Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
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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.
Sleep
is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life,
wellness, and longevity.
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 we don't sleep.
Compared to
the other basic drives in life—eating, drinking, and reproducing—the
purpose of sleep remained elusive.
An explosion of scientific
discoveries in the last twenty years has shed new light on this
fundamental aspect of our lives.
Now, preeminent neuroscientist and
sleep expert Matthew Walker gives us a new understanding of the vital
importance of sleep and dreaming.
Within the brain, sleep enriches 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 mollifies painful memories and creates
a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present
knowledge to inspire creativity.
Walker answers important
questions about sleep: how do caffeine and alcohol affect sleep? What
really happens during REM sleep?
Why do our sleep patterns change across
a lifetime? How do common sleep aids affect us and can they do
long-term damage?
Charting cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, and
synthesizing 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; increase longevity; enhance the education and lifespan
of our children, and boost the efficiency, success, and productivity of
our businesses.
Clear-eyed, fascinating, and accessible, Why We Sleep is a crucial and illuminating book
