A New York Times bestseller The first sleep book by a leading scientific expert–Professor Matthew Walker, Director of UC Berkeley’s Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab–reveals his groundbreaking exploration of sleep, explaining how we can harness its transformative power to change our lives for the better. Sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life, wellness, and … of our life, wellness, and longevity. Until very recently, science had no answer to the question of why we sleep, or what good it served, or why we suffer such devastating health consequences when we don’t sleep. Compared to the other basic drives in life–eating, drinking, and reproducing–the purpose of sleep remained elusive.
An explosion of scientific discoveries in the last twenty years has shed new light on this fundamental aspect of our lives. Now, preeminent neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker gives us a new understanding of the vital importance of sleep and dreaming. Within the brain, sleep enriches our ability to learn, memorize, and make logical decisions. It recalibrates our emotions, restocks our immune system, fine-tunes our metabolism, and regulates our appetite. Dreaming mollifies painful memories and creates a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present knowledge to inspire creativity.
Walker answers important questions about sleep: how do caffeine and alcohol affect sleep? What really happens during REM sleep? Why do our sleep patterns change across a lifetime? How do common sleep aids affect us and can they do long-term damage? Charting cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, and synthesizing decades of research and clinical practice, Walker explains how we can harness sleep to improve learning, mood, and energy levels; regulate hormones; prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes; slow the effects of aging; increase longevity; enhance the education and lifespan of our children, and boost the efficiency, success, and productivity of our businesses. Clear-eyed, fascinating, and accessible, Why We Sleep is a crucial and illuminating book.more
An eye-opening book on shuteye[*]. While still writing at an accessible popular science level, Walker goes deep into the scientific details of what happens while we’re asleep and the studies that show how incredibly important it is our well-being. The evidence presented on the effects of even mild chronic sleep deprivation were pretty scary, especially with the accompanying loss of our ability to judge how badly we’re impaired. I also learned a bunch I didn’t know about the effects of alcohol and caffeine on sleep, which were sobering to say the least[**]. The book has some good recommendations for getting better sleep as an individual, though I think Walker’s broader policy ideas are hit or miss. Worth a read for anyone, especially anyone claiming they (or worse, their employees) do just fine on less than a full night’s sleep.
[*] I’m sorry
[**] I SAID I’M SORRY
For the writers among you, the links between sleep and creativity should be enough to inspire you to improve your sleep habits. This is science-based writing at its best – a fascinating topic.
This book has blown my mind. I feel that everyone should read it! It’s densely scientific but compelling and easy to understand, scary, realistic… All of that, but most of all, hugely important for our world, ourselves, our children. And yes, it’s a “page-turner.” I especially recommend the audio edition.
Wonderful book. Discusses the physical, cognitive, and emotional need for sleep, as well as the devastating consequences to our health if we fail to get enough of it. Highly recommend.
So interesting and eye opening.
Time is the basis of our existence in space and defines the continuous change of our physical reality. It’s perceived and defined in our mind and must be exploited for two important factors: our analytical thoughts and the physical-mental development of our brain.
Yes, when sleep is abundant, minds flourish.
Inspiring book!
An excellent and instructive book about the physical and mental importance of sleep. I enjoyed the dry humor as well as the fascinating look at all we do while we think we’re doing nothing.
Fascinating and filled with extremely useful information.
Many people are under the misconception that they can get along just fine with less than 8 hours of sleep, but they don’t realize that they will be more prone to diseases, including obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s, and die at a younger age—all of which the author, a sleep scientist and professor at UC-Berkeley, explains in layman’s language. The author also provides advice on how to get a good night’s sleep. Because of the relationship between sleep and learning, this book should be required reading for every high school student, preferably in the 9th or 10th grade so that they can benefit from the author’s insights as early in their academic career as possible. Well written and extremely informative!
This book is wonderful. I have chronic insomnia and probably know more about sleep hygiene than most doctors do. I still learned more from Dr. Walker’s book.
If you have any sleep issues at all or want to learn more about why sleep is absolutely vital to functioning, this is the book.
Do NOT listen to those morons who tell you to ‘sleep when you’re dead’. If you don’t sleep, you WILL be dead. Even insects and fish sleep.
Sleep is that vital. Evolution wouldn’t make you desperately vulnerable to every predator that comes alone if sleep wasn’t critical for survival.
I learned a lot from this book. I’ve recommended it to several friends
Without a doubt, this is one of the most important books I’ve read in years. I keep up with health-related news, but I had no idea how important adequate sleep is for maintaining health. I was genuinely shocked to discover just how bad (bad, bad, bad) it is for our health when we’re not getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep doesn’t just make you grumpy. Inadequate sleep has a direct relationship to serious mental and physical health-related problems. Who knew that blood sugar levels would rise so dramatically to the point of becoming pre-diabetic when you go without enough sleep? Who knew that your immune system would become so compromised by inadequate sleep that a flu shot would be 40% less effective?
The author, Matthew Walker, documents and proves his assertions with references to numerous scientific studies. He describes inadequate sleep as a global health problem. He informs us of how sleep patterns change throughout our lives requiring personal adjustment. He documents how inadequate sleep is affecting the work place and our educational system, not to mention the very personal health problems it causes. Walker also discusses key problems leading to inadequate sleep: lighting, temperature, substance abuse (caffeine and alcohol in particular), and the lack of a regular sleep pattern. He makes suggestions of how to change our lives in service of adequate sleep.
I’ve had a problem with getting enough sleep for years. This book made me a believer. I’m putting “sleep hygiene” high on my list of concerns related to healthy living.
A must read for anyone suffering sleep problems, and for EVERY parent out there!
A great book that completely changed the way I think about sleeping. The changes I’ve implemented for myself and my family have definitely improved our overall well-being. Definitely recommend everyone check it out, especially parents.
Great book about the importance of getting the proper amount of sleep. The negative effects on health caused by lack of sleep are shocking and horrifying. This book should be required reading
As a person who has trouble sleeping, the book is helping me form habits that will hopefully change things for me.
3.5 stars. An enlightening and terrifying look at the consequences of a lack of sleep. Dr. Walker browbeats the cognitive deficiencies and health hazards of not getting enough sleep. For 400 pages, he outlines catastrophic consequences of sleep loss. He supports his conclusions with years of study and mounds of evidence. There is little to question in this book; indeed, he is an expert of the highest quality. Many of his insights are surprising and helpful, but overall this book was depressing and left me with little hope. He attempts to offer solutions to getting more and better sleep, but the underlying causes of many of our sleep problems are societal, with little an individual can do to change that. I am grateful that I read this book to completion because I have a few tips and tricks that will help me get better sleep (hopefully), but this is a book you cannot unread. The health effects of even getting 6 hours of sleep a night is enough to scare you awake at night.
Fascinating information about sleep in general and its contribution to good health (if you get enough of the right kind). Lack of sleep has been linked to a number of illnesses, including Alzheimer’s disease, and this book tells you why.
Very educational about how sleep impacts our lives. It made me want to get my sleep issues worked out!!