ABSTRACT
This chapter traces a very brief summary of how the "modern" phase of this confluence of hypnosis and the science of sleep emerged. It is common to read about the long history of "hypnosis" with its beginning thousands of years ago, practiced by the Celts, Druids, "primitive tribes," and representatives of "ancient cultures" everywhere. Even after the formal recognition of sleep as a distinct medical specialty, recent comprehensive overviews written in the twenty-first century avoid the topic of how hypnosis can and should be used in the treatment of sleep disorders. The chapter focuses on presenting a selection–mostly of physicians but also of researchers and respected clinical practitioners–who have combined their enormous body of medical knowledge and experience with a serious understanding of hypnosis. Among the many academic environments in the United States where the study and teaching of hypnosis have flourished is Colgate University in Hamilton, New York.
