Why We Sleep

My brother-in-law recommended Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, so I got it on audiobook from Libby. The book description reads, "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."

This book was fascinating! I felt like if I needed convincing on the importance of sleeping well, this book would have convinced me in a billion different ways. Luckily I am already a believer in the importance of sleep, but this book engaged me with so many interesting facts and studies. I came away from this book feeling like the power of sleep is just truly incredible. I got some great tips for things to try with some of my family members who struggle with sleep, and it gave me some good pointers going forward in life. (For example, I learned to get the flu shot after a week where you get good sleep. The flu shot is significantly more effective in well-rested people.) At times the book got a little boring or too fact-heavy for me, but overall, it was super interesting and important, and I'm thinking about things from the book all the time. It's the sign of a good book when you can't stop thinking about it!

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)