Mapping The Darkness (the Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked The Mysteries Of Sleep)

The astonishing true story behind sleep science: from staying awake for 115 consecutive hours to living in a cave for 32 days

‘Fascinating, magisterially researched, and brilliantly written.’ Steve Silberman, author of Neurotribes

Thirty-two days underground. No heat. No sunlight.

4 June 1938. Nathaniel Kleitman and his research student make their way down the seventy-one steps leading to the mouth of Mammoth Cave. They are about to embark on one of the most intrepid and bizarre experiments in medical history, one which will change our understanding of sleep forever. Undisturbed by natural light, they will investigate what happens when you overturn one of the fundamental rhythms of the human body. Together, they enter the darkness.

When Kleitman first arrived in New York, a penniless twenty-year-old refugee, few would have guessed that in just a few decades he would revolutionise the field of sleep science. In Mapping the Darkness, Kenneth Miller weaves science and history to tell the story of the outsider scientists who took sleep science from the fringes to a mainstream obsession. Reliving the spectacular experiments, technological innovation, imaginative leaps and single-minded commitment of these early pioneers, Miller provides a tantalising glimpse into the most mysterious third of our lives.

‘A propulsive, utterly engrossing history.’ —New York Times

‘By profiling the daring pioneers of sleep science, this fascinating, magisterially researched, and brilliantly written book pulls back the covers on one of the great mysteries of being human: why we spend a full third of our lives engaged in an activity that scientists are only beginning to understand. You''ll never think about something you do every night the same way again.’ —Steve Silberman, author of Neurotribes

‘Mr Miller has a good eye for a great scientific story… The author is happy to show research as it is really done, indignities and all… For anyone curious about asking the right questions [about sleep], Mr Miller’s book is a good place to start.’ —Economist

''It is rare that the history of a scientific field and the emergence of a medical sub-speciality are eloquently summarized in a single volume. In Mapping the Darkness, journalist Kenneth Miller achieves just that, with the tale of how pioneering researchers created the scientific and clinical discipline of sleep...This book engagingly tells the story of a young scientific and medical discipline that is still spreading its wings.'' —Nature

‘A sweeping journey of discovery about dreams, sleep and the terra incognita of unconsciousness; and a wake-up call about the dangers of chronic exhaustion.’ —Wall Street Journal

‘Is there anyone who hasn''t—somewhere in the middle of a lost night—pondered the stubborn mystery of sleep? You''ll find some of the best answers to that riddle here in Mapping the Darkness: an addictively readable history of the scientists who changed our thinking about the nature and necessity of rest itself.’ —Deborah Blum, author of The Poison Squad

‘Combining the best of science writing and biography, Kenneth Miller spins a gripping story of how we have come to understand sleep from its basic biology to its impact on personal and public health.’ —Daisy Hernández, author of The Kissing Bug