The Promise of Sleep: A Pioneer in Sleep Medicine Explores the Vital Connection Between Health, Happiness, and a Good Night's Sleep

Rating:
Summary: Good information but a lot of editing needed!
Review: As you read this tome you realize that it being written by somebody with the odd balance of ego and humility that comes with being both a tenured professor and leading expert in a specific field.

To be sure, you'll learn everything there is about sleep that you never knew who to ask. There is a lot of good information that is written in layman's terms. The problem is you're going to have to [rummage]through a lot to read the important information.

The book is 540 pages long and could have been at least 200 pages shorter with better editing. There is way too much information about the author that isn't necessary. I really don't care about his love of Jazz music--unless it's going to help me sleep! He spends a lot of time lambasting the medical community for not knowing enough about sleep--some of it well deserved. One excellent point that Dement makes is regarding the use of sleeping pills. They have been demonized by the medical community when they could do a lot of people good with little actual downside. He recounts a story of one college student who was in desperate need of sleep. He tells about trying to get the school's infirmary to write a prescription for sleeping pills, which they flatly refused. I kept wondering why Dement himself didn't simply write the script?

Also, while sleep disorders make life miserable for a lot of people and lead to a lot of problems (such as Dement's accurate description of the cause of the Exxon Valdez) the whole world isn't about to die from sleep depravation. There's too much "the sky is falling" in the book.

With a good editor this could have been the definitive book on the subject of sleep. As it is you'll just have to skim through it to find the relevant information.

Rating:
Summary: Fundamentals of Sleep
Review: Before I read this book, I slept so poorly that I usually woke up with a headache. Now I'm getting really good sleep.

I don't think I would have done it if it hadn't been for this book, which I read after I first met Dr. Dement at a book signing.
Dement himself coined the term "sleep apnea" and started working for better research into sleep disorders -- kind of as a byproduct of his observations as a doctor.

Rating:
Summary: Very informative, but doesnt live up to its promising title
Review: For readers (I am afraid the mass majority) who want to learn more about remedies and treatment to their own sleep disorder problems, they may be quite disappointed by the shortage of them in such a resourceful book that tells so much and diverse about the various aspects of sleep. Understandably the authors didnt want to indirectly encourage readers to diagnose and prognose for their own, instead of going to sleep disorder experts or physicians. Inevitably, the attractiveness and usefulness of the book had been much reduced.

On the other hand, the writing skill of the "doctors" was really bad. The use of long paragraphs, with the absence of summary, bullet points and tables really deter readers from getting the most from the book.

In short, if one just wanna learn more about sleep, this is certainly a good book to look at. For medical advice, one should go to a sleep disorders center directly.

Rating:
Summary: Should be on the best-seller list.
Review: Groundbreaking book! Answered questions and PROVIDED SOLUTIONS to problems I have had for years and I'm 56. A big plus of the book is his emphasis on safety. Being tired and especially being drowsy is life-threatening. This is a book everyone should read. It's hard to understand why a few readers have panned it; perhaps they were put off by his personal style and his repetitious alarms on the dangers of sleep deprivation. Dr. Dement obviously feels passionate about his subject and it's value to the reader. Thank goodness because it took tremendous dedication and perseverance to research sleep. Now we can benefit from it.

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Summary: Essential for anyone serious about sleep
Review: I have been an insomniac most of my life and it has cost me emotionally and in terms of productivity. I have read most of what has been written in the popular press and it is mostly folksy advice of little use to anyone who either has a serious problem or is serious about knowing more about the topic. I knew of Willam Dement's sleep clinic because it is frequently reported in connection with problems such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy. On the strength of his qualifications I bought the book. It has changed my life. It is not another list of chatty advice, but an analysis of the phenomenon of sleep and sleep disturbance. It documents the basis for his claims about sleep debt, about the role of "sleep hygene" and most important, it dispels a whole host of misconceptions that both the public and the medical profession (including the doctor I visited about my problem) hold. A remarkable example of this concerns the role that drugs can play in dealing with insomnia. Very nearly everyone believes that sleep drugs are an evil that should be avoided (look at the books on insomnia on Amazon.com). People like me have been in a panic state worrying that if I took sleepping pills for more than a few days each month I would become addicted or that my doctor will cut me off sleeping pills and I would die. The truth, well documented in Dr Dement's book, is very different from this. I feel lucky that I found this book and that it started me on a process of dealing with my insomnia. I recommend this book to both sufferers and those would would help them.

Rating:
Summary: An extremely well written and extra helpful guide on sleep.
Review: I have been researching the field of sleep for some time, and this is truly the best book yet that I have found on this elusive subject. William Dement and co-author Christopher Vaughan have outdone themselves in not only offering an authoritative and informational guide, but a truly interesting and fascinating account of their many years in this field. The average reader will not be bogged down with formulas and EEG readings, but with common sense and down to earth advice on managing your sleep. William Dement focuses a great deal on the problem of a sleep deprived society, and teaches you a simple, easy to manage way to determine if you are one of the billions who owe a large "sleep-debt", and if you are, how to miraculously (well, almost) "work it off" and become a healthier, happier individual. It was truly amazing to me what a difference the right amount and quality of sleep can make in a person's life, and how relatively simple it is to obtain it. If you feel you have a sleep problem, this is most definitely the book for you. It has wonderful insights into the amazing world of sleep and offers the most solid and focused guidelines to improve your sleep habits that I have ever come across. A definite 5 star winner, a not-to-be-missed book!

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Summary: There are lessons for everyone
Review: I picked up this book at the Stanford bookstore because I suspected my daughter and my husband may be suffering from a sleeping disorder. After reading the book, I found out that I may have one too! Dr. Dement destroys many of the myths surrounding sleep including the myth that sleeping pills are bad. I was particularly struck by the dangers of driving drowsy, something I do quite often as a consultant who travels to clients. I now know there are actions that I can take to minimize the risk, including scheduling meeting times more in tune with the low energy points during the day. The book is written in a style that is clear, concise, and easy to read. Though I do not think all his recommendations are necessarily practical, you can pick and choose those that will work for you. I highly recommend this book for everyone, but particularly if someone in your family is having trouble sleeping.

Rating:
Summary: Good info. but a painful read
Review: I read this when I was having tremendous trouble getting a good nights sleep. It didn't solve my problem. But it did tell me the things I was doing habitually that weren't helping. And the author arguably has more experience in this area than almost any other would. This is a book that everyone should read, if only so they will know some simple truths, like if it took you a month to get so behind on your sleep, it will take almost as long to recoup it, even if you try. I'm glad I read this book. And it's one of those books I'll probably read one or two more times in my life.

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Summary: An Extremely Important Book
Review: Their sure are some strange negative reviews and some very positive ones on this book. I am extremely positive on this book. Of course, the book is too wordy and has too many human interest stories for the accomplished reader. Have not these people learned to read more rapidly when they get it and more slowly when they don't? Look at what the author said and did. He said the subject needs to be understood by everybody--not just his professional colleagues. He selects a co-author that has the skills to make book accessible to the lay person.

Why is sleep important? In this book you will learn that you are probably shortening your life span by poor sleep. Accidents from poor sleep are about as serious as drugs and alcohol. There are sleep diseases that MD's are doing a poor job on--particularly apnea. Most parents are failing to protect their teen age children from serious health problems and school performance problems through careless guidance on sleep. People are damaging their careers by poor sleep. How could this not be an important book for the average person. Their is no reason that MD's should not read this book. They ought to at least go far enough into the subject that they start reading professionally and stop letting their patients die from the doctors lack of knowledge about sleep. The lack of citations in the book is missed by the accomplished, interested reader.

The discussion of chemical events that transpire during sleep helped me understand how to start managing my sleep problems. The detailed discussion about normal sleep is really excellent. He gives me a renewed understanding about learning how the healthy human body works by understanding disease. It so easy to forget that the study of disease is tightly related to understanding the healthy human.

The paperback edition not only has an index it has two excellent appendix. One lists all the worthy sleep centers in the USA. This alone could save many lives as their are so many MD's that are failing to diagnose sleep problems. The appendix that summarizes the various sleep disorders is excellent. Don't let a few goofy reviews distract you from seriously considering this book. I have reread some parts of this book several times. I have given several speeches largely based on this book. This is one of the ten most important books in recent decades.

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Summary: Packed with life-saving information!
Review: When a friend of mine recommended that I read this book, I was slightly doubtful. I didn't really believe that a book about sleep could be all that interesting. When I did get around to reading The Promise of Sleep, however, I was really pleasantly surprised. Dr. William Dement wrote this book in a manner that neither condescends to the reader, nor confuses him or her with overly technical terms, as one might expect from the world-renowned expert on sleep. It is friendly and amusing with entertaining anecdotes form Dr. Dement's career. In this respect, the book has some autobiographical aspects to it, allowing the reader to take a look into this fascinating man's life and work. One gets the sense that this book is intended for everyone who can read it, not only for people who can't sleep at night. The sleep patterns of people of all ages are discussed: infants, children, adolescents, pregnant women, the middle-aged, and the elderly. Dr. Dement makes it clear that sleep affects every area of our lives, and he does this by providing us with fascinating, but little-known, information. For example, in spite of the fact that 9 out if 10 people are either sleep-deprived or have a sleep disorder, a large number of these cases remain undiagnosed, because most doctors are untrained in this area. And sleepy drivers have a part in about a third of traffic accidents, but few people are aware of this. It makes the reader indignant to find out about this, and the author's anger shows through as well. After all, people are dying from sleep disorders, car accidents, and industrial disasters because the public is ignorant about sleep. The Promise of Sleep serves as a self-help book as well. I did not realize that I was sleep-deprived, or that sleep debt accumulates, until I read this book. The book includes a three-week plan to improve one's sleep. I actually tried it, and now sleep is a priority for me. As a result, my days are much more productive. This book was excellent. I would unhesitatingly recommend it to anyone, on the basis that it will change, and even save, lives. It would serve as a good gift, as well.