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  • The Nocturnal Brain

  • Nightmares, Neuroscience, and the Secret World of Sleep
  • Written by: Guy Leschziner
  • Narrated by: Guy Leschziner
  • Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (15 ratings)

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The Nocturnal Brain

Written by: Guy Leschziner
Narrated by: Guy Leschziner
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Publisher's Summary

This program is read by the author.

A renowned neurologist shares the true stories of people unable to get a good night’s rest in The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience, and the Secret World of Sleep, a fascinating exploration of the symptoms and syndromes behind sleep disorders. 

For Dr. Guy Leschziner’s patients, there is no rest for the weary in mind and body. Insomnia, narcolepsy, night terrors, apnea, and sleepwalking are just a sampling of conditions afflicting sufferers who cannot sleep - and their experiences in trying are the stuff of nightmares. Demoniac hallucinations frighten people into paralysis. Restless legs rock both the sleepless and their sleeping partners with unpredictable and uncontrollable kicking. Out-of-sync circadian rhythms confuse the natural body clock’s days and nights.  

Then there are the extreme cases. A woman in a state of deep sleep who gets dressed, unlocks her car, and drives for several miles before returning to bed. The man who has spent decades cleaning out kitchens while “sleep-eating”. The teenager prone to the serious, yet unfortunately nicknamed Sleeping Beauty Syndrome stuck in a cycle of excessive unconsciousness, binge eating, and uncharacteristic displays of aggression and hypersexuality while awake.  

With compassionate stories of his patients and their conditions, Dr. Leschziner illustrates the neuroscience behind our sleeping minds, revealing the many biological and psychological factors necessary in getting the rest that will not only maintain our physical and mental health, but improve our cognitive abilities and overall happiness.

©2019 Guy Leschziner (P)2019 Simon & Schuster UK

What listeners say about The Nocturnal Brain

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Hypersomnia

So wonderful that specialist are starting to talk more about hypersomnia. It can be a very debilitating condition, such as in my case. 14-32 hours sleep has not only knocked out my sense of time but with vivid dreams it can be hard at times to know which world I'd rather be in. I have no social, work, or future plans. I'm just here sleeping all the time.
To know it is a topic important enough to be in this book gives me hope.
regardless of my condition, I would say he covers a whole host of usual and the unusual and talks about what is known and not known about the brain (re: sleep, waking, dreams etc) in a manner that is easy to understand and is interesting.
I highly recommend and I've listened to it twice and bought the hard copy as well.

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Excellent Audiobook

I very much enjoyed this listen. Thoughtful and engaging throughout. Very accessible to a lay person. Will be recommending to all my friends who like to learn new things!

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