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Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams
by
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 longevity. Unt ...more
Sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life, wellness, and longevity. Unt ...more
ebook, 368 pages
Published
2017
by Penguin Books Ltd
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Start your review of Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams

Back in my early Microsoft days, I routinely pulled all-nighters when we had to deliver a piece of software. Once or twice, I stayed up two nights in a row. I knew I wasn’t as sharp when I was operating mostly on caffeine and adrenaline, but I was obsessed with my work, and I felt that sleeping a lot was lazy.
Now that I’ve read Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep, I realize that my all-nighters, combined with almost never getting eight hours of sleep, took a big toll. The book was recommended to me by ...more
Now that I’ve read Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep, I realize that my all-nighters, combined with almost never getting eight hours of sleep, took a big toll. The book was recommended to me by ...more

This book is genuinely terrifying. The author, a sleep scientist, lists the devastating consequences of getting less than 7-9 hours regularly and it is so much worse than you might have thought. SO much worse. We're basically all going to die.
I'm not even kidding--being just an hour short on sleep a day will do serious damage to your immune system almost immediately, and the Western world is in the grip of a massive sleep deprivation epidemic. Lack of sleep is a carcinogen, literally. It also d ...more
I'm not even kidding--being just an hour short on sleep a day will do serious damage to your immune system almost immediately, and the Western world is in the grip of a massive sleep deprivation epidemic. Lack of sleep is a carcinogen, literally. It also d ...more

"The shorter your sleep, the shorter your life span"
This is not a book that I had in any of my reading lists, and only picked up because the title seemed interesting while I was searching for some other books. I'm really glad that I did so, because this turned out to be one of the most incredible books I've ever read: full of enlighteningly descriptive insights on many aspects related to sleeping.
"Wakefulness is low-level brain damage, while sleep is neurological sanitation."
"When sleep i ...more
This is not a book that I had in any of my reading lists, and only picked up because the title seemed interesting while I was searching for some other books. I'm really glad that I did so, because this turned out to be one of the most incredible books I've ever read: full of enlighteningly descriptive insights on many aspects related to sleeping.
"Wakefulness is low-level brain damage, while sleep is neurological sanitation."
"When sleep i ...more

For once, I actually mean five stars in the sense of "everybody should read this book." This book is highly readable but contains stunning information I'd never seen anywhere else (and includes numerous references to serious primary literature).
I was reminded (stay with me here) of ancient Egyptian funerary practices. After carefully embalming organs like the heart and liver, and placing them in canopic jars, the Egyptians pulled the brain out with a hook and threw it away, because they didn't r ...more
I was reminded (stay with me here) of ancient Egyptian funerary practices. After carefully embalming organs like the heart and liver, and placing them in canopic jars, the Egyptians pulled the brain out with a hook and threw it away, because they didn't r ...more

Jun 06, 2020
Mario the lone bookwolf
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
0-mental-strength,
0-biology
The best book about the importance of sleep and the dangers of a lack of it.
Often it´s our own fault, because we eat too much too late, consume media before going to bed, don´t exercise, float the mind with negative and repetitive thoughts that come back at night, sadly not as succubi and incubi, but more the nightmarish evil, not sexy, demon style thing. Even if full 8 hours are reached, the quality can be so low that healthier people with an optimistic mindset find more regeneration with lesse ...more
Often it´s our own fault, because we eat too much too late, consume media before going to bed, don´t exercise, float the mind with negative and repetitive thoughts that come back at night, sadly not as succubi and incubi, but more the nightmarish evil, not sexy, demon style thing. Even if full 8 hours are reached, the quality can be so low that healthier people with an optimistic mindset find more regeneration with lesse ...more

Aug 10, 2021
Emily (Books with Emily Fox)
is currently reading it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobooks
I'm only 50% into and while it's good, if you have anxiety or if you're not sleeping well... don't read it!
I didn't need to stress myself more about sleeping badly. Now I know exactly how bad for me it is XD
PS. Guys, this isn't my official review, this is just me joking around that it's stressing me out lol ...more
I didn't need to stress myself more about sleeping badly. Now I know exactly how bad for me it is XD
PS. Guys, this isn't my official review, this is just me joking around that it's stressing me out lol ...more

Jun 30, 2019
Petra Needs book recs for potential bf -See update
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Something to ponder; every living thing on earth is subject to the circadian (24 hour) rhythm. It is understandable why animals and plants need to be awake in daylight hours. Less so for fish that for thousands of generations have lived in underground rivers and have over the millenia lost the ability to even sense light. Even less so for bacteria. But still, all of us have this endogenous clock keeping time within us, keeping time with the sun.
In the 1930s, a scientist, Nathaniel Kleitman and a ...more
In the 1930s, a scientist, Nathaniel Kleitman and a ...more

Sleeping is probably the biggest productivity hack I know. If you don't get enough sleep every day or don't get regular sleep, this is the most important thing you should work on. Lots of bad decisions are made due to lack of sleep so no excuse just make sure you sleep well.
As important as sleeping is, writing a whole book about it feels like it's too much. I liked a lot of the things in this book but thought it was too long.
My biggest lesson from this book is to avoid sleeping pills whenever po ...more
As important as sleeping is, writing a whole book about it feels like it's too much. I liked a lot of the things in this book but thought it was too long.
My biggest lesson from this book is to avoid sleeping pills whenever po ...more

So, this book is both a must read and deeply, deeply disturbing. I’ve been having trouble sleeping for the last few years and now I’m going to have to do something about it, simple as that, because the consequences of not sleeping properly are appalling.
For instance, it provides you, free of charge, with an increased risk of diabetes, dementia (in all its fun and various guises), weight gain, heart disease and even accidental death. And the situation is getting worse. We are losing sleep at a r ...more
For instance, it provides you, free of charge, with an increased risk of diabetes, dementia (in all its fun and various guises), weight gain, heart disease and even accidental death. And the situation is getting worse. We are losing sleep at a r ...more

4.5 - Very well researched and the studies/arguments are explained in a way that's very accessible and easy to understand.
...more

Have you ever felt knackered that you needed to catch some z's hopefully to sleep back what you've previously lost? Have you not slept a wink even if you hit the hay awhile ago and just decided to take some sleeping and other sedating drugs just to make you sleep like a log, but then you would wake up feeling like a zombie of sorts? Well, have no fear, the doctor's here! Not me, okay? Mind you!
"Ultimately, asking 'Why do we sleep?' was the wrong question. It implied there was a single functio...more

Five giant stars. This book is extremely precious because it is the intuitive summary of more than 50 years research on different facets and functions of sleep, and also because it is written by a proficient neurologist in a way that anyone can easily understand the intricate functions of the brain,hormones,body etc.
The author first thoroughly explains the endogenous reasons of sleep ( melatonin and adenosine ) and then describes two different phases of sleep ( NREM and REM ). Then he illustrat ...more
The author first thoroughly explains the endogenous reasons of sleep ( melatonin and adenosine ) and then describes two different phases of sleep ( NREM and REM ). Then he illustrat ...more

Matthew Walker really, really thinks we all need some serious shut-eye, and he's not messing around when it comes to getting you on board – he hits you with both barrels on page one, and never lets up:
Routinely sleeping less than six or seven hours a night demolishes your immune system, more than doubling your risk of cancer. Insufficient sleep is a key lifestyle factor determining whether or not you will develop Alzheimer's disease. Inadequate sleep—even moderate reductions for just one week—di...more

There's an overwhelmingly positive experience I had with this book. For most of it, Walker talks about his research (and his colleagues) surrounding the sleep and those arguments are fascinating and convincing.
However, there are moments, mostly closer to the end of it, when you feel like you are listening to a sales pitch. First of all, I dislike when somebody uses percentage without reference, ie "it's a 150% growth" as it might easily mean it was 1% in the past and now is 2,5% (150% growth), ...more
However, there are moments, mostly closer to the end of it, when you feel like you are listening to a sales pitch. First of all, I dislike when somebody uses percentage without reference, ie "it's a 150% growth" as it might easily mean it was 1% in the past and now is 2,5% (150% growth), ...more

The less you sleep the shorter your life span will be. Do I have your attention yet? If so read
this excerpt
from the beginning of this book (p3-5), and you will understand why this book caught my attention.
This book is divided into four parts. Part 1 defines the nature and types of sleep, describes how the need for sleep changes over a life span, and goes on to discuss the evolutionary origins of sleep. Part 2 describes why you should sleep and lays out the dire consequences of not sleepin ...more
This book is divided into four parts. Part 1 defines the nature and types of sleep, describes how the need for sleep changes over a life span, and goes on to discuss the evolutionary origins of sleep. Part 2 describes why you should sleep and lays out the dire consequences of not sleepin ...more

This is such an excellent book, mainly because I had never thought very much about the need for a good night's rest. The first part of this book does not really address "why we sleep". Instead, the book describes "what happens if we do not get enough sleep." Not until about halfway through the book, does the question "why we sleep" really get answered.
The author, Matthew Walker, is a professor of neuroscience and psychology. I always prefer to read science-related books that are written by scien ...more
The author, Matthew Walker, is a professor of neuroscience and psychology. I always prefer to read science-related books that are written by scien ...more

Sleep has been a big mystery for long, as it has been unclear what purpose it serves, and why natural selection did not weed it out. After all, in earlier times, the period of sleep must have been one of considerable danger for humans (and even now for many animals and birds). And yet, sleep is a common requirement across the animal kingdom as well. In fact, birds and some sea creatures have the remarkable ability to sleep half a brain at a time.
Matthew Walker is a sleep scientist and does an e ...more
Matthew Walker is a sleep scientist and does an e ...more

Why we Sleep by Sleep Scientist, Matthew Walker was totally BRILLIANT!
Matthew Walker is a British Sleep Scientist and Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at Berkeley – and it shows. Essentially everything Professor Walker asserts is backed up by evidence. More often than not, he not only states the source but will explain the details of the studies in question to explain his statements. It is just so well done – all easy to read, all so well explained.
But this is all very well. It wouldn’t ...more
Matthew Walker is a British Sleep Scientist and Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at Berkeley – and it shows. Essentially everything Professor Walker asserts is backed up by evidence. More often than not, he not only states the source but will explain the details of the studies in question to explain his statements. It is just so well done – all easy to read, all so well explained.
But this is all very well. It wouldn’t ...more

You know, I'm not usually one to tout NY Times bestsellers, but in this particular case, I want to mention that...
This kinda should be required reading for everyone.
Why? Because despite the rather innocuous title and no-nonsense factual information being presented, with no less than 750 scientific studies supporting the findings within, the author OUGHT to have been screaming that we're all freaking fools and morons.
Sure, I've heard of some of the studies, such as the ones related to the huge p ...more
This kinda should be required reading for everyone.
Why? Because despite the rather innocuous title and no-nonsense factual information being presented, with no less than 750 scientific studies supporting the findings within, the author OUGHT to have been screaming that we're all freaking fools and morons.
Sure, I've heard of some of the studies, such as the ones related to the huge p ...more

This is artful science-writing, except that the science seems sketchy. It is fishy, especially in the context of the author's lambasting of Big Pharma, that he is a self-styled entrepreneur (https://www.sleepdiplomat.com/entrepr...) working with Fitbit and Google, presumably on the types of gadgets he recommends in the book.
Nerd addendum:
The general point is reasonable: people should get enough sleep. Fine -- that hardly requires a book. The potential plus-value here is the fear-mongering to mo ...more
Nerd addendum:
The general point is reasonable: people should get enough sleep. Fine -- that hardly requires a book. The potential plus-value here is the fear-mongering to mo ...more

Dec 05, 2018
Hamad
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Hamad by:
Tala
This review and other non-spoilery reviews can be found @The Book Prescription
“The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep.”
🌟 I am still on a quest to discover more non-fiction books, that started last year and I am willing to continue this year. So when Tala (Who also happens to be a medical student in my class) recommended this, I knew that I had to read it!
🌟 I also had the same first question that most of us will think of: How a ~370 pages book is filled with things on s ...more
“The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep.”
🌟 I am still on a quest to discover more non-fiction books, that started last year and I am willing to continue this year. So when Tala (Who also happens to be a medical student in my class) recommended this, I knew that I had to read it!
🌟 I also had the same first question that most of us will think of: How a ~370 pages book is filled with things on s ...more

Feb 07, 2019
Olive Fellows (abookolive)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites-2019
Written by sleep scientist Matthew Walker, this is a look at what all we know about sleep right now. Though much about sleep is still not understood, Walker makes the bold assertion that more than anything else in our lifestyles, sleep is the factor that is the key to our overall wellbeing. Diet and exercise are important, but nothing is as crucial as getting the 7-9 hours you need every single night.
This is not a self-help book on how to sleep more, but understanding the science - presented in ...more
This is not a self-help book on how to sleep more, but understanding the science - presented in ...more

After listening to Matthew Walker’s appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast I decided to leave a review for this book. Overall, it’s quite good and the content is original. This book highlights the benefits of nine hours of sleep and how it is imperative to live a healthy life and do excellent academically. I didn’t think you could write so much over the research on sleeping. I do hope Walker appears on Joe Rogan’s podcast again to remind people to sleep more!

Hands down, one of the best books I read this year (more like ever, to be honest).
So, a miracle drug has been discovered. A revolutionary new treatment that makes you live longer. It enhances your memory, makes you more attractive. It keeps you slim and lowers food cravings. It protects you from cancer and dementia. It wards off colds and flu. It lowers your risk of heart attacks and stroke, not to mention diabetes. You’ll even feel happier, less depressed, and less anxious. Sleep! Who would ha ...more
So, a miracle drug has been discovered. A revolutionary new treatment that makes you live longer. It enhances your memory, makes you more attractive. It keeps you slim and lowers food cravings. It protects you from cancer and dementia. It wards off colds and flu. It lowers your risk of heart attacks and stroke, not to mention diabetes. You’ll even feel happier, less depressed, and less anxious. Sleep! Who would ha ...more

My sleep is broken, I play games or surf internet for hours before going to bed at midnight and I lazily snooze the alarm at 8am and I continue to do so till 10am or even 11 sometimes. I was looking for a silver bullet to fix my sleep and I picked this one.
So, did it help?
ah, er.. em, yes.
Out of 13.5 hours of material on sleep, author hardly covers on how to fix your sleep but reveals the horrors that are inevitable if your don't change your sleep habits. The author, a sleep scientist strongly a ...more
So, did it help?
ah, er.. em, yes.
Out of 13.5 hours of material on sleep, author hardly covers on how to fix your sleep but reveals the horrors that are inevitable if your don't change your sleep habits. The author, a sleep scientist strongly a ...more

update: there's now an example of deliberate data manipulation by Walker (he edited out the data that contradicted his argument from the graph) -- https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/...
---
Read my full review here: https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/
Walker misrepresents science, invents things on the fly (e.g. sleeplessness epidemic declared by the WHO), and scaremongers everyone into sleeping more than they probably should. I wrote a fact-check of the first 10 pages of the book, and it's not ...more
---
Read my full review here: https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/
Walker misrepresents science, invents things on the fly (e.g. sleeplessness epidemic declared by the WHO), and scaremongers everyone into sleeping more than they probably should. I wrote a fact-check of the first 10 pages of the book, and it's not ...more

This is going to sound naive but it still surprises me that so many scientists can be so vain. I like to imagine them outside and above such concerns but of course they aren´t: they´re as human as the rest of us. They want to win prizes, "go down in history", have students applaud them in lectures and be popular.
Walker is Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley and tours, lectures and writes on sleep and sleep science. This book - which can be read in o ...more
Walker is Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley and tours, lectures and writes on sleep and sleep science. This book - which can be read in o ...more

Dec 08, 2020
Dave Schaafsma
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
science
I've never been a great sleeper. Not an insomniac, no sleep disorders, but I have always been secretly proud that I "need less sleep than most normal people," never sleeping as much as any friend or family member. Hey, I'm ambitious, relatively healthy, I like to stay up late and wake early, bam, waking up without the need for coffee, a bit of a lifer adhd kind of guy. But in the last couple years I have begun to listen to doctors about my blood pressure, heart rate, cholestoral, the need to exe
...more

We often hear that sleep, diet and exercise are the three pillars of health, but Walker, a professor of neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley, goes further: he believes sleep is the platform on which diet and exercise rest. Getting 7–9 hours of sleep a night is not some luxury to aim for but an absolute essential for the brain to process new information and prepare for receiving more the next day. Dreaming is like overnight therapy, and fuels creativity. Sleep deprivation has be
...more

"Our lack of sleep is a slow form of self-euthanasia."
Leading scientific expert Professor Matthew Walk reveals his groundbreaking exploration of sleep and why it's so important.
If anything is going to scare me into taking my sleep more seriously, it would be this book. I can't even begin to detail all the amazing - yet terrifying - facts I learned while listening to Why We Sleep. And I always KNEW us night owls were at a disadvantage when it came to the normal 9-5 lifestyle - our body clock simp ...more
Leading scientific expert Professor Matthew Walk reveals his groundbreaking exploration of sleep and why it's so important.
If anything is going to scare me into taking my sleep more seriously, it would be this book. I can't even begin to detail all the amazing - yet terrifying - facts I learned while listening to Why We Sleep. And I always KNEW us night owls were at a disadvantage when it came to the normal 9-5 lifestyle - our body clock simp ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Goodreads Reviewe...: Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker | 2 | 24 | Sep 01, 2021 05:18PM | |
Goodreads România: Citește cu mine: Why We Sleep, de Matthew Walker | 7 | 79 | Jun 09, 2020 10:53AM | |
What's Next?: Book Review: Why We Sleep | 1 | 17 | May 17, 2020 04:33AM | |
Accusations of Scientific Mistakes/Errors | 4 | 171 | Mar 16, 2020 02:34AM | |
Goodreads Librari...: Missing 'total pages' | 2 | 17 | Dec 09, 2019 05:44AM | |
Read With Me!: Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams | 1 | 14 | Dec 02, 2019 10:51AM |
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