Photo: ("About Sleep Scientist William C. Dement")
Dr. William C. Dement
Dr. Dement, known as the "Father of Modern Sleep Science," is a professor in Psychology and Behavioral Science at Stanford University's School of Medicine. He is also the Chief of the Stanford University Division of Sleep("About Sleep Scientist William C. Dement").
In the early 1950s, Dement made continuous recordings of brain and eye movement while asleep. He studied sleeping individuals with the electroencephalogram(EEG). This all- night research led to the discovery of the relationship between Rapid Eye Movement(REM) and dreaming during sleep("About Sleep Scientist William C. Dement").
Ten years later, Dr. Dement continued his neurochemistry research on sleep in the Psychiatry Department at Stanford, and is still a part of that department to this day. In the early nineteen sixties Dr. Dement also helped found the Sleep Research Society. Dr. Dement started the first sleep lab to ever exist in the early seventies. This laboratory is at Stanford University. At the sleep lab, Dr. Dement started continuous polysomnographic (PSG) exams of patients in order to diagnose sleep disorders like the ones mentioned here. In fact, he and his fellow researchers were some of the first scientists to understand the reasons for Sleep Apnea, Narcolepsy, and many other sleep disorders("About Sleep Scientist William C. Dement").
In 1971, Dr. Dement began teaching "Sleep and Dreams," one of the most popular class options at Stanford University. He also teaches public class on the dangers of Sleep Apnea and driving while tired. In the mid nineteen seventies, he also assisted in creating the Multiple Sleep Latency Test, which is used to measure just how sleepy a patient is. Shortly after, Dement invented the universal measure for rating the severity of the disorder in individuals with Sleep Apnea called Apnea/Hyponea Index (AHI). He also began his position of founding President of the American Sleep Disorders Association(now the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)) , which he held for over ten years. The AASM also created an award in his honor called the "William C. Dement Award," to award those who have participated in sleep research and excelled, much like Dr. Dement did("About Sleep Scientist William C. Dement").
In addition, Dr. Dement founded the American Board of Sleep Medicine which certifies doctors who would like to specialize in sleep medicine. He was also a chairman on the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research which eventually led to the creation of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research.
Lastly, for over ten years, Dr. Dement has worked as Chief Science Advisor with SleepQuest, in order to help lower healthcare costs for those with sleep disorders("About Sleep Scientist William C. Dement").
Dr. William C. Dement describes the journey to sleep in his book ,The Promise of Sleep, "Our body becomes inert, and our lidded eyes roll slowly from side to side. Later the eyes begin the rapid eye movements that accompany dreams, and our mind enters a highly active state where vivid dreams trace our deepest emotions...And we remember almost nothing"(1999). Why do we not remember a thing when we are asleep? This is one of the biggest questions Dr. Dement is trying to answer through his research. Dr. Dement is a "pioneer" in sleep research and knows a lot about sleep, yet there are many unanswered questions. The biggest issue for researchers like Dr. Dement is there are so many unknowns about sleep, for example, the reason individuals sleep. In the future, technology will have to get a lot better to look closer as to why we sleep and what can be done to better research sleep(Dement and Vaughan 1999).
To see Dr. William Dement talk more about his studies, click here.
Why Do We Sleep?
Sleep Disorders
Ethical Issues
Home Page
References Cited
In the early 1950s, Dement made continuous recordings of brain and eye movement while asleep. He studied sleeping individuals with the electroencephalogram(EEG). This all- night research led to the discovery of the relationship between Rapid Eye Movement(REM) and dreaming during sleep("About Sleep Scientist William C. Dement").
Ten years later, Dr. Dement continued his neurochemistry research on sleep in the Psychiatry Department at Stanford, and is still a part of that department to this day. In the early nineteen sixties Dr. Dement also helped found the Sleep Research Society. Dr. Dement started the first sleep lab to ever exist in the early seventies. This laboratory is at Stanford University. At the sleep lab, Dr. Dement started continuous polysomnographic (PSG) exams of patients in order to diagnose sleep disorders like the ones mentioned here. In fact, he and his fellow researchers were some of the first scientists to understand the reasons for Sleep Apnea, Narcolepsy, and many other sleep disorders("About Sleep Scientist William C. Dement").
In 1971, Dr. Dement began teaching "Sleep and Dreams," one of the most popular class options at Stanford University. He also teaches public class on the dangers of Sleep Apnea and driving while tired. In the mid nineteen seventies, he also assisted in creating the Multiple Sleep Latency Test, which is used to measure just how sleepy a patient is. Shortly after, Dement invented the universal measure for rating the severity of the disorder in individuals with Sleep Apnea called Apnea/Hyponea Index (AHI). He also began his position of founding President of the American Sleep Disorders Association(now the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)) , which he held for over ten years. The AASM also created an award in his honor called the "William C. Dement Award," to award those who have participated in sleep research and excelled, much like Dr. Dement did("About Sleep Scientist William C. Dement").
In addition, Dr. Dement founded the American Board of Sleep Medicine which certifies doctors who would like to specialize in sleep medicine. He was also a chairman on the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research which eventually led to the creation of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research.
Lastly, for over ten years, Dr. Dement has worked as Chief Science Advisor with SleepQuest, in order to help lower healthcare costs for those with sleep disorders("About Sleep Scientist William C. Dement").
Dr. William C. Dement describes the journey to sleep in his book ,The Promise of Sleep, "Our body becomes inert, and our lidded eyes roll slowly from side to side. Later the eyes begin the rapid eye movements that accompany dreams, and our mind enters a highly active state where vivid dreams trace our deepest emotions...And we remember almost nothing"(1999). Why do we not remember a thing when we are asleep? This is one of the biggest questions Dr. Dement is trying to answer through his research. Dr. Dement is a "pioneer" in sleep research and knows a lot about sleep, yet there are many unanswered questions. The biggest issue for researchers like Dr. Dement is there are so many unknowns about sleep, for example, the reason individuals sleep. In the future, technology will have to get a lot better to look closer as to why we sleep and what can be done to better research sleep(Dement and Vaughan 1999).
To see Dr. William Dement talk more about his studies, click here.
Why Do We Sleep?
Sleep Disorders
Ethical Issues
Home Page
References Cited