http://www.the-scientist.com/2009/04/1/34/1/ -- good layperson-level review of the present research on sleep. Includes interviews with Strickgold and other prominents. References:
http://www.the-scientist.com/2009/04/1/15/1/ -- points out that Western sleep style is a relative outlier compared to sleeping in other cultures. More 'primitive' cultures have polyphasic sleep, with different stages of alertness, dozing, napping, disengaged, vigilance, etc.
- Quote: Other cultures tend towards "multiple and multiage sleeping partners; frequent proximity of animals; embeddedness of sleep in ongoing social interaction; fluid bedtimes and wake times; use of nighttime for ritual, sociality, and information exchange; and relatively exposed sleeping locations that require fire maintenance and sustained vigilance."
____References____
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