Letters: Jan. 17, 2005

We live in a shortsighted society that sees sleep as an obstacle to productivity [Dec. 20]. But the truth is quite the opposite. A nightly investment in eight hours of rest may lead to even greater accomplishments. The greatest and most imaginative members of society, our children, sleep 10 to 12 hours a night. We should follow their lead. And we certainly shouldn't buy into romanticized notions of how much work we can do without sleep.

LEWIS J. KASS, M.D., DIRECTOR PEDIATRIC SLEEP LABORATORY THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AT MONTEFIORE New York City

Going without rest is a disturbing American trend, like...

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