Though we spend roughly a third of our lives sleeping, many of us struggle to get a proper night's rest. The short stories in this collection are all imaginative responses to cutting-edge research into sleep, each accompanied by a scientific synopsis from a leading expert. Some of the most interesting explore the impact of modern technology on sleep patterns. In Andy Hedgecock's Counting Sheep, a sleep-monitoring app is introduced to improve efficiency, but ends up destroying lives. Similarly, in The Rip Van Winkle Project by Sara Maitland, Hypnos – the god of Sleep – tries to save foolish mortals who believe "sleep is for wimps". Sleep disorders are also addressed, most notably in Deborah Levy's touching story of a wife whose husband suffers from narcolepsy. From Sleeping Beauty to Kubla Khan, sleep and storytelling have had a long association, and it is one that this collection does much to highlight. Perfect bedtime reading, needless to say.
