Sleep Apnea Books

I am new to the field and these books have almost been a lifesaver for me. It is great for beginners, and more experienced techs also.

I was never an "asthmatic", but Buteyko has helped me with my athletic performance. Then I took an asthmatic girlfriend to a Buteyko class, and within hours she was able to learn how to reduce her meds (of 30 years) to half (under amazed doctor's supervision) while improving her performance. This is a revelation of previously known information that could be damaging to your pharmacist's income. Students of mainstream yoga and pilates will also rethink the huff-n-puff practice after reading this.

A wonderful resource describing the apnea experience from both the doctor's and patient's viewpoint. A must for anyone who snores!

The collection of writings provides insight into the early research done on the medical condition - sleep apnea. The writings are the product of a meeting hosted by the Kroc Foundation and edited by two of the great researchers on sleep disordered breathing from Stanford University - Drs. Christian Guilleminault and William C. Dement.

The papers in this book were written in 1977 when there two options for treating sleep apnea: inserting a tube in the throat below the upper airway (a trach) or radical weight loss (800 calories a day). We have come a very long way in 30 short years.

Of some interest is one of the co-authors on one essay - Colin E. Sullivan, who would, four years later, author a study on a new device that showed great promise in relieving the suffering from sleep apnea - continuous positive airway prressure (CPAP) and that changed everything.

It is a must have for those interested in the history of medical research on sleep apnea.

This excellent book about snoring and related sleep disorders is written by an ENT surgeon. Although it contains specific medical terminology, it is written in a very humorous fashion, complete with some cartoons. It is quite thorough, and will help guide the reader to appropriate snoring interventions.

This was a very honest book about snoring and the problems it causes. I snore and I know I snore loud. Girlfriends, family, and roommates have suffered greatly as a result. I liked this book because the author was very honest about his snoring problem and the problems it creates for others. It is a short book and does not take long to read. I also enjoyed how the author fairly evaluated the many "so called" snoring treatments out there. Masks, surgery, nose strips, tennis balls, all "supposed" cures which did not work for the author or most snorers. Sadly the author had no answers to cure snoring and unfortunately that is the reality. However, kudos for the author for openly discussing a problem many of us suffer from but are embarrassed to talk about.

Almost everyone has occassional problems with sleep, and of course some people have serious problems. This book is directed at both groups. It is divided into four parts. The first is a series of questionaires, the second is related to how sleep affects your weight, the third is a 28-day "boot camp" to help you sleep better, and the last deals with sleeping pills.
The author gives some interesting statistics early in the book, pointing out that the average American gets 6.8 hours of sleep on weekdays, and 7.4 hour on weekends, for an average of 6.9 hours. He points out, however, that not only is the amount of sleep you get important, but also its quality. (As everyone knows, it is possible to get 8 hours of sleep and still feel unrefreshed.) He emphasizes that stress is one of the major things that stops you from getting enough sleep, and he also discusses the role that caffeine plays. With many of the topics he gives a quiz along with a suggested plan of action.
Something I haven't seen in other sleep books is a detailed discussion of the importance of your mattress in relation to sleep. He dispels some of the myths, and also makes several suggestions on how to select a mattress. Another chapter that is quite different is one on the relationship between lack of sleep and weight gain. He gives some valuable insights into this problem, and it is a topic that has got considerable media interest lately.
One of the central features of the book comes in part three, namely, a "sleep boot camp." It is a 28-day program that would be particularly useful for anyone suffering from sleep problems. Some of the things emphasized in it are: establishing how much sleep you need, developing a better bedtime routine, and preparing your body for bed. One of the best suggestions, however, is to keep a sleep diary, and to use it effectively.
Finally, he has an excellent discussion of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), and points out that if properly used, it is more effective than sleeping pills.
Overall, the book is up-to-date, and it definitely fills a need. It is shorter than William Dement's classic book "The Promise of Sleep," and covers many of the same topics, but it does cover things that Dement's book does not. The author's writing style is personal, easy-to-read, and interesting, and he uses a lot of examples from his practise. The book is filled with "boxes" containing tips about sleep that are quite useful. One slight drawback is his lack of diagrams; he could use more.
Barry Parker, author of "Feel Great Feel Alive."

pls note that the author is not a psychiatrist or neorologist, the book is a big promotion for his own consulting business, you read about how good he is rather than how you could have a good night, 'no more sleepless night', though a bit dated, is better by far

Surely all of us, at one time or another, have gone a few rounds with insomnia. When you've had trouble sleeping, you drag yourself out of bed in the morning feeling all achy and exhausted, just as if you had been in the ring battling an opponent all night. In his book Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health, Dr. Breus coaches you on all the effective ways to overcome insomnia - ways that many of us would never even think of! - and put it down for the count. I found his book expertly written in a conversational and friendly style with suggestions and instructions that are easy to understand and follow.

Part I of the book is called "Quick-Fix Sleep Solutions" and includes the first four chapters. You know what a bad night's sleep is, but what exactly is a good night's sleep? In chapter one, Dr. Breus explains enough about the science of sleep to give you a good foundation for understanding how and why a good night's sleep is necessary to feeling good and looking younger. Chapter two introduces you to the "Three Most Troublesome Culprits in Disordered Sleep...and How to Conquer Them." (If you guessed that caffeine is one of the three, you're right; however, the third culprit might surprise you!) The discussion in chapter three is about the people in your life - your partner, children, and business associates - and how you can manage the disruptions in sleep they may cause. Chapter four is "The Extreme (but Easy!) Bedroom Makeover" and is one of my favorite chapters. In it you learn how to make small changes in the bedroom that add up to a big difference, enabling you to improve your quality of sleep!

"Part II: From Waistlines to Face Lines: You Are What You Sleep" includes chapters five, six, and seven. Did you know that a poor night's sleep can undermine your diet, exercise, or combination weight-loss program? The first chapter in part two discusses how the body chemistry behind a good night's sleep can not only enhance your weight-loss, but acts as a "cosmetic medicine" that empowers your cells to rejuvenate and reverse the damage caused by age, stress, environment, and other factors. Chapter six talks about the important role played by quality sleep in the areas of exercise and sex, and how the right kind of sleep can not only perk up your love life, it can enhance those intimate moments with your partner. If you have ever thought that a nap in the afternoon was a good idea, chapter seven will show you how right you are, and Dr Breus explores different types of naps to help you choose the one that will deliver just the right amount of rest and energy without adversely impacting your sleep that night.

Part III launches the remarkable four-week program, "28 Nights to Sound Sleep Forever" developed by Dr. Breus. Chapter eight takes you step-by-step through the first week of his comprehensive and detailed program to improve your rejuvenating, regenerating sleep. He leads you through a series of small changes from scheduling sleep time to relaxation techniques while you keep a Sleep Diary to record your reactions. Evaluation is the keyword for chapter nine; here you will take the second week to review your Sleep Diary entries from the previous chapter so that you may evaluate the effectiveness of each change, and try some new techniques if you need to. You also receive friendly reminders that help you to stay on track. Weeks three and four of the program comprise chapter ten; here you finalize and follow your personalized sleep program by combining and practicing all the bedtime routine, relaxation, and other techniques that worked well for you.

"The Sleep Aid Industry" is the topic of Part IV of the book. Dr Breus answers a few common questions concerning sleep-aid supplements and pharmaceuticals. As a holistic practitioner myself, I especially value this information about the hazards of using medications or other "quick fix" techniques in attempting to attain quality, restful sleep. To close, The Sleep Doctor offers some excellent guidelines to follow in order to reap the benefits of a completely natural night's sleep for business and vacation travelers, and people who work evening or night shifts.

The two appendices at the end of the book include a reminder list in outline format along with Sleep Diary charts, and a list of additional resources.

I am delighted to have this book in my toolkit to recommend to stress-management clients as well as to other holistic practitioners. You can learn more about Dr. Breus and his book Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health, by visiting his website www.soundsleepsolutions.com . You will find many articles about a variety of sleep problems, and you may also subscribe to his free "Sleep eNewzzzletter!" You should also visit "The Insomnia Blog" http://www.theinsomniablog.com/ where you may find not only great posts to read, but you can listen to several podcasts of Dr. Breus sharing his expertise in order to help you to overcome your sleep problems!

After more than 25 years of insomnia I've read my share of books on sleep and this is by far the best.

It provides a great guide to sleep hygiene which includes everything from choosing the best mattress, to sound proofing your room, developing good bedtime habits and understanding your own issues.

The book is full of handy quizzes that help you identify problem areas and provides comprehensive solutions for you to address these issues and get a good night's sleep. The book is full of examples and helpful tips and includes worksheets for you to record your sleep during the four week program.

If you're impatient to jump into the 4 week program you can start that immediately but I would strongly recommend reading the preceding chapters so you can eliminate problems from light, noise, pets, uncomfortable pillows and the like.

Good Night covers all the basics of getting a good night sleep, including recommendations on snacks to help you get to sleep and ideas for decorating your room to minimise distractions.

The book distinguishes between disordered sleeping and sleep disorders covering off the common sleep disorders and how they are diagnosed. The pros and cons of various remedies including sleeping pills and alternative remedies are also covered.

For anyone interested in weight loss or wanting to look younger or remove those black circles under the eyes, Good Night tells you why sleep might be interfering with your energy, appetite and appearance as well as providing guidelines to look and feel younger healthier and slimmer. What could be better?

If you're not getting a good night's sleep, and conventional ideas haven't worked, then GOOD NIGHT: THE SLEEP DOCTOR'S 4-WEEK PROGRAM TO BETTER SLEEP AND BETTER HEALTH takes the next step. It comes from a Senior VP of Clinical Operations at a sleep clinic on the cutting edge of sleep research, and offers up a survey which outlines 6 common reasons for sleep disturbance, how to fix short-term and long-term problems, and how to refine the art of napping. Any sleep-deprived sufferer needs this.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Great book.....very informative, answers most of your questions on this involved subject, especially if you are newly diagnosed and confused. Most information is dead on, and worth a read.

A must-have book for anyone who has been diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. All of the questions that you will forget to ask your doctor will be answered somewhere in this informative volume. Also great if someone close to you has apnea. This book should be included with every CPAP machine at delivery.

MRM

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea recently. A sleep specialist friend recommended this book and I must say it is full of solid information that is useful in understanding sleep apnea. I particularly appreciated the section where many questions, concerns, difficulties about sleep apnea and the CPAP machines are discussed. Rather than always having to contact my sleep center doctor or the medical equipment company, answers were found in this book. I would buy it again or suggest to anyone with sleep apnea.

I was so happy when I found this book online, after many weeks of researching. However, the book was a real disappointment. I am an educator at the college level, and believe me, this is nothing more than a textbook.
For whom, I am not sure since the subject of sleep apnea is not taught in mainstream classes in colleges or universities. It is misrepresented in the synopsis/summary of what to expect. If I would have wanted a "textboook" I would have gone to the college bookstore. It was money wasted because any of the "medical" and "technical" info included in it can be easily accessed on the internet. It provided no alternative ideas, information or treatments. I wish I could send it back for a refund!

I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and use CPAP. In order to be more involved with my own treatment I purchased four books on the subject to gain as much insight as possible. This is without a doubt the most informative. It describes the condition, compares it to normal sleep patterns and gives nearly encyclopedic information on treatments and what you can do to help yourself. I highly recommend this book.

Even though this book has many typos the information and the way it reads makes up for them. I learned a lot!

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting an introduction to Sleep Studies. It starts out very basic and advances to the more complex. The author has it written in small learning blocks which I thinks is a fantastic way to learn. I would like to thank Dr. Kilkenny for taking the time to write a super Fundamental text. Jim Burgin, MA, RRT, CPFT

I AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS REVIEWERS THAT THE TEXT NEEDS SOME REVIEW BUT I AM UNAWARE OF ANY OTHER TEXT THAT COMPLETELY DEALS WITH THE FIELD OF POLYSOMNOGRAPHY. AFTER READING THE TEXT AND THE WORKBOOK I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT IN TAKING THE BOARDS. ANY MORE PROJECTS FROM THE AUTHOR?

The good outweighs the bad as proposed by another reviewer. I agree the proofreader(if there was any) was out to lunch. But the content was easy to understand and was varied in the subject matter enough to know the basics. The workbook is better with 200+ test-like questions and enough scoring epochs to help you find staging and events. These were just a couple of the books I used to pass the Dec 2003 registry the first time. A lab could buy these and the information would be relevant for years to come.

Of the dozen or so texts I've read on polysomnography, this book has the most user-friendly layout. Each subject is dealt with quickly and clearly.
However, the writing style (as well as the type-setting) is totally uninspiring. Spelling and punctuation errors sometimes make for misleading/unclear statements. Many statements/conclusions are inferrential or lack necessary support. The order of statements (within each paragraph) is often suboptimal.
Some of the discussions, particularly with regards to electronics, are not thorough enough to transmit anything other than a superficial understanding of the subject. Much of this information seems clipped or paraphrased from other materials I have read. In many cases, this transplantation lacks fidelity to what I believe are the original sources; and to the heart of the subject matter.
However, don't let the negatives dissuade you from buying this book. This book contains info all techs should master in their 1st year. There is nothing in this book which lacks direct application. There is, however, much more to know than that which is included in this text.
Overall, this is an excellent introduction to, and a great handbook for the quick recovery of, the essential concepts of polysomnography. This edition is like a first draft to what may become an essential textbook... if the author ever gets around to fixing the mistakes.

What a page turner! The author's breathless prose and the plot's building pressure kept me gasping for more. I can't wait to read Philip M Parker's other books.

I might have found this book to be a useful reference, had sleep apnea been new to me. Having advanced questions, I felt disappointed. I failed to note that the author has written Official Sourcebooks about a remarkable variety of disorders. I would prefer a book by a physician. The reader might do as well with a web search.

This book definitely serves as a great tool for new patients. It not only points to the right sources of information on this disease, but also helps in finding contacts with people suffering with this disease (support groups, etc).

This is useful background reading for all patients and docs who have or work with sleep apnea. For patients, it is helpful understanding cases that are either mild or severe. The advanced portion of the book is well written, easy to understand, and very up to date. Very useful!