Sleep Disorders for Dummies

When the last dinner dishes have been put away and the evening news is over, most of us think about going to bed. But for the millions who suffer from a chronic sleep disorder, going to bed doesn’t necessarily mean going to sleep. And for millions more who experience occasional sleep disturbances, nighttime might not be such a picnic, either.

Now there’s an easy-to-follow guide to help you get a good night’s rest. Sleep Disorders For Dummies is for anyone who has trouble sleeping—or has a loved one who suffers from a sleep disorder. Written by a sleep specialist and a medical reporter, this no-nonsense guide helps you:

Prevent and manage sleep disorders

Improve your sleep habits

Find relief from your symptoms

Ask your doctor the right questions

Enhance the quality of sleep

This fact-packed guide walks you through the different types of sleep disorders, includin g sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome. You’ll discover the causes and symptoms of each disorder, the various medical conditions that can disrupt sleep, and the most common treatments. Plus, you’ll see how to use good nutrition and exercise to promote sounder sleep and avoid known sleep disrupters such as caffeine and problem foods. The authors also give you solid, reassuring advice on:

Finding the right doctor to diagnose and treat your sleep disorder

Managing stress and anxiety

Turning your bedroom into a sleep sanctuary

Choosing between the different types of sleep clinics

Handling sleep disorders in children

Featuring savvy tips on preventing jet lag, sleeping well if you work the night shift, and getting kids to bed without fuss, Sleep Disorders for Dummies will help you get your zzzzzzzzs!

Dr. Max Hirshkowitz, PhD, DABSM (Houston, TX) is the Clinical Director of the Methodist Diagnostic Hospital Sleep Disorders Laboratory in Houston, TX and also Director of the Sleep Disorders and Research Center of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). In addition, he serves as an Associate Professor in both the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. He is an elected Fellow of the American Sleep Disorders Association and in 1990, was certified as a Sleep Specialist by the American Board of Sleep Medicine. He received his Masters and Ph.D. in Psychology from Tufts University. Dr. Hirshkowitz serves on the editorial board for Sleep Medicine and Sleep Magazine. He is a member of the American Psychological Association, Association for the Study of Dreams, and Sleep Research Society. He has presented more than 200 lectures on sleep disorders throughout the world, including an address at the World Federation of Sleep Research in Dresden, Germany.

Patricia B. Smith (The Woodlands, TX) is a freelance medical writer who has been working for the Houston (now Austin) bureau of People Magazine since August of 1996. During her tenure, she has received the 1999 2nd place Henry Luce Award for co-reporting a People Magazine cover story on anorexia and the 1998 Peter Lisagor Award for co-reporting a People Magazine cover story on breast cancer. Ms. Smith is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis.