Philoctetes, a play written and presented by Sophocles in 409 BC, is based on
the adventures, or rather misadventures, of the hero Philoctetes, who was the
son of the mythological king of Thessaly. He had been deported by the
Greeks on an island where he suffered physically and psychologically. It is
while commenting on his fate that he stated, “Sleep is the only medicine that
gives me ease.”
Of course, at that time, no one knew much about the biology of sleep,
but it appears that it was already recognized that (good) sleep is an effective
regulator of many biological and mental functions. Today, sleep research and
sleep medicine have clearly demonstrated that sleep is a determinant of good
health. Impaired or disordered sleep is associated with numerous conditions,
some quite serious like sleep apnea and/or hypertension, among others.