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Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams Paperback – Illustrated, June 19, 2018
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A New York Times bestseller and international sensation, this “stimulating and important book” (Financial Times) is a fascinating dive into the purpose and power of slumber.
With two appearances on CBS This Morning and Fresh Air's most popular interview of 2017, Matthew Walker has made abundantly clear that sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life. 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 it is absent. Compared to the other basic drives in life—eating, drinking, and reproducing—the purpose of sleep remains more elusive.
Within the brain, sleep enriches a diversity of functions, including 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 creates a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present knowledge, inspiring creativity.
In this “compelling and utterly convincing” (The Sunday Times) book, preeminent neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker provides a revolutionary exploration of sleep, examining how it affects every aspect of our physical and mental well-being. Charting the most cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, and marshalling his 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, and increase longevity. He also provides actionable steps towards getting a better night’s sleep every night.
Clear-eyed, fascinating, and accessible, Why We Sleep is a crucial and illuminating book. Written with the precision of Atul Gawande, Andrew Solomon, and Sherwin Nuland, it is “recommended for night-table reading in the most pragmatic sense” (The New York Times Book Review).
- Print length368 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherScribner
- Publication dateJune 19, 2018
- Dimensions5.5 x 0.92 x 8.38 inches
- ISBN-101501144324
- ISBN-13978-1501144325
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Editorial Reviews
Review
—New York Times Book Review
"The director of UC Berkeley's Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab explores the purpose of slumber. Understanding the 'why,' it turns out, just might help you with the 'how to.'"
—People
"A neuroscientist has found a revolutionary way of being cleverer, more attractive, slimmer, happier, healthier and of warding off cancer — a good night’s shut-eye ... It’s probably a little too soon to tell you that Why We Sleep saved my life, but I can tell you that it’s been an eye-opener."
—The Guardian
"This is a stimulating and important book which you should read in the knowledge that the author is, as he puts it, 'in love with everything that sleep is and does.' But please do not begin it just before bedtime."
—Financial Times
"Fascinating ... Walker describes how our resting habits have changed throughout history; the connection between sleep, chronic disease, and life span; and why the pills and aids we use to sleep longer and deeper are actually making our nights worse. Most important, he gives us simple, actionable ways to get better rest—tonight."
—Men's Journal
“Walker is a scientist but writes for the layperson, illustrating tricky concepts with easily grasped analogies. Of particular interest to business owners, educators, parents, and government officials, and anyone who has ever suffered from a poor night’s sleep.”
—Library Journal, starred review
"Why We Sleep is simply a must-read. World-renowned neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker takes us on a fascinating and indispensable journey into the latest understandings of the science of sleep. And the book goes way beyond satisfying intellectual curiosity, as it explores the cognitive, health, safety and business consequences of compromising the quality and quantity of our sleep; insights that may change the way you live your life. In these super-charged, distracting times it is hard to think of a book that is more important to read than this one."
—Adam Gazzaley, co-author of The Distracted Mind, founder and executive director of Neuroscape, and Professor of Neurology, Physiology, and Psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco
“Most of us have no idea what we do with a third of our lives. In this lucid and engaging book, Matt Walker explains the new science that is rapidly solving this age-old mystery. Why We Sleep is a canny pleasure that will have you turning pages well past your bedtime.”
—Daniel Gilbert, professor of psychology at Harvard and author of Stumbling on Happiness
"In Why We Sleep, Dr. Matt Walker brilliantly illuminates the night, explaining how sleep can make us healthier, safer, smarter, and more productive. Clearly and definitively, he provides knowledge and strategies to overcome the life-threatening risks associated with our sleep-deprived society. Our universal need for sleep ensures that every reader will find value in Dr. Walker's insightful counsel."
—Mark R. Rosekind, Ph.D., former NHTSA Administrator, NTSB member, and NASA scientist
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Do you think you got enough sleep this past week? Can you recall the last time you woke up without an alarm clock feeling refreshed, not needing caffeine? If the answer to either of these questions is “no,” you are not alone. More than a third of adults in many developed nations fail to obtain the recommended seven to nine hours of nightly sleep.I
I doubt you are surprised by this fact, but you may be surprised by the consequences. Routinely sleeping less than six hours a night weakens your immune system, substantially increasing your risk of certain forms of cancer. Insufficient sleep appears to be a key lifestyle factor linked to your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Inadequate sleep—even moderate reductions for just one week—disrupts blood sugar levels so profoundly that you would be classified as pre-diabetic. Short sleeping increases the likelihood of your coronary arteries becoming blocked and brittle, setting you on a path toward cardiovascular disease, stroke, and congestive heart failure. Fitting Charlotte Brontë’s prophetic wisdom that “a ruffled mind makes a restless pillow,” sleep disruption further contributes to all major psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety, and suicidality.
Perhaps you have also noticed a desire to eat more when you’re tired? This is no coincidence. Too little sleep swells concentrations of a hormone that makes you feel hungry while suppressing a companion hormone that otherwise signals food satisfaction. Despite being full, you still want to eat more. It’s a proven recipe for weight gain in sleep-deficient adults and children alike. Worse, should you attempt to diet but don’t get enough sleep while doing so, it is futile, since most of the weight you lose will come from lean body mass, not fat.
Add the above health consequences up, and a proven link becomes easier to accept: relative to the recommended seven to nine hours, the shorter your sleep, the shorter your life span. The old maxim “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” is therefore unfortunate. Adopt this mind-set, and it is possible that you will be dead sooner and the quality of that (shorter) life will be worse. The elastic band of sleep deprivation can stretch only so far before it snaps. Sadly, human beings are in fact the only species that will deliberately deprive themselves of sleep without legitimate gain. Numerous components of wellness, and countless seams of societal fabric, are being eroded by our costly state of sleep neglect: human and financial alike. So much so that the Centers for Disease Control declared insufficient sleep as a public health epidemic. It may not be a coincidence that countries where sleep time has declined most dramatically over the past century, such as the US, the UK, Japan, and South Korea, and several in western Europe, are also those suffering the greatest increase in rates of the aforementioned physical diseases and mental disorders.
Scientists such as myself have even started lobbying doctors to start “prescribing” sleep. As medical advice goes, it’s perhaps the most painless and enjoyable to follow. Do not, however, mistake this as a plea to doctors to start prescribing more sleeping pills—quite the opposite, in fact, considering the evidence surrounding the deleterious health consequences of these drugs.
But can we go so far as to say that a lack of sleep can kill you outright? Quite posssibly—on at least two counts. First, there is a very rare genetic disorder that starts with a progressive insomnia, emerging in midlife. Several months into the disease course, the patient stops sleeping altogether. By this stage, they have started to lose many basic brain and body functions. Few drugs that we currently have will help the patient sleep. After twelve to eighteen months of no sleep, the patient will die.
Second is the deadly circumstance of getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle without having had sufficient sleep. Drowsy driving is the cause of hundreds of thousands of traffic accidents and fatalities each year. And here, it is not only the life of the sleep-deprived individuals that is at risk, but the lives of those around them. Tragically, one person dies in a traffic accident every hour in the United States due to a fatigue-related error.
Society’s apathy toward sleep has, in part, been caused by the historic failure of science to explain why we need it. Sleep remained one of the last great biological mysteries. All of the mighty problem-solving methods in science—genetics, molecular biology, and high-powered digital technology—have been unable to unlock the stubborn vault of sleep. Minds of the most stringent kind, including Nobel Prize–winner Francis Crick, who deduced the twisted-ladder structure of DNA, famed Roman educator and rhetorician Quintilian, and even Sigmund Freud had all tried their hand at deciphering sleep’s enigmatic code, all in vain.
To better frame this state of prior scientific ignorance, imagine the birth of your first child. At the hospital, the doctor enters the room and says, “Congratulations, it’s a healthy baby boy. We’ve completed all of the preliminary tests and everything looks good.” She smiles reassuringly and starts walking toward the door. However, before exiting the room she turns around and says, “There is just one thing. From this moment forth, and for the rest of your child’s entire life, he will repeatedly and routinely lapse into a state of apparent coma. It might even resemble death at times. And while his body lies still his mind will often be filled with stunning, bizarre hallucinations. This state will consume one-third of his life and I have absolutely no idea why he’ll do it, or what it is for. Good luck!”
Astonishing, but until very recently, this was reality: doctors and scientists could not give you a consistent or complete answer as to why we sleep. Consider that we have known the functions of the three other basic drives in life—to eat, to drink, and to reproduce—for many tens if not hundreds of years now. Yet the fourth main biological drive, common across the animal kingdom—the drive to sleep—has continued to elude science for millennia.
Addressing the question of why we sleep from an evolutionary perspective only compounds the mystery. No matter what vantage point you take, sleep would appear to be the most foolish of biological phenomena. When you are asleep, you cannot gather food. You cannot socialize. You cannot find a mate and reproduce. You cannot nurture or protect your offspring. Worse still, sleep leaves you vulnerable to predation. Sleep is surely one of the most puzzling of all human behaviors.
On any one of these grounds—never mind all of them in combination—there ought to have been a strong evolutionary pressure to prevent the emergence of sleep or anything remotely like it. As one sleep scientist has said, “If sleep does not serve an absolutely vital function, then it is the biggest mistake the evolutionary process has ever made.”II
Yet sleep has persisted. Heroically so. Indeed, every animal species carefully studied to date sleeps.III This suggests that sleep evolved with—or very soon after—life itself on our planet. Moreover, the subsequent perseverance of sleep throughout evolution means there must be tremendous benefits that far outweigh all of the obvious hazards and detriments.
Ultimately, asking “Why do we sleep?” was the wrong question. It implied there was a single function, one holy grail of a reason that we slept, and we went in search of it. Theories ranged from the logical (a time for conserving energy), to the peculiar (an opportunity for eyeball oxygenation), to the psychoanalytic (a non-conscious state in which we fulfill repressed wishes).
This book will reveal a very different truth: sleep is infinitely more complex, profoundly more interesting, and strikingly health-relevant. We sleep for a rich litany of functions, plural—an abundant constellation of nighttime benefits that service both our brains and our bodies. There does not seem to be one major organ within the body, or process within the brain, that isn’t optimally enhanced by sleep (and detrimentally impaired when we don’t get enough). That we receive such a bounty of health benefits each night should not be surprising. After all, we are awake for two-thirds of our lives, and we don’t just achieve one useful thing during that stretch of time. We accomplish myriad undertakings that promote our own well-being and survival. Why, then, would we expect sleep—and the twenty-five to thirty years, on average, it takes from our lives—to offer one function only?
Through an explosion of discoveries over the past twenty years, we have come to realize that evolution did not make a spectacular blunder in conceiving of sleep. Sleep dispenses a multitude of health-ensuring benefits, yours to pick up in repeat prescription every twenty-four hours, should you choose.
Within the brain, sleep enriches a diversity of functions, including our ability to learn, memorize, and make logical decisions and choices. Benevolently servicing our psychological health, sleep recalibrates our emotional brain circuits, allowing us to navigate next-day social and psychological challenges with cool-headed composure. We are even beginning to understand the most impervious and controversial of all conscious experiences: the dream. Dreaming provides a unique suite of benefits to all species fortunate enough to experience it, humans included. Among these gifts are a consoling neurochemical bath that mollifies painful memories and a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present knowledge, inspiring creativity.
Downstairs in the body, sleep restocks the armory of our immune system, preventing infection and warding off all manner of sickness. Sleep reforms the body’s metabolic state by fine-tuning the balance of insulin and circulating glucose. Sleep further regulates our appetite, helping control body weight through healthy food selection rather than rash impulsivity. Plentiful sleep maintains a flourishing microbiome within your gut from which we know so much of our nutritional health begins. Adequate sleep is intimately tied to the fitness of our cardiovascular system, lowering blood pressure while helping keep our hearts in fine condition.
A balanced diet and exercise are of vital importance, yes. But we now see sleep as a preeminent force in this health trinity. The physical and mental impairments caused by one night of bad sleep dwarf those caused by an equivalent absence of food or exercise. It is difficult to imagine any other state—natural or medically manipulated—that affords a more powerful redressing of physical and mental health at every level of analysis.
Based on a rich, new scientific understanding of sleep, we no longer have to ask what sleep is good for. Instead, we are now forced to wonder whether there are any biological functions that do not benefit by a good night’s sleep.
Emerging from this research renaissance is an unequivocal message: sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day—Mother Nature’s best effort yet at contra-death. Unfortunately, the real evidence that makes clear all of the dangers that befall individuals and societies when sleep becomes short have not been clearly telegraphed to the public. It is perhaps the most glaring omission in the contemporary health conversation. In response, this book is intended to help address this unmet need, and provide what I hope is a fascinating journey of discoveries. It aims to revise our cultural appreciation of sleep, and reverse our neglect of it.
Personally, I should note that I am rather in love with sleep (not just my own, though I do give myself a non-negotiable eight-hour sleep opportunity each night). I am in love with everything sleep is and does. I am in love with discovering all that remains unknown about it. I am in love with communicating the relevance of it to the public. I am in love with finding any and all methods for reuniting humanity with the sleep it so desperately needs. This love affair has now spanned a twenty-plus-year research career that began when I was a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and continues now that I am a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.
It was not, however, love at first sight. I am an accidental sleep researcher. It was never my intent to inhabit this esoteric outer territory of science. At age eighteen I went to study at the Queen’s Medical Center in England: a prodigious institute in Nottingham boasting a wonderful band of brain scientists on its faculty. Ultimately, medicine wasn’t for me, as it seemed more concerned with answers, whereas I was always more enthralled by questions. For me, answers were simply a way to get to the next question. I decided to study neuroscience, and after graduating, obtained my PhD in neurophysiology supported by a fellowship from England’s Medical Research Council, London.
It was during my PhD work, conducted mostly at Newcastle University, that I began making my first scientific contributions in the field of sleep research. I was examining patterns of electrical brainwave activity in older adults in the early stages of dementia. Counter to common belief, there isn’t just one type of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common, but is only one of many types. For a number of treatment reasons, it is critical to know which type of dementia an individual is suffering from as soon as possible.
I began assessing brainwave activity from my patients during wake and sleep. My hypothesis: there was a unique and specific electrical brain signature that could forecast which dementia subtype each individual was progressing toward. Measurements taken during the day were ambiguous, with no clear signature of difference to be found. Only in the nighttime ocean of sleeping brainwaves did the recordings speak out a clear labeling of my patients’ saddening disease fate. The discovery proved that sleep could potentially be used as a new early diagnostic litmus test to understand which type of dementia an individual would develop.
Sleep became my obsession. The answer it had provided me, like all good answers, only led to more fascinating questions, among them: Was the disruption of sleep in my patients actually contributing to the diseases they were suffering from, and even causing some of their terrible symptoms, such as memory loss, aggression, hallucinations, delusions? I read all I could. A scarcely believable truth began to emerge—nobody actually knew the clear reason why we needed sleep, and what it does. I could not answer my own question about dementia if this fundamental first question remained unanswered. I decided I would try to crack the code of sleep.
I halted my research in dementia and, for a post-doctoral position that took me across the Atlantic Ocean to Harvard, set about addressing one of the most enigmatic puzzles of humanity—one that had eluded some of the best scientists in history: Why do we sleep? With genuine naïveté, not hubris, I believed I would find the answer within two years. That was twenty years ago. Hard problems care little about what motivates their interrogators; they meter out their lessons of difficulty all the same.
Now, after two decades of my own research efforts, combined with thousands of studies from other laboratories around the world, we have many of the answers. These discoveries have taken me on wonderful, privileged, and unexpected journeys inside and outside of academia—from being a sleep consultant for the NBA, NFL, and British Premier League football teams; to Pixar Animation, government agencies, and well-known technology and financial companies. These sleep revelations, together with many similar discoveries from my fellow sleep scientists, will offer proof about the vital importance of sleep.
A final comment on the structure of this book. The chapters are written in a logical order, traversing a narrative arc in four main parts.
Part 1 demystifies this beguiling thing called sleep: what it is, what it isn’t, who sleeps, how much they sleep, how human beings should sleep (but are not), and how sleep changes across your life span or that of your child, for better and for worse.
Part 2 details the good, the bad, and the deathly of sleep and sleep loss. We will explore all of the astonishing benefits of sleep for brain and for body, affirming what a remarkable Swiss Army knife of health and wellness sleep truly is. Then we turn to how and why a lack of sufficient sleep leads to a quagmire of ill health, disease, and untimely death—a wakeup call to sleep if ever there was one.
Part 3 offers safe passage from sleep to the fantastical world of dreams scientifically explained. From peering into the brains of dreaming individuals, and precisely how dreams inspire Nobel Prize–winning ideas that transform the world, to whether or not dream control really is possible, and if such a thing is even wise—all will be revealed.
Part 4 seats us first at the bedside, explaining numerous sleep disorders, including insomnia. I will unpack the obvious and not-so-obvious reasons for why so many of us find it difficult to get a good night’s sleep, night after night. A discussion of sleeping pills then follows, based on scientific and clinical data. Details of new, safer, and more effective non-drug therapies for better sleep will then be described. Transitioning from bedside up to the level of sleep in society, we will subsequently learn of the sobering impact that insufficient sleep has in education, in medicine and health care, and in business. The evidence shatters beliefs about the usefulness of long waking hours with little sleep in effectively, safely, profitably, and ethically accomplishing the goals of each of these disciplines. Concluding the book with genuine optimistic hope, I lay out a road map of ideas that can reconnect humanity with the sleep it remains so bereft of—a new vision for sleep in the twenty-first century.
I should note that you need not read this book in this progressive, four-part narrative arc. Each chapter can, for the most part, be read individually, and out of order, without losing too much of its significance. I therefore invite you to consume the book in whole or in part, buffet-style or in order, all according to your personal taste.
It is worthwhile pointing out that this book is not designed to be a self-help guide. It is not written to target or treat sleep disorders, including insomnia. There are books that do this, and many of them will recommend speaking to a doctor if you suspect you have a sleep disorder. I am also very understanding of, and sympathetic to, those people who struggle with sleep and are most anxious about it. For these individuals, it is possible that their anxiety may increase when reading about the impact of insufficient sleep, including information contained in the book. I therefore want to alert the reader to this possibility, allowing for reader discretion on this matter.
In closing, I offer a disclaimer. Should you feel drowsy and fall asleep while reading the book, unlike most authors, I will not be disheartened. Indeed, based on the topic and content of this book, I am actively going to encourage that kind of behavior from you. Knowing what I know about the relationship between sleep and memory, it is the greatest form of flattery for me to know that you, the reader, cannot resist the urge to strengthen and thus remember what I am telling you by falling asleep. So please, feel free to ebb and flow into and out of consciousness during this entire book. I will take absolutely no offense. On the contrary, I would be delighted.
I. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stipulates that adults need seven hours of sleep or more per twenty-four hours.
II. Dr. Allan Rechtschaffen.
III. Cirelli, C., and Tononi, G. (2008). “Is sleep essential?” PLoS Biology. 6, e216.
Product details
- Publisher : Scribner; Reprint edition (June 19, 2018)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 368 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1501144324
- ISBN-13 : 978-1501144325
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.92 x 8.38 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #718 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1 in Neuroscience (Books)
- #2 in Sleep Disorders
- #5 in Anatomy (Books)
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book engaging and informative. They appreciate the clear explanations of complex neurological topics and scientific details about the human body's sleep cycle. The book provides insights into the issue of sleep quality and how it impacts memory, immunity, and emotions. Many consider it a worthwhile investment in their health. However, some readers feel the book is boring or redundant towards the end.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book engaging and informative. They appreciate the writing style, diction, and vocabulary. The book provides details and is a must-read for anyone involved in medicine, education, or ministry.
"...That being said, I found the writing style so engaging (with a few minor instances of excessive detail) and the content so important that I read it..." Read more
"...That was exactly what I did. Reading the book was out of order and focused on topics that interested me most - jetlag, sleeping pills, dreams,..." Read more
"...Facts are the facts, and those presented in this book will change your outlook and appreciation of sleep. It did mine. Worthwhile read." Read more
"...Engaging, insightful, and transformative!" Read more
Customers find the book provides valuable information on sleep and its impact on health. They appreciate the author's clear explanations of complex neurological topics for the layperson. The book covers a wide range of subjects related to sleep quality and importance, making it an excellent resource for health professionals.
"...Walker also describes how dreams foster creativity by establishing connections between distantly related pieces of information stored in the brain...." Read more
"...It was also very enlightening for me to learn that there are a number of factors affecting our sleep, such as the blue night from the LED monitor,..." Read more
"...the benefits of sleep to overall body health and gives substantial experimental evidence to the regenerative benefits of sleep to natural ailments...." Read more
"Tremendously intellectual vocabulary and explanations of brain anatomy and functions makes the book laborious and at the same time extremely..." Read more
Customers find the book provides insights into sleep issues and treatment plans for insomnia. They mention it reveals how sleep impacts memory, immunity, and emotions. The book offers clear explanations about good sleep habits like avoiding alcohol and caffeine, keeping a regular bedtime, and the results seem promising.
"...been putting this and his other advice to the test, and the results seem promising." Read more
"...focused on topics that interested me most - jetlag, sleeping pills, dreams, healthy sleep, etc. Part 1. This Thing Called Sleep..." Read more
"...a good reminder of the importance of sleep, a good reference for the scientific benefits of sleep and important tutorial on the health requirements..." Read more
"...and those presented in this book will change your outlook and appreciation of sleep. It did mine. Worthwhile read." Read more
Customers find the book provides an accurate cost-benefit analysis for making sleep a worthwhile investment. They say it's a good buy and worth it for the audio book. While the return on investment through happiness and feeling better pales in comparison to the initial purchase, readers appreciate the health benefits of getting enough sleep and the high health costs of not getting enough.
"...This was a great used deal, and the book arrived good as new. I’d recommend this book to anyone who sleeps (and especially to those who cannot!)." Read more
"...It is incredible. Totally worth the money." Read more
"...The hours you spend reading this book will certainly be a valuable investment into your life, health and general well being." Read more
"...I'm able to make an informed decision and an accurate cost benefit analysis for making sleep a nonnegotiable, at the sacrifice of other things...." Read more
Customers find the book thought-provoking and disturbing. They mention that poor sleep can cause physical and mental impairments. The book also explains the connection between sleep and various disorders and diseases.
"...explanations, it reveals how sleep impacts memory, immunity, and emotions while exposing the dangers of sleep deprivation...." Read more
"...The physical and mental impairments caused by one night of bad sleep dwarfs those caused by an equivalent absence of food or exercise...." Read more
"...I have changed my own sleep habits now I dream more, feel younger, happier and enjoying life more...." Read more
"...effects: higher blood pressure and higher heart rate, higher level of stress hormone cortisol, lower degree of growth hormone, increased probability..." Read more
Customers find the book boring and redundant. They feel it's a waste of paper, as the topics are dry and the author overemphasizes the negative effects of lack of sleep.
"...about halfway through the book, but so far I have found the book a little boring and basic...." Read more
"This book was boring. Too many studies and research. It’s good but I just want something straightforward...." Read more
"...It weakens the entire book because the author keeps trying to make the science fit his beliefs instead of letting the science stand on its own...." Read more
"...Although not the most thrilling of books, it doesn’t aim to be. It is stacked with facts and tips in regards to our night time rituals...." Read more
Reviews with images
Why We Need Sleeping?
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2023"I was once fond of saying, 'Sleep is the third pillar of good health, alongside diet and exercise.' I have changed my tune. Sleep is more than a pillar; it is the foundation on which the other two health bastions sit. Take away the bedrock of sleep, or weaken it just a little, and careful eating or physical exercise become less than effective, as we shall see."
― from “Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams”
Matthew Walker's "Why We Sleep" is one of the two most important books I have read in my life1. Having done a little stock trading along with having survived several tech industry "death marches," things which are quite antithetical to good sleep, I had little idea just how destructive to your health lack of sleep is. A few years back, however, I began to hear that lack of sleep was correlated with diseases such as Alzheimer's, but this did not strike me as convincing since correlation is not causation. Indeed, a little later, I heard about this book at work but was somewhat ambivalent. It's just going to tell me that doctors think sleep is essential but are vague as to why were my thoughts.
Luckily I noticed an episode of Sam Harris's podcast "Making Sense" in which he interviewed Walker. Since Sam Harris is a figure whose judgment I highly respect, and I know he is very discerning about whom he invites on as guests, I decided there was probably more of value to say about sleep than I initially thought.
Correlation and Causation
Walker's book makes a compelling case that sleep is the bedrock of good health. He convincingly demonstrates that lack of good sleep can lead to downward spirals in health with the development of health conditions that make it hard to sleep, leading to more serious health conditions due to lack of sleep, making it even harder to sleep… and so on into a vicious cycle. Walker is careful to lay out in detail when the causal mechanisms are well understood, as in the case of Alzheimer's and cancer, and when lack of sleep is currently a suspect, although the exact causal mechanism has yet to be established. By the end of the book, I realized, however, that sleep is so foundational that even a mere correlation to some bad health condition is enough to make lack of good sleep a prime suspect worth considering as a cause.
Organization and Style
According to Walker, "Why We Sleep" is organized so that later chapters can be read without a strict need to read earlier ones first. Thus, if you use sleeping pills and want to know why you should not, he says it is okay to and, indeed, encourages you to jump to that section right away. That being said, I found the writing style so engaging (with a few minor instances of excessive detail) and the content so important that I read it straight through. Having read it this way, my sense was that the book frontloads its most important content: It explains in detail, with specifics such as the chemicals involved, why you feel more tired at certain parts of the day than others. To give you the motivation to get good sleep, the deleterious effects of lack of sleep also come near the beginning of the book.
The Enormous and Far-Ranging Effects of Poor Sleep
The effects of lack of sleep go beyond just affecting your physical health, however, and Walker shows just how destructive lack of sleep will be on your ability to learn new things. One of the most remarkable findings is that you need to get good sleep after learning new information. You cannot even get a single night of suboptimal sleep the first night, or some information will be lost permanently.
Conversely, if you get that first night of good sleep after learning something new, sleep on subsequent nights will continue to solidify what you have learned: all while you sleep! This is just one case where Walker details how, unfortunately, missed sleep cannot be well compensated for by more sleep later: Permanent losses are involved.
Dreams
Some of the most fascinating information in the book is on the role of dreams. Here we learn of their therapeutic qualities, including some of the underlying biochemistry involved. Discoveries here have led to a better understanding of PTSD, including better treatment methods. Walker also describes how dreams foster creativity by establishing connections between distantly related pieces of information stored in the brain. Here Walker includes a particularly fascinating anecdote of how Edison enhanced his creativity by waking himself from naps and immediately recording his thoughts.
Empathy For Different Circadian Rhythms
Throughout the book, Walker emphasizes how what we have learned about sleep has implications for how we should view people who may not have what seem like "normal" sleep patterns more empathetically. In particular, he emphasizes that teenagers want to get up and go to bed later, not due to laziness but because they run on a different circadian rhythm. It is something that is biologically hardwired into them. A consequence is that forcing school start times incompatible with this has devastating effects on how well they learn compared to well they could. Similar facts are true of people who are naturally "night owls" and run on different circadian rhythms than the rest of us.
Minor Flaws
Walker's book has only a few minor flaws:
1. Although he provides an excellent explanation of why most sleeping pills should be avoided, he does not mention whether this includes melatonin.
2. His discussion of the nationwide dollar impacts of poor sleep could be better presented. The unfortunate truth is that given the numbers we have heard spent on wars and, especially, financial bailouts and stimulus, rattling off numbers that are “merely” in the hundreds of millions or even low billions hits us in a place we are now numb.
3. Although Walker's discussion of creativity in the dream state and the state when just waking from dreams is a fascinating part of the book, I would have liked to see some discussion of how objectively accurate intuitions are during these moments. Anecdotally, I used to joke that my best ideas came to me during this time or not at all. Sometimes, however, the thoughts just turned out to be overconfident upon more profound reflection. Is that true for just me, or is it true for people, generally speaking?
Conclusion
Overall, Walker's "Why We Sleep" is a must-read for anyone who sleeps: in other words, everyone. This book will not only absolve you of any guilt associated with prioritizing sleep, but it will also arm you with the knowledge to make the best choices for your physical and mental health. Walker guides you through the critical benefits of sleep, from its integral role in memory and creativity to its power to process and put to rest the day's experiences: especially the more troubling ones.
While the damaging effects of lack of sleep seem exponential, Walker argues that some of the most significant benefits come in the final two hours. Thus getting eight full hours of sleep is crucial. After reading this book, you will not want to miss a full night's sleep again.
To help you achieve a full night's sleep regularly, Walker provides 12 concrete steps in an appendix. Some of these suggestions are initially counterintuitive. For example, Walker maintains that a cooler room temperature of around 65F is best for optimal sleep. Already, I've been putting this and his other advice to the test, and the results seem promising.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2024I got interested in this book because I want to know how I can sleep better. Did I get my questions answered? I would say most of them.
The book was written in 4 parts. Readers can read each part individually without following the order. That was exactly what I did. Reading the book was out of order and focused on topics that interested me most - jetlag, sleeping pills, dreams, healthy sleep, etc.
Part 1. This Thing Called Sleep
What I liked most about this book is how it dispelled the myths about sleeping. Let's start with sleeping pills. Most of the sleeping pills on the market are based on Melatonin. Basically, it helps regulate the timing of when sleep occurs, i.e., it does not put you to sleep. Taking melatonin for jet lag does not guarantee we will be able to sleep, but the timing signal significantly increases the likelihood of sleep. Another misconception is that taking alcoholic drinks before sleep will help us sleep better. It turns out that it has the opposite effect.
Part 2. Why Should You Sleep
I used to hear stories about great people who only slept a few hours every day, so they got a lot more things done versus the ordinary folks. However, even people such as Bill Gates are saying that now, having 8 hours of sleep is important. Sleep deprivation can be a serious problem. Workers will lose productivity if they do not get enough sleep, and it may affect their health as their immune system is weakened. A more serious scenario is when we do not have enough sleep, and we are driving.
Part 3. How and Why We Dream
I always try to interpret a dream, especially a scary one, and find out what it means. The author looked at dreams from a scientific standpoint. It's almost like fortune telling when we try to figure out the meaning of a dream. However, with the experimental data collected, they were able to show that people get more creative and are able to solve tough problems during their dreams. He cited examples from well-known people such as Thomas Edison and Paul McCartney. Very interesting findings. I need to dream more so I can be more creative!
Part 4. From Sleeping Pills to Society-Transformed
This is the part I enjoyed most, as it answered most of my questions. With modern society, we have more and more distractions every day. In addition to computers at work and at home, we have many electronic gadgets such as iPads, cell phones, iWatch, etc. And it is actually not healthy to spend so much time on these electronic devices before going to bed. It was also very enlightening for me to learn that there are a number of factors affecting our sleep, such as the blue night from the LED monitor, the temperature, and lighting in our bedroom, etc.
The author stated clearly at the beginning of his book that it is not designed to be a self-help guide, and it's not written to target or treat sleep disorders. However, he did include an appendix, "Twelve Tips for Healthy Sleep."
The book speaks with data and facts. I learned a lot from it, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. On the other hand, for folks not interested in all the details of the experimental data, you can still get a lot of good insights from the book.
5.0 out of 5 stars Why We Need Sleeping?I got interested in this book because I want to know how I can sleep better. Did I get my questions answered? I would say most of them.
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2024
The book was written in 4 parts. Readers can read each part individually without following the order. That was exactly what I did. Reading the book was out of order and focused on topics that interested me most - jetlag, sleeping pills, dreams, healthy sleep, etc.
Part 1. This Thing Called Sleep
What I liked most about this book is how it dispelled the myths about sleeping. Let's start with sleeping pills. Most of the sleeping pills on the market are based on Melatonin. Basically, it helps regulate the timing of when sleep occurs, i.e., it does not put you to sleep. Taking melatonin for jet lag does not guarantee we will be able to sleep, but the timing signal significantly increases the likelihood of sleep. Another misconception is that taking alcoholic drinks before sleep will help us sleep better. It turns out that it has the opposite effect.
Part 2. Why Should You Sleep
I used to hear stories about great people who only slept a few hours every day, so they got a lot more things done versus the ordinary folks. However, even people such as Bill Gates are saying that now, having 8 hours of sleep is important. Sleep deprivation can be a serious problem. Workers will lose productivity if they do not get enough sleep, and it may affect their health as their immune system is weakened. A more serious scenario is when we do not have enough sleep, and we are driving.
Part 3. How and Why We Dream
I always try to interpret a dream, especially a scary one, and find out what it means. The author looked at dreams from a scientific standpoint. It's almost like fortune telling when we try to figure out the meaning of a dream. However, with the experimental data collected, they were able to show that people get more creative and are able to solve tough problems during their dreams. He cited examples from well-known people such as Thomas Edison and Paul McCartney. Very interesting findings. I need to dream more so I can be more creative!
Part 4. From Sleeping Pills to Society-Transformed
This is the part I enjoyed most, as it answered most of my questions. With modern society, we have more and more distractions every day. In addition to computers at work and at home, we have many electronic gadgets such as iPads, cell phones, iWatch, etc. And it is actually not healthy to spend so much time on these electronic devices before going to bed. It was also very enlightening for me to learn that there are a number of factors affecting our sleep, such as the blue night from the LED monitor, the temperature, and lighting in our bedroom, etc.
The author stated clearly at the beginning of his book that it is not designed to be a self-help guide, and it's not written to target or treat sleep disorders. However, he did include an appendix, "Twelve Tips for Healthy Sleep."
The book speaks with data and facts. I learned a lot from it, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. On the other hand, for folks not interested in all the details of the experimental data, you can still get a lot of good insights from the book.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
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Oscar FdezReviewed in Mexico on December 15, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars El valor del sueño
Excelente libro para terminar de entender la importancia del sueño y los procesos para los que ayuda cuidar la cantidad de horas que domirmos y lo mucho que nos afecta no hacerlo. Totalmente recomendable.
- robertmtorontoReviewed in Canada on November 27, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book now:Don’t sleep on it.
An outstanding book of researched based knowledge about how profound sleep is to our existence. Clearly written, with beautiful explanations and examples, it is simply the best book that explains one- third of our existence. I’ve studied the practical side of neuroscience for over 20 years. This book is the missing link that rounds out what we know about the brain.
- Mauricio Antonio TamerReviewed in Brazil on January 17, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Everybody shall read it
Life changing book. You will learn why to sleep, including a very consistent and technical answer. After reading this book, for sure, you will learn how to improve many areas of your life.
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lilieReviewed in France on December 6, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent livre
Ce livre est important a lire et avoir dans sa bibliotheque afin de comprendre l'importance vital du sommeil sur la qualite de vie des heures éveillées . A lire absoluement a partir de l'adolescence . Cela aura un impact sur le reste de la vie je recommande ce livre
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aleszaReviewed in Germany on October 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Interessantes Buch
Sehr informativ und interessant. Der Autor erzählt nicht zu wissenschaftlich und abgehoben, sondern alle seine Beispiele und Erklärungen sind sehr einleuchtend und verständlich beschrieben. Sehr zu empfehlen!