MED 82 — The Science of Sleep and Dreams
Quarter: Fall
Instructor(s): Rafael Pelayo
Date(s): Sep 24—Oct 22
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Thursdays
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Class Meeting Time: 7:00—8:50 pm (PT)
Tuition: $385
Refund Deadline: Sep 26
Unit(s): 1
Status: Registration opens Aug 17, 8:30 am (PT)
Quarter: Fall
Day: Thursdays
Duration: 5 weeks
Time: 7:00—8:50 pm (PT)
Date(s): Sep 24—Oct 22
Unit(s): 1
Tuition: $385
Refund Deadline: Sep 26
Instructor(s): Rafael Pelayo
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Registration opens Aug 17, 8:30 am (PT)
William Dement, known as the “father of sleep medicine,” offered the world’s first “Sleep and Dreams” course at Stanford in 1971. Upon his death, the course was renamed “Dement’s Sleep and Dreams” by Rafael Pelayo. The content of that course serves as the foundation for this offering, which provides an overview of the fascinating realm of sleep and dreams and recent scientific advancements in the field.
We will cover topics related to sleep and its impact on our lives, including normal healthy sleep stages and circadian rhythms, and what influences sleep duration and quality. We will examine the physiological and neurological processes behind sleep, including brain activity and regulation. We will also explore the nature of dreams through diverse theories and perspectives on their significance. Finally, we will discuss common sleep disorders and their management, such as insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and parasomnias.
RAFAEL PELAYO
Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Sleep Medicine, Stanford Medicine
Rafael Pelayo's clinical focus has been the treatment of sleep disorders in patients of all ages. He has served as chair of the Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health. He chairs the political action committee of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and serves as vice chair of the National Sleep Foundation. Pelayo teaches the popular "Dement’s Sleep and Dreams" undergraduate course at Stanford.
Textbooks for this course:
(Optional) Rafael Pelayo, How to Sleep (ISBN 978-1579659578)