Neurologic basis of sleep: an overview

Abstract

Over the last century significant advances in technology and science have provided us with a better understanding of the regulation and control of the sleep-wake cycle. Characterization of normal sleep and wakefulness has naturally led to the identification and classification of normal variants and a myriad of sleep disorders. Recent discoveries have begun to uncover the intricate relationships between nutrition, diet, and sleep. This chapter provides a very basic review of sleep-wake regulation, states of alertness, and physiologic correlates to lay the foundation in sleep medicine for which the reader will build upon as they delve into subsequent chapters.