Handbook of Sleep Research

Sleep is a complex brain and body phenomenon that impacts numerous biological functions. It is a dynamic process actively generated by various brain regions, and is critical for normal motor and cognitive functioning, contributing to increased attention and improved decision making. In addition to regulating organ systems throughout the body, sleep is also responsible for a number of changes in the brain, and it likely plays key roles in brain development, emotional processing, and memory consolidation. Although researchers do not fully understand the functions of sleep, the past decade has seen major advances in our understanding of the possible functions subserved by various sleep stages, as well as in our understanding of sleep states and the mechanistic control of sleep and waking. Handbook of Sleep Research provides a comprehensive review of the current status of the neuroscience of sleep research. It begins with an overview of the neural, hormonal, and genetic mechanisms of sleep and wake regulation before outlining the various proposed functions of sleep and the role it plays in plasticity and in learning and memory. Finally, the book discusses disorders of sleep and waking, covering both lifestyle factors that cause disrupted sleep and psychiatric and neurological conditions that contribute to disorders.

• Emphasizes a comparative and multi-disciplinary approach to the topic of sleep
• Covers the neurobiology and physiology of sleep stages, mechanisms of waking, and dreaming
• Discusses in detail the proposed functions of sleep, from health and rest to memory consolidation and synaptic plasticity
• Examines the current state of research in mammalian and non-mammalian species, ranging from primates to invertebrates
• Outlines methodologies of sleep research and discusses relevant animal models of sleep disturbances to aid researchers in their own work