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Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep by David K. Randall


“Dreamland" is a fun journey through the little known world of sleep. Senior reporter and adjunct professor of journalism at New York University, David K. Randall relays a series of stories, and recent research that will help readers gain a better understanding and appreciation for the impact of sleep. This interesting popular-science 291-page book includes the following thirteen chapters: 1. I Know What You Did Last Night, 2. Light My Fire, 3. Between the Sheets, 4. And Baby Makes Three, 5. What Dreams May Come, 6. Sleep on It, 7. The Weapon “Z�, 8. Bumps in the Night, 9. Game Time, 10. Breathe Easy, 11. Counting Sheep, 12. Mr. Sandman, and Good Night.

Positives:
1. A well-researched and well-written book. A touch of humor, wit and lively research.
2. The fascinating and often overlooked subject of sleep. “Sleep is so important, yet so poorly understood.�
3. The book flows very well. Randall has done a very good job of combining sound research, lively stories and practical information into one interesting and accessible book.
4. Goes through the five stages of sleep. “The final stage is REM sleep, so named because of the rapid movements of your eyes dancing against your eyelids. In this type of sleep, the brain is as active as it is when it is awake. This is when most dreams occur.�
5. Ancient beliefs in sleep. “The immortal family tree made this clear: Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep, was the twin brother of Thanatos, the god of death, and their mother was the goddess of night.�
6. Book shares many interesting tidbits on sleep. “Maintaining a healthy sleep schedule is now thought of as one of the best forms of preventative medicine.�
7. Explains the differences between sleep today and of our ancestors, and why that is. “Too much artificial light can stop the body from releasing melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep.�
8. Mind-blowing findings. “If a woman lived in a place where it was bright enough outside to read a book at midnight, she had a 73 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer than a peer who lived in a neighborhood that remained dark after the sun went down.�
9. A look at fatigue management. “Work schedules that recognize the importance of sleep and the constraints of the human body can also save lives.�
10. The changing attitudes of sharing a bed with spouse or loved one explored.
11. Good advice on how to get children to sleep. Different philosophies explored.
12. Investigations into dreams. “Dement’s discovery that the brain is as active during REM sleep as it is when a person is awake transformed sleep research.�
13. Dreaming and its relation to creative thought, is there something to it? “That sleep—especially REM sleep—could be a time when the mind solves a problem makes intuitive sense.�
14. The impact of sleep. “Success depended on practice, plus a night of sleep.� “Companies such as Google, Nike, Procter & Gamble, and Cisco Systems have installed designated napping areas in their offices. The idea is that naps may allow engineers and designers to arrive at creative solutions more quickly than they would by staying awake all day.�
15. My favorite chapter, The Weapon “Z�. “No drug or procedure has been found to replicate and replace the benefits of sleep. It is unlikely that there ever will be. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency—the Pentagon division responsible for the invention of the Internet and the stealth bomber—concluded as much in 2007 after many tries.�
16. The fascinating topic of sleepwalking; a look at court cases. “When someone is sleepwalking, the parts of the brain that control movement and spatial awareness are awake, while the parts of the brain responsible for consciousness are still asleep.�
17. An interesting look at the circadian rhythm. “By picking the West Coast team every time, someone would have beaten the point spread 70 percent of the time. For gamblers in Las Vegas, the matchup was as good as found money.�
18. Sleep disorders, sleep apnea. “A 1992 report by the National Commission on Sleep Disorders estimated that sleep apnea was the cause of thirty-eight thousand fatal heart attacks and strokes in the United States each year.� “It was then given the name apnea, from the Greek word for breathless.
19. The truth behind the sleeping industry; pharmaceuticals and mattresses. “At the same time, the temperature of the feet and hands increases as the body gives off heat through its periphery, which explains why some people like to have their feet sticking out of the covers as they fall asleep.�
20. A formal bibliography included.


Negatives:
1. Randall acknowledges that sleep science is in its infancy but the book does lack scientific rigor.
2. Lack of supplementary material. Charts, diagrams would have complemented the narrative.
3. Lack citations a must for any popular science book.
4. I was expecting to learn a lot more than I did.
5. Some missed opportunities. I would have added a chapter on how different populations sleep in a chart format.

In summary, this is a solid popular-science book on sleep. It’s amazing how little we know on such an important part of our lives. Randall does a commendable job of sharing what we know about sleep through stories that combine the latest in research and a touch of wit. Two main quibbles: lack of citations and lack of scientific rigor. A recommended read.

Further recommendations: “The Twenty-Four Hour Mind� by Rosalind Cartwright, “The Secret World of Sleep� by Penelope A. Lewis, “The Secret Life of Sleep� by Kat Duff, “Sleep: A Very Short Introduction� by Steven W. Lockley, “Sleep: A Closer Look at the Damaging Effects of Sleep deprivation on Health and Wellbeing� by Joey Lott, and “Incognito� by David Eagleman.