“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).
