Sleep remains one of the most pleasurable and mysterious areas of our lives. We all sleep, maybe not as much as we would like, but it's a universal human experience, as necessary as breathing and as nourishing as eating. The Sleepyhead's Bedside Companion takes a journey into sleep heaven and sleep hell.

Seep has become a modern obsession, in our overcrowded lives it's what we crave more than almost anything else.

But how much do we know about this mysterious nightly pleasure?

Sleep has its own fascinating history. Why did Charles Dickens need a compass to sleep? Why did the Elizabethans rub dormouse fat onto their feet? Who was the insomniac prime minister who was forced to quit? How did Pepys make himself have erotic dreams? Look around a bedroom and there's a rich culture of sleep. Pyjamas from the Indian Raj, mattresses brought back from the crusades and the electric blanket from draughty TB clinics.

There are other big questions. Does counting sheep work? Can astronauts snore in space? Does alcohol help or hinder sleep? What is a husband pillow? And what are the best movies about sleep?

The Italians call the bed the 'poor man's opera' and the story of sleep is full of passion, poignancy and long lie-ins. Sit back and oversleep with the ultimate bedtime read.

Condition: Pre-loved book. Minor yellowing of pages. Otherwise in good condition.

Format: Hardcover
Year published: 2009
Pages: 256
Sub-genre: Non-fiction.
Imprint: Preface