Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams

by Matthew Walker

At the very highest levels, transforming entire societies will be neither trivial nor easy. Yet we can borrow proven methods from other areas of health to shift society’s sleep for the better. I offer just one example. In the United States, many health insurance companies provide a financial credit to their members for joining a gym. Considering the health benefits of increased sleep amount, why don’t we institute a similar incentive for racking up more consistent and plentiful slumber? Health insurance companies could approve valid commercial sleep-tracking devices that individuals commonly own. You, the individual, could then upload your sleep credit score to your health-care provider profile. Based on a tiered, pro-rata system, with reasonable threshold expectations for different age groups, you would be awarded a lower insurance rate with increasing sleep credit on a month-to-month basis. Like exercise, this in turn will help improve societal health en masse and lower the cost of health-care utilization, allowing people to have longer and healthier lives. Even with lower insurance paid by the individual, health insurance companies would still gain, as it would significantly decrease the cost burden of their insured individuals, allowing for greater profit margins. Everyone wins.