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Sleep Deprivation: Practical and Philosophical Considerations

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Sleep Deprivation and Disease

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Abstract

Understanding the subjective and objective consequences of sleep deprivation has relevance for many aspects of health and performance. The collection of topics in this book explores areas of particular interest. Despite major advances in the field of sleep deprivation, especially in clinical sleep medicine, it is important to remain mindful that much uncertainty remains. The definitions of normal sleep, the consequences of impaired sleep quality or quantity, and the manner in which sleep is quantified in health and disease are all moving targets and actively debated. It is especially challenging to maintain a balanced approach in the field of sleep deprivation, when personal experience may provide stronger valence and face validity than might be typical in other medically relevant subspecialties. This chapter outlines various challenges and uncertainties, with the hope that improved recognition of uncertainties will aid in future advancements.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Matt T. Bianchi M.D., Ph.D., M.M.Sc.

Authors
  1. Matt T. Bianchi M.D., Ph.D., M.M.Sc.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matt T. Bianchi M.D., Ph.D., M.M.Sc. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology Sleep Division, Harvard Medical School Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Matt T. Bianchi

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Bianchi, M.T. (2014). Sleep Deprivation: Practical and Philosophical Considerations. In: Bianchi, M. (eds) Sleep Deprivation and Disease. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9087-6_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9087-6_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-9086-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9087-6

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