Sleepyhead: The Neuroscience of a Good Night’s Rest

Science writer Nicholls (The Galápagos: A Natural History) uses his decades-long experiences with narcolepsy as a jumping-off point for this stimulating exploration of sleep. He relates his own condition, and the related one of cataplexy—an abrupt loss of muscle tone in response to strong emotion—to the more common experiences of insomnia and sleep apnea. Nichols is careful to ground readers in the history of research into REM and circadian rhythms, but takes more interest in new research, primarily concerning a certain kind of neurotransmitter, the hypocretin. As he reveals, a genetic study of narcoleptic dogs in the late 1990s suggested problems with the functioning of the hypocretins could be involved in multiple sleep disorders. Along the way, Nicholls shares a few dramatic cases—including one of a man who strangled his wife while both were sleeping—but avoids the traps of sensationalism and prurience by keeping his focus on himself and others whom he meets. Actual advice on better rest is modest and ranges from common sense, such as avoiding caffeine, to research-based but perhaps counterintuitive, such as sleep restriction as a treatment for insomnia. Everybody sleeps, and Nicholls’s entry into the genre of pop science books that use the unusual to illuminate the everyday has equally universal appeal. Agent: George Lucas, Inkwell. (Sept.)