The eternal quest for a good night's sleep and happy dreams...

Most of us would love to be an expert at understanding dreams. If we're sleeping better at night, maybe our restful sleep can lead to better dreams — dreams that make sense to us. To find out what the relationship is between sleeping better at night and understanding dreams, Discovery Health sent intrepid journalist and insomniac Vince Rause on a month-long expedition in search of a good night's sleep. He visited sleep and dream centers, talked to dream experts, had a tube shoved down his nose, even watched mattresses being abused at a mattress research center. In this sleep and dreams index of articles, Rause takes us on a journey that shows his efforts to sleep better at night and understand his dreams. From sleep doctors to dream analysis, read about Rause's efforts and find out how he's sleeping better at night.

Sleep: As a Slumber Artist, I'm Pretty Much a Disaster Vince talks about his misadventures in sleeping and asks some compelling questions about sleep and dreams.

Sleep: Many of My Sleep Problems are Due to Bad Habits Vince confesses to a life of sleeplessness, and finds out that most of his family and friends have their own secret problems with sleep.

Sleep: My Quest Begins in Earnest Vince arrives at the Stanford University Sleep Disorders Clinic and talks about what happens when we sleep.

Sleep: I Meet the Sleep Doc Vince meets with Dr. Alex Clerk, director of the Stanford University Sleep Disorders Clinic, and has some of his romantic illusions about his sleep problems shattered.

Sleep: Let Me Glue These Electrodes to Your Head…Goodnight Wired up like a Christmas tree, Vince undergoes a sleep study — and actually sleeps for awhile.

Sleep: I Can't Sleep Because I'm Worried About Not Sleeping Dr. Alex Clerk explains that Vince's sleep problems have several causes, including his own fear of having trouble falling asleep.

Sleep: Time to Reset Your Internal Clock Vince finds out more about how a cluster of neurons deep in the brain act as the body's clock — and that sometimes that clock needs to be reset.

Dreams: Making Your Dreams Come True Vince talks with psychophysiologist Stephen LaBerge about lucid dreaming, in which the dreamer can control what happens during dreams.

Dreams: Off to Dream School Vince meets with a group of lucid dreamers and learns more about the technique and its therapeutic applications.

Dreams: Finding Out What Really Matters Vince visits the University of Creation Spirituality in Oakland, California, and meets with Jeremy Taylor, exploring the spiritual aspects of dreaming.

Dreams: Solving the Mystery of a Dream Vince recounts a childhood dream to dream theorist Jeremy Taylor and experiences an epiphany.

Dreams: Dream Interviews Vince talks with Gayle Delaney about her "interview" method of dream interpretation, a technique that helps people interpret their own dreams.

Dreams: Explaining Dreams to an Alien Vince tries out the interview technique with Gayle Delaney and unravels the meaning of a puzzling dream.

Dreams: Nightmares Aren't Kid-Stuff Vince visits the Dream and Nightmare Clinic at Sacre Coeur Hospital in Montreal and talks with director Antonio Zadra about nightmares and night terrors, sleep walking and other "confusional awakening" disorders.

Dreams: Dreaming for Science Vince takes part in a study at the Dream and Nightmare Clinic at Sacre Coeur Hospital in Montreal and learns more about confusional awakenings — disorders that hover between sleeping and waking.

Sleep: Let's Hear It for Sleep! Vince explores America's mixed feelings about sleep. For many, sleep is downright unAmerican. The result: a nation of muddled, sleep-deprived decision makers. The cost to the U.S. economy is staggering.

Sleep: The Slumber Revolution Begins Vince launches a one-man crusade to change America's attitudes toward sleep. His revolution comes complete with a manifesto.

Sleep: Creating the Right Environment Some people can sleep just about anywhere, but most of us require the right bedtime routine and surroundings. Vince talks about setting the right mood for sleep.

Dreams: Creative Dreaming Vince talks with dream expert Patricia Garfield about creative dreaming and offers practical tips to help you remember your dreams.

Dreams: Visions of the Departed Vince talks with dream researcher Patricia Garfield about dreams in which the dead appear to speak with us, and what their messages mean.

Sleep: Pummeling Mattresses for Science Vince's quest for a good night's sleep takes him to the research and development department of a major mattress company, where he finds out about good foundations for sleep — from the inside out.

Sleep: Secrets of the Siesta and High-Tech Mattresses Vince finds out that siestas didn't develop to escape the heat, then he finds out about some high-tech variations on the old mattress and box spring.

Sleep: Snoring is Optional Vince talks with Rosalind Cartwright, director of the Sleep Disorder Center at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, about the wide range of treatments available for snorers.

Sleep: The Basics and Resources Vince talks about what he's learned on his quest and offers a list of books for further reading on sleep and dreams.

Epilogue We asked Vince to tell us how he's sleeping these days, several years after his expedition. The good news: he's sleeping much better, thank you very much.