In Search of a Meaning for Sleep

Reviews the book, Sleep Mechanisms and Functions in Humans and Animals: An Evolutionary Perspective by Andrew Mayes (Ed.) (1983). The intent of this book is to examine broadly the purpose of sleep in the light of comparative biology. In actuality, the book contains two kinds of contributions. Some c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inContemporary psychology Vol. 30; no. 4; pp. 313 - 314
Main Author Lucas, Edgar A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 01.04.1985
Subjects
Animal
Animal Ethology
Biology
Human
Neurophysiology
Sleep
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Summary:Reviews the book, Sleep Mechanisms and Functions in Humans and Animals: An Evolutionary Perspective by Andrew Mayes (Ed.) (1983). The intent of this book is to examine broadly the purpose of sleep in the light of comparative biology. In actuality, the book contains two kinds of contributions. Some chapters are very technical and straightforward in presenting neurophysiological data on sleep mechanisms. In these chapters the authors give little consideration to theory, ethology, or social biology. For example, Steriade says, "I shall thus address the question how, leaving the why of various sleep stages to other authors in this volume". It is left for the reader to make a connection between the chapters on sleep mechanisms and the perspectives of ethology and social biology. Other chapters are more thoughtful and reflective and achieve the editor's intent of examining sleep data in the context of animal behavior and evolution. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
ISSN:0010-7549
DOI:10.1037/023731