Nathaniel Kleitman (April 26, 1895 – August 13, 1999)[1][2] was an American physiologist and sleep researcher who served as Professor Emeritus in Physiology at the University of Chicago. He is recognized as the father of modern sleep research, and is the author of the seminal 1939 book Sleep and Wakefulness.
Nathaniel Kleitman was born in Chișinău, also known as Kishinev, the capital of the province of Bessarabia (now Moldova), in 1895 to a Jewish family. He was deeply interested in consciousness and reasoned that he could get insight in consciousness by studying the unconsciousness of sleep.[3]Pogroms drove him to Palestine, and in 1915 he emigrated to the United States as a result of World War I. At the age of twenty, he landed in New York City penniless; in 1923, at age twenty-eight, he had worked his way through City College of New York and earned a PhD from the University of Chicago's Department of Physiology. His thesis was "Studies on the physiology of sleep." Soon after, in 1925, he joined the faculty there. An early sponsor of Kleitman's sleep research was the Wander Company, which manufactured Ovaltine and hoped to promote it as a remedy for insomnia.
REM sleep
Eugene Aserinsky, one of Kleitman's graduate students, decided to hook sleepers up to an early version of an electroencephalogram machine, which scribbled across 1⁄2 mile (800 m) of paper each night. In the process, Aserinsky noticed that several times each night the sleepers went through periods when their eyes darted wildly back and forth. Kleitman insisted that the experiment be repeated yet again, this time on his daughter, Esther. In 1953, he and Aserinsky introduced the world to "rapid-eye movement," or REM sleep. Kleitman and Aserinsky demonstrated that REM sleep was correlated with dreaming and brain activity. Another of Kleitman's graduate students, William C. Dement, who was a professor of psychiatry at the Stanford medical school, described this as the year that "the study of sleep became a true scientific field."
Rest activity cycle
Kleitman made countless additional contributions to the field of sleep research and was especially interested in "rest-activity" cycles, leading to many fundamental findings on circadian and ultradian rhythms. Kleitman proposed the existence of a Basic rest activity cycle, or BRAC, during both sleep and wakefulness.[4][5]
Other experiments
Renowned for his personal and experimental rigor, he conducted well-known sleep studies underground in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky and lesser-known studies underwater in submarines during World War II and above the Arctic Circle.[6]
^Siegel, J. M. . Psychiatry and Brain Research Institute. University of California, Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2008-02-08. Retrieved 2008-05-10.
^"Kleitman. father of sleep research". University of Chicago Chronicle V. 19(1), Sept. 23 1999. University of Chicago. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
^Coenen, AML (1999). "Nathaniel Kleitman 1895-1999: a legend in sleep research" (PDF). SLEEP-WAKE Research in The Netherlands. 10: 13–14. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
^Kleitman, N., Sleep and Wakefulness, 1963, Reprint 1987: ISBN9780226440736
^Kleitman, N., Basic rest-activity cycle—22 years later, Journal of Sleep Research & Sleep Medicine, Vol 5(4), Dec 1982, 311-317
Guide to the Nathaniel Kleitman Papers 1896-2001 at the University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center
January 28, 2023
nathaniel, kleitman, april, 1895, august, 1999, american, physiologist, sleep, researcher, served, professor, emeritus, physiology, university, chicago, recognized, father, modern, sleep, research, author, seminal, 1939, book, sleep, wakefulness, born, 1895, a. Nathaniel Kleitman April 26 1895 August 13 1999 1 2 was an American physiologist and sleep researcher who served as Professor Emeritus in Physiology at the University of Chicago He is recognized as the father of modern sleep research and is the author of the seminal 1939 book Sleep and Wakefulness Nathaniel KleitmanBorn 1895 04 26 April 26 1895Chișinău Bessarabia Governorate Russian EmpireDiedAugust 13 1999 1999 08 13 aged 104 Los Angeles California USAAlma materUniversity of ChicagoColumbia UniversityCity College of New YorkKnown forDiscovery of REM and other foundational contributions to sleep researchScientific careerInstitutionsUniversity of Chicago Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Early life 1 2 REM sleep 1 3 Rest activity cycle 1 4 Other experiments 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksBiography EditEarly life Edit Nathaniel Kleitman was born in Chișinău also known as Kishinev the capital of the province of Bessarabia now Moldova in 1895 to a Jewish family He was deeply interested in consciousness and reasoned that he could get insight in consciousness by studying the unconsciousness of sleep 3 Pogroms drove him to Palestine and in 1915 he emigrated to the United States as a result of World War I At the age of twenty he landed in New York City penniless in 1923 at age twenty eight he had worked his way through City College of New York and earned a PhD from the University of Chicago s Department of Physiology His thesis was Studies on the physiology of sleep Soon after in 1925 he joined the faculty there An early sponsor of Kleitman s sleep research was the Wander Company which manufactured Ovaltine and hoped to promote it as a remedy for insomnia REM sleep Edit Eugene Aserinsky one of Kleitman s graduate students decided to hook sleepers up to an early version of an electroencephalogram machine which scribbled across 1 2 mile 800 m of paper each night In the process Aserinsky noticed that several times each night the sleepers went through periods when their eyes darted wildly back and forth Kleitman insisted that the experiment be repeated yet again this time on his daughter Esther In 1953 he and Aserinsky introduced the world to rapid eye movement or REM sleep Kleitman and Aserinsky demonstrated that REM sleep was correlated with dreaming and brain activity Another of Kleitman s graduate students William C Dement who was a professor of psychiatry at the Stanford medical school described this as the year that the study of sleep became a true scientific field Rest activity cycle Edit Kleitman made countless additional contributions to the field of sleep research and was especially interested in rest activity cycles leading to many fundamental findings on circadian and ultradian rhythms Kleitman proposed the existence of a Basic rest activity cycle or BRAC during both sleep and wakefulness 4 5 Other experiments Edit Renowned for his personal and experimental rigor he conducted well known sleep studies underground in Mammoth Cave Kentucky and lesser known studies underwater in submarines during World War II and above the Arctic Circle 6 See also EditChronotypeReferences Edit Siegel J M A tribute to Nathaniel Kleitman Psychiatry and Brain Research Institute University of California Los Angeles Archived from the original on 2008 02 08 Retrieved 2008 05 10 Kleitman father of sleep research University of Chicago Chronicle V 19 1 Sept 23 1999 University of Chicago Retrieved 2008 05 19 Coenen AML 1999 Nathaniel Kleitman 1895 1999 a legend in sleep research PDF SLEEP WAKE Research in The Netherlands 10 13 14 Retrieved 6 March 2012 Kleitman N Sleep and Wakefulness 1963 Reprint 1987 ISBN 9780226440736 Kleitman N Basic rest activity cycle 22 years later Journal of Sleep Research amp Sleep Medicine Vol 5 4 Dec 1982 311 317 Dement WC 2001 Remembering Nathaniel Kleitman Archives Italiennes de Biologie 139 1 11 17 Retrieved 6 March 2012 External links EditGuide to the Nathaniel Kleitman Papers 1896 2001 at the University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nathaniel Kleitman amp oldid 1089438036, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
