November 2001
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SLEEPING WELL: Reviewed by Lynne Lamberg |
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This book, targeted at general readers, covers
much the same ground as the authors' companion volume for libraries,
The
Encyclopedia of Sleep and Sleep Disorders, Second Edition.
Its first 75 pages provide a brief introduction
to the nature of sleep itself, and the most common causes of disturbed
sleep. Such problems include insomnia; snoring and sleep apnea; excessive
daytime sleepiness and narcolepsy; movement disorders during sleep,
such as restless legs syndrome; parasomnias, such as sleep terrors
and sleepwalking; and circadian rhythm disorders, such as jet lag
and sleep disturbances related to shift work. If you are sleeping poorly, the concise entries
may help you identify the cause, or better comprehend a diagnosis
made by your physician. Michael Thorpy, who directs the Sleep-Wake
Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York,
and Jan Yager, a medical sociologist and veteran reporter, include
an authoritative overview of current treatment in each section. The bulk of the book--some 200 pages--consists
of verbatim entries from the same alphabetic list of sleep topics
that appears in the library encyclopedia. The authors omitted only
a few of the technical descriptions of medications and case histories
designed for sleep specialists and students in the field. Appendices include articles and books for further reading, and Internet resources. This book overall amply supplies what its title promises. |
Copyright (c) 2001
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