In May of 2006, I taught a Postural Respiration course in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I met Julie Hereford for the first time at that course and was in awe of her knowledge on the subject of sleep. She was asked to be a presenter at the 2010 PRI Interdisciplinary Integration Symposium and along with Dr. J. Paul Rutledge, they introduced sleep to us like no one had before. Dr. Julie Hereford, PT, DPT has now published a book that will provide rehabilitation professionals with a source of information that will help them gain a better understanding of sleep and its impact on the rehabilitation process. If you want to know how sleep can increase cortisol levels or reduce glucose tolerance or increase sympathetic nervous system activity, you will enjoy this read. Dr. Hereford has always been an advocate of sleep being tied to consolidation of motor learning. “It follows that dysfunctional sleep may interfere with the ability to incorporate particular restorative movement patterns that are learned and practiced during a rehabilitation session unless the appropriate stage of sleep is achieved within a specific time frame.” I believe the reader and clinician will not be disappointed with any of the four sections of this book and will be introduced to disordered sleep as it relates to systemic challenging disease and dysfunctional patterns. Therefore, Sleep and Rehabilitation: A Guide for Health Professionals is a must for book shelves of those who appreciate the need for sleep and its intricate effects on performance.
