Handbook of
nutrition, diet and sleep

Over the last century significant advances in technology and science have provided us with a
better understanding of the regulation and control of the sleep-wake cycle. Characterization of
normal sleep and wakefulness has naturally led to the identification and classification of normal
variants and a myriad of sleep disorders. Recent discoveries have begun to uncover the intricate
relationships between nutrition, diet, and sleep. This chapter provides a very basic review of
sleep-wake regulation, states of alertness, and physiologic correlates to lay the foundation in sleep
medicine for which the reader will build upon as they delve into subsequent chapters