Catching Up on Sleep With Dr. William C. Dement Considered the father of sleep medicine, Dr. William C. Dement, 84, has studied slumbering since the 1950s. He has written countless scientific papers and books and is the founder of the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic, the world's first sleep laboratory. Undergraduates still pack into lecture halls every semester to take his "Sleep and Dreams" course, and he has a cameo role in the film "Sleepwalk With Me," which is currently in theaters. READING Mainly I've been rereading. My favorites are by the author Rex Stout, who started writing about this detective named Nero Wolfe in the 1930s. I think he put out a new book every year until the 1970s. I really enjoy the characters. Nero is a genius, orchid collector and gourmand, but he never leaves the house. He has an employee named Archie Goodwin, who does all the legwork and who is the narrator. WATCHING I just watched again "Lilies of the Field," with Sidney Poitier. His character is traveling across the country and encounters these nuns who have escaped East Germany. Somehow he gets persuaded to build them a small church, and the movie is about the trials and tribulations of getting it done. Like rereading books, I like seeing movies again even though I know what's going to happen. Though some sleep experts don't recommend it, I read and watch movies in bed habitually. My nocturnal routine right now is to get in bed about 9 o'clock and watch two reruns of "Everybody Loves Raymond," which are a half-hour each. I guess reading things you've already read and watching things you've already seen probably helps put you to sleep. I haven't actually done a study on that. LISTENING I was a professional musician in college. I played the string bass. This was in Seattle, at the University of Washington. We had a group of us that played. I had a houseboat on Lake Union where we had jam sessions. I had been in the Army for a few years, so I was a little bit more mature. Musicians from bands that came to town would show up at the houseboat to play with us. I played with Quincy Jones, Ray Charles and Stan Getz. So anyway, I mainly listen to jazz - Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Also the first album of Simon & Garfunkel - I've listened to that over and over. I play at our annual Sleep Society meetings. It's a scientific meeting but we usually have a "Blues Night" and I play one tune and sing one also. Last year I sang "Route 66." Highway that's the best, get your kicks, San Bernardino, etc., etc. WAKING When students fall asleep in class, I awaken them with a squirt gun.