Physiology in Sleep

Physiology in Sleep provides the physiological definition of sleep and presents the philosophical approach to sleep that departs from pharmacological and neurophysiological theories of sleep. This book discusses the effects of sleep on cardiovascular and respiratory function, cerebral metabolism and blood flow, as well as temperature regulation. Comprised of eight chapters, this text starts with an overview of the cardiovascular changes that occur during sleep and its direct relevance to human physiology and disease. This book then explores the variety of sleep stages, characteristics, and possible functions. Other chapters consider the evidence of nychtohemeral rhythmicity in man's hormones that subserve growth, maturation, nurture, reproduction, mineral metabolism, energy regulation, adaptation, and survival. This book further discusses the gastric, esophageal, and intestinal functioning during sleep. The final chapter explores the sleep apnea syndromes and some examples of the sudden infant death syndrome. This book is intended for readers seeking a detailed account of physiology in sleep.