Handbook of Sleep Medicine - John M. Shneerson

Sleep medicine is a fast developing discipline, and clinical research is now benefiting patients with access to specialist centres. However, sleep disorders generally tend to be underdiagnosed, causing considerable morbidity.

Dr Shneerson provides a practical reference which will be invaluable for any physician faced with sleep–related problems, including neurologists, psychiatrists, respiratory and general physicians.

The first series of chapters over the fundamentals of sleep, including sleep assessment and the effect of drugs on sleep. This is followed by the main body of the book consisting of chapters on individual sleep disorders. Each of these chapters has a structured approach, outlining assessment and treatment. Insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, experience and awareness during sleep and behavioural abnormalities are all discussed. The final chapters deal with the respiratory consequences of upper–airway dysfunction, changes in the control of breathing during sleep and the social implications of sleep problems.

While the book is primarily clinical in approach, it also covers the science of sleep measurement, making it particularly useful to specialists in sleep medicine at all levels.