The Functions of Sleep A book report over the book The Functions of Sleep by Ernest Hartmann.

Essay by stlpatrickCollege, UndergraduateA+, November 2008

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The book, The Functions of Sleep, written by Ernest Hartmann accomplishes two things. The first goal Hartmann set was that after reviewing the many theories of the functions of sleep, he wanted to present his own theory for the functions of sleep through many different forms of evidence. Hartmann says, “I shall attempt to show that evidence derived from chemistry and pharmacology, from neurophysiology, from simple observational studies of behavior, and from psychoanalysis can all, with perhaps a touch of speculative nudging, converge on the same general formulation” (3). What Hartmann is saying here is that all these form of studying sleep will somehow all lead him to the same conclusion of the functions of sleep. These areas of study wary from the simplest of observation to the most detailed of chemistry. The brain will be the main area of study in determining a theory for the functions of sleep, and it alone is a very tricky issue.

There are so many things that are still unknown to mankind about its own brain that Hartmann is merely trying to find his own theory-not discover a new scientific theory. This theory will be evident throughout the remainder of this paper. Hartmann's second goal was for this book to be a “prototype” (3) for other studies for mind-body relationships. He has already achieved this goal by the many books he has sold, which inspire people to do their own research and study the many and wonderful functions of sleep.

When we were all little kids our mothers made up reasons for doing things, such as eating carrots so you don't go blind, brushing teeth so they don't become like a hillbilly's, no picking of the nose or else the boogie man will catch you, and going to bed early so that Santa...