Counting sheep : the science and pleasures of sleep and dreams

A brilliant overview of that most vital, most underrated and most elusive of human activities, sleep. Using the approach and skills he deployed to such successful effect on the relationship between mind and body in the prize-winning `The Sickening Mind', likeable British popular science author Paul Martin here tackles the science of that most mysterious, elusive and alluring of human activities, sleeping, and draws on both cutting-edge neuroscience and classic literature to do so. We spend one third of our lives asleep, but know hardly anything about it, and can remember so little of it as we come out of it. Why? Are dreams the place we go to resolve our problems, emasculate our fears and rehearse our hopes? Why are we paralysed when we dream? Why did sleep evolve? And is anybody getting enough sleep?