The Mystery of Sleep: Why a Good Night’s Rest Is Vital to a Better, Healthier Life

352 Pages·2017·4.71 MB·English

by  Meir Kryger M.D.

The Mystery of Sleep
The Mystery of Sleep
Why a Good Night’s Rest Is Vital to a
Better, Healthier Life
MEIR KRYGER, M.D.
Yale
UNIVERSITY PRESS
New Haven and London
The information and suggestions contained in this book are not intended to
replace the services of your physician or caregiver. Because each person and
each medical situation is unique, you should consult your own physician to get
answers to your personal questions, to evaluate any symptoms you may have, or
to receive suggestions for appropriate medications.
The author has attempted to make this book as accurate and up-to-date as
possible, but it may nevertheless contain errors, omissions, or material that is out
of date at the time you read it. Neither the author nor the publisher has any legal
responsibility or liability for errors, omissions, out-of-date material, or the
reader’s application of the medical information or advice contained in this book.
Published with assistance from the foundation established in memory of Amasa
Stone Mather of the Class of 1907, Yale College.
Copyright © 2017 by Meir Kryger, M.D.
All rights reserved.
This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in
any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S.
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Designed by Sonia L. Shannon.
Set in Electra type by Integrated Publishing Solutions.
Printed in the United States of America.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016952688
ISBN 978-0-300-22408-5 (hardcover : alk. paper)
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992 (Permanence of
Paper).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is dedicated to my wife, Barbara, and my children,
Shelley and Jason, Michael and Emily, and Steven
Sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleave of care, The death of each day’s life, sore
labour’s bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, Chief nourisher
in life’s feast.
—SHAKESPEARE, MACBETH (2.2.48–51)
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
PART ONE. A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP
Chapter 1. Why Do We Sleep?
Chapter 2. Sleep Requirements in the Life Stages
Chapter 3. The Reproductive Years
Chapter 4. Pregnancy and Postpartum
Chapter 5. When Sex Hormone Levels Decrease: Menopause and Andropause
PART TWO. DO I HAVE A SLEEP PROBLEM?
Chapter 6. How to Identify a Sleep Problem
Chapter 7. Secondhand Sleep Problems
Chapter 8. Resetting the Body Clock
Chapter 9. A World That Never Sleeps
PART THREE. CAN’T SLEEP, CAN’T STAY AWAKE
Chapter 10. Insomnia
Chapter 11. Restless Legs Syndrome
Chapter 12. Sleep Apnea
Chapter 13. Narcolepsy
Chapter 14. Fear of Sleeping and Other Unusual Ailments
Chapter 15. Medical Conditions That Affect Sleep
Chapter 16. Psychiatric Disorders That Affect Sleep
Chapter 17. Medications That Contribute to Sleep Disorders
PART FOUR. GETTING HELP
Chapter 18. At the Sleep Clinic
Chapter 19. Beating Insomnia Without Pills
Chapter 20. Medications That Treat Sleep Disorders
Chapter 21. Time for Bed
Bibliography
Illustration Credits
Index
Preface
SLEEP HAS ALWAYS BEEN a mystery to me. Almost two decades ago, a woman
with narcolepsy and I were interviewed on a live radio program about the impact
of sleep disorders on daily life. A couple of hours later, when I was back in my
office, I received a phone call from a literary agent, who asked me how sleep
disorders affected women. As we chatted, it became obvious that the general
public did not appreciate that women suffer from many sleep problems that men
do not, and that because of the variety of roles they play in society, sleep
disorders affect women differently from the way they do men. I had written or
edited several books about sleep for doctors. It was time for a book for women;
this was born in 2004. Now, in this new book, I explore the impact of sleep
disorders on the entire family and society.
Although sleep disorders are common and there has been an upsurge of
interest in them in the past few years, millions of people still suffer from the
effects of undiagnosed sleep problems. The National Sleep Foundation estimates
that up to 47 million American adults may be putting themselves at risk for
injury and health and behavior problems because they are not getting enough
sleep. The National Institutes of Health estimates that between 50 and 70 million
Americans of all ages have sleep-related problems, including insomnia and sleep
apnea.
In the mid-1970s, when I reported one of the first cases in North America of
what eventually became known as sleep apnea, I thought I was describing a rare
condition. In the next two decades it became apparent that sleep apnea was as
common as asthma, and it affects millions of people worldwide. The condition
was not new, but people who had it were being misdiagnosed and treated for the
wrong conditions. Sleep apnea and other sleep-breathing disorders were seen as
problems of overweight men who snore and were thought to be rare or even
nonexistent in women. Until 1993 few doctors even looked for sleep apnea
among women in the general population. It has since become clear that at least 2
percent of all adult women have sleep apnea. Just as men who had sleep apnea
went undiagnosed for many years, until recently women with sleep apnea were
misdiagnosed and often treated for other conditions such as depression.
More attention must be given to sleep disorders, which can cause misery and
even death. Treatment is often delayed because a patient’s sleep problems are