"A charming analogy... [Nicholls] covers some fascinating material, from the rare prion-driven disease known as fatal familial narcolepsy to the potentially atavistic nature of cataplexy."―Science
"Brilliantly clear and enthusiastic... Henry Nicholls manages to combine detail with passion."―David Shukman, BBC
"The most in-depth and accessible insight into narcolepsy that I've come across."―Dan Collins, Fresh Tracks
"A thoughtful examination ... thought-provoking, and Nicholls arranges his material expertly, blending the personal the scientific ... an important book about an overlooked side of human experience."
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Big Issue"Blends personal stories, historic accounts, scientific investigations, and literary references in an engaging chronicle of humanity's quest to understand what sleep is, why it's important for health, and how, as Nicholls writes, 'the pace of modern society poses many threats to the quantity and quality' of it.
Sleepyhead is full of surprising and fascinating information about a host of sleep issues, ranging from rare circadian rhythm disorders to the much more common sleep apnea, which put sleep disorders medicine on the map."―
Project Sleep "Sleepyhead represents a successful attempt by Henry to provide a concise, readable and scientific overview of the sleep disorders most prominent within society, as well as sleep in general...By shedding a light on the most disabling-end of narcolepsy, of cataplexy, of sleep apnoea and so forth, Henry has provided a voice for those that were previously ignored."
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Jonathan Watkins, Myza"In this charming book, a chronic narcoleptic takes on the curious world of sleep, from the role of dreaming in evolution to why our sleeping habits change as we age."―
Spirituality & Health"[A] stimulating exploration of sleep... Everybody sleeps, and Nicholls's entry into the genre of pop science books that use the unusual to illuminate the everyday has equally universal appeal."―
Publishers Weekly "[A] lively, accessible overview ... Nicholls writes fluidly about disorders of sleep, including insomnia, nightmares, and sleepwalking, as well as conditions with wildly bizarre features, from hallucinations to terrors to murderous behavior to paralysis... A fine introduction to sleeping: when it works and when it doesn't."―
Kirkus Reviews "Expertly weaves anecdote and science."―
Times (UK)