"Why We Sleep is an important and fascinating book...Walker taught
me a lot about this basic activity that every person on Earth needs. I
suspect his book will do the same for you." --Bill Gates
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).
