Nodding Off ― The Science of Sleep from Cradle to Grave

Sleep is vital to the way we learn, remember and forget, to how we feel about family and partners, our wellbeing, and our mental and physical health. It is essential for life itself. Nodding Off: Understanding Sleep from Cradle to Grave explores every aspect of sleep, from the different stages of sleep and how our sleeping patterns change throughout our lives, to what happens when things go wrong and getting some shut-eye becomes more of a trial than a pleasure.

In Nodding Off, renowned sleep researcher Alice Gregory takes the reader on a scientific journey though slumber. Using cutting-edge findings in the field, she tackles the big questions, such as:
- How do things that happen before we are even born affect our sleep?
- What sleep problems should raise a red flag in children?
- How do genes influence the way we sleep?
- What are the consequences of sleep problems in the elderly?

Most of us spend a large proportion of our lives asleep without ever thinking about why we do this. Nodding Off lifts the lid on this mysterious and universal past time. It examines all of the biggest sleep secrets, and Professor Gregory provides solutions to some of the common sleep problems that people suffer throughout their lives.

Alice Gregory is a highly respected expert on sleep throughout development. She has been researching sleep for more than a decade and has published more than 100 articles on this and associated topics. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Oxford, her PhD at the Institute of Psychiatry, London, and is currently a Reader at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Gregory collaborates widely with other sleep experts throughout the world, and has the latest research on sleep at her fingertips. As a parent of two young children herself, she is well qualified to provide an informed, friendly and amusing narrative on the important issue of sleep.