Primary Care in Sleep Medicine: A Practical Guide, edited by James F. Pagel and S. R. Pandi-Perumal, is an important book coming at an important time for the increasing number of patients with sleep disorders who are seen in primary care practices. The importance of primary care physicians having more in-depth education and training in sleep medicine has been emphasized in the Institute of Medicine report, “Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation—An Unmet Public Health Problem,” issued in April 2006. This landmark report estimates that 50 to 70 million Americans chronically suffer from a sleep disorder that interferes with their daily function and has long-term adverse effects on their health and quality of life. Lack of sleep can lead to increased rates of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack, and stroke. In addition, one-fifth of all serious car accidents are associated with driver sleepiness. The Institute of Medicine report, after carefully examining and reporting on the evidence, concluded that increased awareness and training in the field of sleep disorders for primary care physicians is urgently needed to help address the increasing unmet needs of large numbers of patients with sleep disorders. Primary Care in Sleep Medicine: A Practical Guide is an excellent book that should help to meet this important need.
