Integrative Sleep Medicine

Sleep is one of the key underpinnings of human health yet sleep deprivation and impaired sleep are rampant in modern life. Sleep and wake are a true yin yang phenomenon, each affecting the other and together forming a harmonious whole. Healthy sleep is a whole-body process impacted by circadian rhythm, daily activities, and emotional well-being, among others. When properly aligned, these work in concert to produce restorative and refreshing sleep. When not in balance, however, sleep disorders result. Yet too often, the conventional medical approach to treatment of sleep disorders is compartmentalized, failing to recognize all of the complex interactions that are involved. The first book in its field, Integrative Sleep Medicine offers a true comprehensive approach to sleep and sleep disorders by delineating the many factors that interplay into healthy sleep. Health care practitioners can learn how to better manage their patients with sleep disorders by integrating complementary and conventional approaches. Using an evidence-based approach throughout, this book describes the basics of normal sleep, then delves into the foundations of integrative sleep medicine, including the circadian rhythm, mind-body sleep connection, light, dreaming, the gastrointestinal system, and botanicals and supplements. Specific sleep issues and disorders are then addressed from an integrative perspective, including insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, sleep related movement disorders, and parasomnias.