The Promise of Sleep

The Promise of Sleep, by William Dement and Christopher Vaughan

Dement is one of the leading sleep experts in the world. Along with Nathanial Kleitman and Gene Aserinsky, he discovered REM sleep in the mid 1950s, and has since gone on to found the Stanford Sleep Center, the world’s first sleep disorder clinic. This book is an easy introduction to the science of sleep, full of anecdotes about Dement’s experiences as a sleep science pioneer. However, the lack of source documentation, bibliography, and even an index, make it a frustrating tool at times.

Dement, William and Christopher Vaughan. The Promise of Sleep. New York: Delacourte, 1999.