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  • Why We Sleep

  • Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
  • Written by: Matthew Walker
  • Narrated by: Steve West
  • Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (1,515 ratings)

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Why We Sleep

Written by: Matthew Walker
Narrated by: Steve West
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Publisher's Summary

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. 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.

But an explosion of scientific discoveries in the last 20 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. Among so many other things, 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 immensely accessible, Why We Sleep is the crucial account on sleep that will forever change listeners' minds on the subject.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 Matthew Walker (P)2017 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Editorial Review

During a lifetime, the average human spends approximately 26 years asleep. It might sound like a long time dedicated to rest, but as leading sleep expert Matthew Walker explains, so many of us aren’t getting nearly enough—and it’s having surprisingly far-reaching consequences.

Why We Sleep is an in-depth exploration of sleep. It reveals why we do it, what it’s good for, and what happens when we don’t do it enough. A professor of neuroscience and psychology, author Matthew Walker teaches us just how devastating the consequences of insufficient sleep can be. Yet, rather than scare listeners, his audiobook’s aim is to educate and raise awareness of the importance of making sleep a priority—not simply to avoid the negative ramifications but to reap the rewards of a good night’s rest as well.

Narrator Steve West shares the vital knowledge of Why We Sleep with listeners in a smooth, articulate, and well-paced voice. West has performed more than 200 titles and won over a dozen awards, and his experience and expertise are evident in his ability to make even the more technical aspects of sleep science accessible and easy to understand.

One of the world’s leading authorities on the topic, Walker has published more than 100 scientific studies on sleep. His first audiobook, Why We Sleep urges listeners to take sleep seriously and make quality time for rest.

What listeners say about Why We Sleep

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everyone should read this!!

loved the narrator, loved the contents. very scientific yet captivating with real life examples.
I hope everyone reads this book.

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Great Insight

After watching a few TED talks and lectures from Matthew Walker, I decided to listen to this book. Walker provides great insight into the importance of sleep and why our fast-pace society needs to recognize its positive attributes.

I've recommended this book multiple times after reading it and will definitely be gifting it as a Christmas present this year.

#Audible1

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amazing and eye opening!

This book is terrifyingly good! We all know sleep is important but this book lays out how important it really is. It is scary to think of how important sleep is and all the times I figured it wasn't that crucial.
One of the few books I will listen to over and over as it is so full of information and hammers home the point of how important it is to get good sleep every night.
I have recommended this to anyone who will listen to me. #Audible1

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Fascinating health connections and biology.

I listened to this after Michael Pollan's Audible featurette on caffeine. I loved every chapter, especially the biology focus in the first half. Walker draws connections to most common health concerns and the pursuit of wellbeing.

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life changing book

..or the potential to do so….thank you, Dr Walker. great narration…kept me engaged til the end.

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Strongly recommend!

This book could be a life saver! Emphasizing the importance and necessity of a good night sleep.

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a must "read"

loved it a must "read" learned so much. Any one who sleeps needs this book

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Dense but Magnificent

10/10 would recommend. My advise is to read a chapter summary before going into them. That way you understand the book on the first go as much as possible.

Personally I'm going to go over it a second time.

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Essential Read

The one book anyone should read. Absolutely eye-opening, wonderfully written.
I will make a lot of changes to my sleep habits.

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Invaluable to your health and well being

Invaluable to your health and well being, especially do you struggle with sleep. The middle of the book became a little repetitive but the book ends and the informations were astonishingly interesting.

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