whole chapter in a book dedicated to the bed partner, for whom things may also become very stressful!

Glossary
In the back of the book there is a glossary where many common terms and abbreviations regarding the field of sleep medicine are found. For those unfamiliar with the terminology (and what can sometimes sound like jargon) in this field, the glossary can be particularly helpful.

Style
In "Sleep," Dr. Schenck approaches the subject in a conversational manner, and in doing so, is able to effectively draw the reader in. He presents his information in a clear, concise way, free from technical jargon. He is definitely writing for the layperson - and not other experts in the field. His presentation in this manner make the book easy to read, and you are able to learn a great deal about sleep disorders, without glazing over during "sciencespeak." This style of writing, however, in addition to the ends of each chapter containing pharmaceutical treatment information tends to indicate some kind of "doctor/patient" relationship between the author and the reader, and doesn't read particularly well if you are very familiar with the topics at hand.

Pharmaceutical Treatment Options
One of the only complaints that I have for the book is that at the end of every chapter there is a few paragraphs on treatment options, which mostly include pharmaceutical options. While some sections include alternative treatments, the book fails to address disorders for which sleep disturbances are a symptom, and not a disorder among themselves. In many cases rectifying the underlying disorder may ameliorate the symptoms of sleep disturbances, and these cases are sorely neglected.

Sleep Disorders - Not Sleep Itself
In addition, while the book covers the main points of normal sleeping in the first chapter, it doesn't cover normal disturbances in great detail, and a little more information or discussion of dreaming would have been appreciated. This book is definitely all about sleep disturbances, not necessarily all about sleep itself. Anyone wanting a book on details about the different stages of sleep or on normal sleeping behaviors should NOT purchase this book.

Overall, I found the book to be informative, but not in an overly technical way. Anyone looking for brief overviews of some common (and not so common) sleep disorders should purchase this book. In addition, it may be a good read for general practitioners, medical students, or any other students with an interest in gaining broad and basic knowledge about sleep disorders and common treatments. I would not recommend the book to anyone who knows a great deal about sleep disorders, is an expert in the field, or who keeps up with current research in sleep medicine.

For years I thought I was the only adult with night terrors. I tried to find out information on this topic only to get blank stares and confused looks. Even my doctors were scratching their heads. Then my husband was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea. We had no idea how bad he was until we saw a sleep doctor. We both were hungry for more knowledge about our sleep problems and this book provides it. If you have any sleep problems or have a loved one with sleep issues, get this book..it explains everything in easy to understand language.

Very cool book! This book isn't a book about how to sleep better or what to do right, it's more about sleep disorders in general, including treatments and stories about actual cases. It's really fascinating, and informative, and actually entertaining. I recommend it to a lot of people, especially at this price for a hardcover.

This book was an absolute revelation. I picked it up to learn more about sleep and find some ways to optimize my sleep. Then I realized that this is more a guide to sleeping disorders, written from one of the top doctors in the world in sleep medicine.

"Sleep" does an invaluable job at demystifying sleep. Sometimes we think that some people are lazy or crazy, when in fact they may just have an untreated sleep disorder.

Dr. Schenk goes through the list of all the extreme sleep disorders, called "parasomnias," each one more fascinating than the other. Some examples:

- Insomnia
- Sleep eating: people who are in a sleepwalking state and raid the refrigerator in the middle of the night, eating all kinds of crazy foods such as raw bacon, ketchup mixed with milk, and great amounts of fattening foods and chocolate bars, with no recollection whatsoever the next day, apart from the evidence they find in the kitchen.
- Sleep sex!
- Sleepwalking -- at least 4% of the adult population sleepwalks, and extreme behaviors are possible, such as murder during a sleepwalking state.
- Sleeptalking -- we've all done it at some point or another, and this one is generally not a big concern. You'll learn that whatever someone says during their sleep (sometimes creating marital problems by talking about ex-lovers) doesn't "mean" anything and should not be used as "evidence"
- Narcolepsy -- A disorder that causes a sudden, irresistible urge to fall asleep at any time of the day (even while driving a vehicle), regardless of how much sleep the person got that night
- Night terrors
- Sleep Paralysis -- I suffered from this one as a kid and it traumatized me tremendously. I didn't realize what actually happened until I read this book! In Sleep Paralysis (SP), the natural paralysis that normally occurs during REM sleep (the dream state) is "transferred" to the deep sleep phase. That means you will wake up, feeling crushed by an invisible presence, unable to move, while feeling that something is terribly wrong, like some kind of evil spirit is visiting you.
- RBS -- REM Sleep Behavioral Syndrom -- People who on the other end, lack the natural "paralysis" mechanism that prevents us from acting out our dreams during REM sleep. These people will become very violent during sleep and chase invisible "attackers" or animals, whatever they are dreaming, and act it out in real life.
- Nocturnal Dissociative Disorder -- This is NOT the same as sleepwalking. These people will wake up in the middle of the night, and then do something while their brain is awake, but have no recollection of it the next day. An extreme example given in the book is about a woman who woke up in the middle of the night, drove to the airport, bought a ticket for a random city, and then while in the airplane "woke up" from her state and had absolutely no idea where she was.

There's a lot more being covered in the book. For example, did you know that the tendency to be a "morning person" or a "night person" is something we're born with? Also that some people can need only a few hours of sleep a night while others can need 10 or 12, even as adults. You probably knew that, but you'll discover a lot more on the science behind it.

This book really helps demystify sleep. We often think of people who sleep little as being "diligent" and people who sleep a lot as being "lazy," when in fact these two groups could simply have different genetic predispositions.

Likewise, someone who can't get up in the morning could be suffering from severe sleep inertia, another sleep disorder, but their family and friends will just think of her as "lazy."

You will find this book extremely fascinating and there's a good chance that you or someone you know suffers from one of these sleep disorders. The author does a good job at outlining different forms of treatments, which in most cases involve seeing a sleep specialist.

This is NOT a book on the science of sleep and just giving generic, sleep hygiene advice. In spite of being a bit scientific at time, you will find it easy to read nonetheless.

I bought this book to read about the specific parasomnia my husband has, and after I read that chapter I went back and started at the beginning. This is a scholarly work that is anything but dry. It was so hard to put down that I finally had to remove it from my home office, because I kept reading "just one more paragraph" when I was supposed to be working. The book is well-organized for pick-and-choose reading, but I suspect most people will wind up reading the whole thing, as I did. The subject itself is fascinating, and Dr Schenck makes it entertaining while taking the problems it causes very seriously. Who knew there was such a thing as sleep forensics, for example? And I found the examples of parasomnias in literature through the ages really interesting. From Cervantes to Shakespeare to Thomas Hardy, many authors have provided detailed descriptions of behaviors now studied by sleep specialists.

This book has really provided me with a lot of important information that I was unaware of and allowed me to apply to my own sleep problems. If you wondering about your own causes/problems with sleep disorders I recommend this book.