Exploring the sociological aspects of sleep and their links to current health debates, this unique text discusses why sleep has been so neglected in sociological literature and examines significant modern issues such as: the 24-hour society sleep and work homelessness dream analysis the medicalization and commodification of sleep. Written by a key international figure in medical sociology, this is the first sociological examination of sleep, making it important reading for academics and advanced students of medical sociology, health studies, and sociology, as well as for professionals and policy makers involved in the area.

This book summarises the epidemiological evidence linking sleep deprivation and disruption to several chronic conditions, and explores the public health implications with the view to developing preventive strategies.

Clinical practice related to sleep problems and sleep disorders has been expanding rapidly in the last few years, but scientific research is not keeping pace. Sleep apnea, insomnia, and restless legs syndrome are three examples of very common disorders for which we have little biological information. This new book cuts across a variety of medical disciplines such as neurology, pulmonology, pediatrics, internal medicine, psychiatry, psychology, otolaryngology, and nursing, as well as other medical practices with an interest in the management of sleep pathology. This area of research is not limited to very young and old patientsâ€"sleep disorders reach across all ages and ethnicities. Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation presents a structured analysis that explores the following: Improving awareness among the general public and health care professionals. Increasing investment in interdisciplinary somnology and sleep medicine research training and mentoring activities. Validating and developing new and existing technologies for diagnosis and treatment. This book will be of interest to those looking to learn more about the enormous public health burden of sleep disorders and sleep deprivation and the strikingly limited capacity of the health care enterprise to identify and treat the majority of individuals suffering from sleep problems.

Analyzes and critiques how sleep and sleep disorders are understood and treated.

In the spring of 2002,childhood friends, Violet Monroe and Terran Ingram are headed home from their first year in college. It has been an eventful year; Terran has become the new beauty queen on campus and Violet well....Then of course there was the 9/11 attack on America. Both are returning home with thoughts of reuniting with their other best friend, Joey, very rich and underachieving and madly in love with Terran. Their hopes of a carefree summer are dashed forever by the events that take place. Violet is forced to re-examine her world. She discovers cold truths about the state of her parent's marriage. She watches Terran submit to her mother's ambitions by suppressing her misery in a twisted romance with Joey. Both learn that despite having been in love with Terran for years She is not what Joey really wants. With the help of Brandon, Joey's charismatic cousin, who is visiting for the summer, Violet begins to understand the nature of choices. Things change and relationships die.

Although humans slumber for approximately one third of our lives, sleep itself is vastly understudied. This volume provides a comparative frame through which we can understand the myriad ways in which sleep reflects and embodies culture as contributors examine aspects of sleep in various countries and contexts.

"Sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life, wellness, and longevity ... An explosion of scientific discoveries in the last twenty years has shed new light on this fundamental aspect of our lives. Now ... neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker gives us a new understanding of the vital importance of sleep and dreaming"--Amazon.com.

AN ESSENTIAL NEW RESOURCE ON A FUNDAMENTAL DETERMINANT OF HEALTH Sleep, along with the sleep-related behaviors that impact sleep quality, have emerged as significant determinants of health and well-being across populations. An emerging body of research has confirmed that sleep is strongly socially patterned, following trends along lines of socioeconomic status, race, immigration status, age, work, and geography. The Social Epidemiology of Sleep serves as both an introduction to sleep epidemiology and a synthesis of the most important and exciting research to date, including: - An introduction to sleep epidemiology, including methods of assessment and their validity, the descriptive epidemiology of sleep patterns and disorders, associations with health, and basic biology - What we know about the variation of sleep patterns and disorders across populations, including consideration of sleep across the lifespan and within special populations - Major social determinants of sleep (including socioeconomic status, immigration status, neighborhood contexts, and others) based on the accumulated research With editors from both population science and medicine, combined with contributions from psychology, sociology, demography, geography, social epidemiology, and medicine, this text codifies a new field at the intersection of how we sleep and the social and behavioral factors that influence it.

Why has sleep become increasingly politicized in contemporary society? This book provides an account of the politics of sleep in the late modern age. The future of sleep has become contested and uncertain: something to be defended, downsized or even perhaps (one day) done away with altogether.

Sleep and Health provides an accessible yet comprehensive overview of the relationship between sleep and health at the individual, community and population levels, as well as a discussion of the implications for public health, public policy and interventions. Based on a firm foundation in many areas of sleep health research, this text further provides introductions to each sub-area of the field and a summary of the current research for each area. This book serves as a resource for those interested in learning about the growing field of sleep health research, including sections on social determinants, cardiovascular disease, cognitive functioning, health behavior theory, smoking, and more. - Highlights the important role of sleep across a wide range of topic areas - Addresses important topics such as sleep disparities, sleep and cardiometabolic disease risk, real-world effects of sleep deprivation, and public policy implications of poor sleep - Contains accessible reviews that point to relevant literature in often-overlooked areas, serving as a helpful guide to all relevant information on this broad topic area