Dement's Sleep and Dreams

Catalog description

Dr. William Dement created Sleep and Dreams in 1971, the world's first university course devoted to the science of sleep. Upon his retirement he selected Dr. Rafael Pelayo to be his successor, but he continued to participate in class until his passing in the summer of 2020. To honor his legacy in perpetuity, Dr.Pelayo renamed the course 'Dement's Sleep Dreams' as he had promised him he would. The goal is to retain the original spirit of the course as the content is continuously updated to reflect current state of sleep science. The course is designed to impart essential knowledge of the neuroscience of sleep and covers how sleep affects our daily lives. The course covers normal sleep and dreams, as well as common sleep disorders. Course content empowers students to make educated decisions concerning sleep and alertness for the rest of their lives and shapes students' attitudes about the importance of sleep. Students will keep track of their sleep patterns during the course. They will also participate in an outreach project to help improve awareness of the importance of sleep heath in our community. Undergraduates must enroll in PSYC 135, while graduate students should enroll in PSYC 235.