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Why We Sleep

Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams

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Why We Sleep

Written by: Matthew Walker
Narrated by: Steve West
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About this listen

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.
Biological Sciences Mental Health Psychology Sleep Disorders Human Brain Physical Exercise Inspiring Physiology Alzheimer's Disease Cognitive Science
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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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One of the most important books you'll ever read

Fascinating, valuable, and easy to implement. This book can change your life for the better with minimal effort. I can't recommend it enough. Narration is also excellent.

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Great info slowly

Great info. I wish he had more details on melatonin as I’ve seen other research on it but all of the other details are fascinating. Especially the ideas behind dreaming.

However the narrator is slow. I listened to it at least 1.25 speed and sounded close to normal.

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1 person found this helpful

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Amazing content

Amazing and important content... The narrator's voice is wonderful but the way it is read at times made me hard to focus on the content.

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Respect your sleep!

Absolutely fascinating, a must read for everyone but particularly those in the field of education, healthcare and employers in general.

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ABSOLUTE MUST READ

This book will change how you look at sleep. This is a must read for doctors, politicians, academics but also for all of us...mothers, fathers, teenagers, seniors. I will never look at sleep the same and already I am reaping the benefits of improved sleep. If you read no other self-help/improve you health book, this is the one!

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it changed my life

being awake is literally the worst thing in the world. I never want to not sleep again

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An awakening discovery

I have always struggle with sleep being an aviator. I averaged 5 to 6 hour sleep most days. this information is a great wake up call to start improving my sleep quality therefore improve my life.

This should be taught in school at ab early age.

The lecturer is very pleasant and calming to listen to.

I highly recommend.

Thank you

Alain

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A life-changing book

This book will change your lifestyle you’ve developed. You will develop habits that will help you live a healthier life.

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Very Important Book!

Everyone, I MEAN EVERYONE, needs to read this book. It will save thousands of lives and prevent thousands of injuries and premature deaths. One of the most important books of our time.

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great book!

backed up with hard science, Dr. Walker guides us though all the aspects of sleep while advocating for good sleep hygiene to improve our health and wellbeing. worth listening!

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