當美好的夢鄉變成險境
 這些睡眠失調的真實案例，遠比故事更使人不寒而慄
 探索睡眠、夢境，與背後的大腦神經科學

 　　對於Guy Leschziner醫生的患者們來說，疲憊的身心想得到休息，就像是遙不可及的癡想；失眠、猝睡症、睡眠驚恐疾患、睡眠呼吸中止症…夢遊症，這些不過是睡眠障礙者們可能遭遇到的一部分症狀。在此之外，他們還需要與惡夢對抗，這些夢魘強大到可能使人癱瘓、而不受控的肢體動作則會影響患者本人和同寢的伴侶。種種失調讓身體迷失了方向，無法循著晝夜分明的生理時鐘運行前進。
  
 　　如果這些還不足以讓人心驚，還有更極端的案例。一個處於深層睡眠的女子會起身更衣、把車子解鎖並且開了好幾哩路之後再回到被窩；一位男子則數十年來「邊睡邊吃」；以及患了「睡美人症候群」的青少年，在嗜睡、暴食、攻擊傾向與性慾亢進的循環裡載浮載沉。
  
 　　服務於英國倫敦蓋伊醫院，領導歐洲最大型的睡眠服務及研究中心之一，身兼醫者與學者的Guy Leschziner博士，將執業生涯裡的豐富案例，寫為這些充滿同理心與讓人驚異的故事，更運用這些案例作為說明，為讀者講解屬於夢鄉的神經科學。讓人們明白，充分休息原來需要如此繁多的生理及心理要件相互配合，而睡眠對於我們來說絕對不僅是維持健康的必需，也是提升認知能力與快樂的關鍵元素。（文／博客來編譯）

A renowned neurologist shares the true stories of people unable to get a good night's rest in The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience, and the Secret World of Sleep, a fascinating exploration of the symptoms and syndromes behind sleep disorders.


For Dr. Guy Leschziner's patients, there is no rest for the weary in mind and body. Insomnia, narcolepsy, night terrors, apnea, and sleepwalking are just a sampling of conditions afflicting sufferers who cannot sleep--and their experiences in trying are the stuff of nightmares. Demoniac hallucinations frighten people into paralysis. Restless legs rock both the sleepless and their sleeping partners with unpredictable and uncontrollable kicking. Out-of-sync circadian rhythms confuse the natural body clock's days and nights.

Then there are the extreme cases. A woman in a state of deep sleep who gets dressed, unlocks her car, and drives for several miles before returning to bed. The man who has spent decades cleaning out kitchens while "sleep-eating." The teenager prone to the serious, yet unfortunately nicknamed Sleeping Beauty Syndrome stuck in a cycle of excessive unconsciousness, binge eating, and uncharacteristic displays of aggression and hypersexuality while awake.

With compassionate stories of his patients and their conditions, Dr. Leschziner illustrates the neuroscience behind our sleeping minds, revealing the many biological and psychological factors necessary in getting the rest that will not only maintain our physical and mental health, but improve our cognitive abilities and overall happiness.



Author
 
　　Dr. Guy Leschziner is a consultant neurologist and sleep physician, and am clinical lead for one of the largest sleep services in Europe, based at Guy’s Hospital in Central London. He sees patients with a range of sleep disorders, including narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, sleep apnoea and nocturnal epilepsy and is actively involved in research and teaching. He has also presented on the radio and have worked in television, all related to sleep.