PERSPECTIVES FROM SLEEP

In the early 1950s sleep research was transformed by the work of Kleitman, Aserinsky and Dement. The correspondence of Rapid Eye Movement sleep with dream reports caught the imagination of many researchers and led to an expansion of interest in all aspects of sleep and circadian rhythms. Though long regarded as a passive period of existence our increased understanding of sleep has brought new perspectives that have illuminated our understanding of both sleep and wakefulness. Hobson (1989) observed that “more has been learned about sleep in the past 60 years than in the preceding 6,000.” I started studying sleep professionally in 1967 and have been fortunate to live through an exhilarating period of research. I hope to convey some of that excitement and the new perspectives by describing: the effects of alcohol on sleep; the relationship between sleep mechanisms and depression; and the effects of sleepiness on performance.