We may spend up to one-third of our lives asleep--but there is no rest for the brain. On the contrary, sleeping is a time of continual, spontaneous brain activity largely independent of external stimuli. Through a brilliant examination of recent studies of sleep patterns, dreaming, and disorders such as insomnia, J. Allan Hobson reveals that we know about the physical basis of human consciousness and dispels many myths about sleeping.

Sleep, Used [Paperback]