Insomnia is a sleep disorder that affects people worldwide. This text provides those with sleep problems or chronic insomnia an overview of research on the causes of sleep loss and the physical effects of insomnia, as well as possible treatments. Disorders are summarized and illustrated with real-life stories about sleep experiences and remedies. This is a concise guide to help readers improve their sleep habits and lives.

Phyllis L. Brodsky has been a nurse, hospital clinical educator, and university instructor, and has authored articles and chapters in journals and manuals. She lives in Berlin, Maryland.

Allen Brodsky is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He lives in Berlin, Maryland.

Elaine A. Moore has worked in hospital laboratories for more than 30 years, primarily in immunohematology and toxicology. She is a freelance medical writer and laboratory consultant. For more information, visit her website at www.elaine-moore.com. She lives in Sedalia, Colorado.

Phyllis L. Brodsky and Allen Brodsky

Series Editor Elaine A. Moore

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 202
Bibliographic Info: 3 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2011
pISBN: 978-0-7864-5971-1
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8564-2
Imprint: McFarland
Series: McFarland Health Topics

Acknowledgments      v
Foreword by David N. Neubauer, M.D.      1
Preface      3
Introduction      5

1. What Is Insomnia?      7
2. Normal Sleep      14
3. The Authors’ Stories      25
4. Sleep Patterns Throughout the Life Cycle      44
5. Sleep Disorders and Underlying Pathologies      67
6. Selected Stories from Surveys and Interviews      79
7. Parasomnias      111
8. The Consequences of Insomnia      124
9. Management of Insomnia      129
10. Composite Analyses of Symptoms, Causes, Effects, and Remedies for Insomnia      140
11. Conclusions and Recommendations      166

Appendix: Questionnaire Package      173
Chapter Notes      179
Selected Bibliography      187
About the Authors      189
Index      191

• “this well-written guide is a timely and valuable resource”—ARBA
• “use[s] a conversational writing style and a sense of humor to overview causes, effects, and treatments of insomnia…highlighting the diversity of sleep patterns and sleep disorders in the general population”—Reference & Research Book News