Sleepyhead: Narcolepsy, Neuroscience and the Search for a Good Night

My son was recently diagnosed with Narcolepsy. This book offers good insight into this disorder in an easy to read format.

A young member of our family - our 6 year old granddaughter - was recently diagnosed with narcolepsy / cataplexy. It has wrought devastating changes on her and her parents and on the extended family. I wanted to find out all I could about this disease; and that is what it is, a disease, although we tend to opt for less dreadful sounding words, like condition, disorder or syndrome. In trying to educate myself about narcolepsy I have read reams of material and looked at video after video on the web - and there is very good information to be had there - and I have read Claire Crisp's book and Julie Flygare's too, both fine memoirs of their own experiences with narcolepsy. And then I came across "Sleepyhead", by Henry Nicholls, which I bought on Kindle.Clearly no single source of information would be enough to educate anyone on such a complicated disease as narcolepsy / cataplexy (usually referred to as Narcolepsy type 1). But if I had to limit myself to a single source it would be this book "Sleepyhead" .Henry Nicholls is a professional writer / science journalist and he has narcolepsy type 1. Rather than simply write solely about his own experience and how he coped with it, he recognised that narcolepsy is one of many sleep "disorders" (there's that word again) and that the subject of narcolepsy should be looked at under that larger umbrella. He takes us on a journey through the history of sleep disorders in general and of the very, very slow recognition of narcolepsy in particular as being anything at all, let alone a life compromising incurable disease. He tells this story with the clear ability and style of a professional writer of science subjects in a highly readable and often amusing but above all, informative way. It is a book that anyone who has any interest in popular science subjects would find extremely interesting and that anyone in any way touched by any sleep disorder and in particular with narcolepsy really has to read. Once you have read this book, by the way, you will know far more about narcolepsy than the vast majority of GPs and non-specialist hospital doctors. That might seem an outlandish statement - but it is absolutely true. This book should be on the medical student curriculum. But don't let that put you off. It's an easy, comfortable read and an inspirational achievement.

I have to come clean about not only participating in the content of this book but also being a close friend & colleague of the author and as much as I genuinely love this book, my family have one copy, which shows no sign of being returned and I donated my last copy to Oslo University Hospital.I think that's the best form of recommendation you can get.

Fascinating insight into the world of all sleep disorders

exerlent book. a lot of information but easy to read

Love this book. It’s the first one I’ve read about narcolepsy that isn’t just baffling me with neuroscience. Helped me understand my narcolepsy much better.