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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 (1,496 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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Would be better as a physical book

I had high hopes for this book. I do believe that in this case the physical book in your hand would have been better. It is informative and you don’t need to listen to chapters in order. However, that being the case it is difficult to go back and reference something from another chapter. This should be treated as more of a text book/ reference book not as easy listening

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16 people found this helpful

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Terrific content, terrible narration

This book is on my “recommended for EVERYONE to read” list now. It gives compelling (and terrifying) analysis into the importance of sleep and its effects on pretty much all aspects of life. The deep dives into both the science of sleep (including dreams) plus its ramifications for everyday life and long-term health have radically altered my view on the critical nature of that 8 hours of nightly rest.

However, while the content of the book and Dr Walker’s research is tremendous, the narration on this audiobook truly does it a disservice. The narrator sounds only a notch better than a robot, with minimal dynamics and such a dull delivery as to make me think Steve West was ironically and severely lacking in sleep whilst recording.

Do yourself a favour: skip the audiobook and get a paper or Kindle copy! Without the poor narration, this would have been a 5-star review.

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Neat facts and great advice for better sleep

Very interesting book detailing the importance of sleep. There are many neat facts about the different sleep stages, and how these relate to daily performance, memory recollection, emotions, disease and more. The author has great analogies to help make some of the more technical aspects understandable. I've made a few very simple lifestyle changes as recommended in this book to improve my sleep. Well worth the listen.

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6 people found this helpful

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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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I'm telling everyone about this book!

This book blew open the door in my world on the benefits of sleep and the detriments of too little sleep. I knew of the importance of sleep but had no idea what far reaching consequence the lack of sleep can have on every system in the body. I changed my sleep habits immediately upon reading how detrimental it is to not sleep long enough. Improve every aspect of your life by getting enough shut-eye.

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4 people found this helpful

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life changing book !

I was reluctant to read this book has I don't tend to get enough sleep I knew it would tell me I needed more. and I was right but I am very glad I read it I feel like it's life-changing and the narrator was fantastic

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Potentially life and society changing!

This book is phenomenal. Very insightful. Helps you understand how sleep is the panacea. I'm reconsidering my life and how I analyze public policy. I've been recommending to everyone I know!

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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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The importance of sleep is deeper than I thought.

Value your sleep. A very cautionary outlook on sleep deficit. Seems very credible and has made me much more aware of getting the sleep I need in my life.

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How to get to sleep easier and much more!

The book is an amazing breakdown of the benefits of sleep and motivates the reader to take some steps to improve their sleep quality.

Sleep is ignored in our society, it’s amazing how few people and companies still live by the mantra that quantity of time awake and working is better than quality.

The book gives some easy to follow tips to get to sleep easier. Amazing how effective something as simple as if you can’t fall asleep then get up and do something quietly and avoiding any LED lights works, try sleeping again 15 mins later.

Lots of info on how sleep heals the body and is one of the best medicines out there, and free!

A lot more, you’ll like this book!

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  • meggiemine
  • 2017-12-11

I recommend this to EVERYONE

I first noticed Why We Sleep on Audible's homepage under "New in Non-Fiction" and clicked on it simply because I saw it was narrated by one of my favorite narrators, Steve West. The subtitle "Unlocking the power of sleep and dreams" makes this sound like it would be full of watered down science and generic advice about getting a good night's sleep or interpreting your dreams. That is NOT what this book is, thankfully. Matthew Walker presents study after study explaining why we need sleep for every aspect of our lives (to prevent disease, to help remember things, to look more attractive, etc.). I was fascinated for all 14 hours of this book. I've recommended it to every person I know, because the content of the book is just so IMPORTANT. The next time I hear someone say, "Oh, I only need 5 hours of sleep a night," I will tell them how wrong they are and shove this book in their face. Seriously, everyone needs to READ THIS BOOK!!! Our society holds some really erroneous beliefs about sleep, from how much you should be getting a night, to whether you really have insomnia (you probably don't). Walker addresses everything you ever wanted to know about sleep and more in this book. I will be listening to this again soon.

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133 people found this helpful

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  • Innate
  • 2017-12-10

The best book on sleep bar none

I absolutely hated this book for the first number of chapters. Both the narrator and the content (as applicable) seemed pretentious, dry, and lacking in anything of interest. However, it got so much better as I progressed through the book and eventually I came to view this as the best "sleep book" that I've ever read. I listen to a lot of podcasts on health, sleep and related content, and yet I learned a lot in this book that I never knew about sleep related issues.

I highly recommend that everyone read this book and I've purchased copies for many people that I know already. The content in this book can dramatically help improve the life of almost anyone.

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  • NMwritergal
  • 2017-12-24

One of my favorite nonfiction reads of 2017

I had been avoiding reading a book on what lack of sleep does to a person because I figured it the news would not be good and I sleep so badly, I just didn't want to know. But I heard the author on NPR and it sounded so interesting, I got it.

The news was worse than I thought! Nevertheless, it was so fascinating, full of such interesting information, I'm glad I read/listened to it. It's one of the few books that I'd say, "Everyone should read this." For those who can manage to get a decent night's sleep but think 5 or 6 hours is enough--this might change their minds.

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  • Carlstedt Niclas
  • 2017-10-16

Good content. Good voice. Badly read.

I like the book, content and message. 5 stars.
I like the voice of the reader. 5 stars
However, there are unnatural pauses after every second or third word. This causes a very very incoherent listening experience.

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  • Shalom Yariv
  • 2018-05-28

Good content, inadequate reading

Story: 5 starts Reading: 1 star

The Story
The content is updated, well organized and clear, yet not too simplistic. The previous time that I read about the science of sleep was almost three decades ago, and after listening to Matthew Walker's audio-book, I realized that these three decades had been very productive for sleep researchers.

The Reading
On the other hand, The reading is problematic and has some problems which seriously spoil the reading experience. First, it is very monotonous, and lacks the necessary vocal excitement that is so much needed for the delivery of an exciting scientific information. This may imply that the reader is not really interested in the fascinating story, and the result is that I had some difficulties keeping my concentration an found myself pressing the '30 seconds back' button repeatedly.

My conclusion is that it is best if scientists would read their own books, just like in the lectures of "The Great Courses".


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  • Mary Jane
  • 2017-11-02

Good basic information

This was a good book, but had some very basic information in it. If you are looking for ways to help you sleep better, find something else. If you are wanting to understand the benefits of sleeping or detriments of not sleeping, this is very good. I enjoyed the narration.

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  • Quality?
  • 2019-05-25

Wow, should have read this years ago...

It is amazing how Matt Walker takes these new studies and forms them into data we can learn from. Data that is not dry and mind-numbing but interesting and wants you to listen to sections over to really soak in that information. After reading this book and am much more driven to protect my sleep time and keep a schedule. And I must say that my life daily stability is much more even, that my pulls from memory and learning is becoming better even though I am aging and that effect on memories.

So I encourage you, that if you are reading this, to get this book and value yourself enough to take this topic seriously so you protect something that you can not get back.

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  • Brian
  • 2019-02-14

Before this I was ignorant

As a scientist myself I loved listening to this. It has changed a lot of my habits around sleep. Also it's given me some hope for Alzheimer's which my grandmother had.

Before this book I was ignorant of the impact of sleep. During the course of reading it I've changed my habits and honestly feel a non placebo benifit

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  • CL
  • 2019-10-14

Dry as a popcorn fart

Great book as far as information. But every lesson is dragged on so far there could be an 8 episode Netflix series for each reason why you need more sleep.
I bought the book and tried reading it on my own. It’s better but not by much. With the combination of the narrator of this audiobook and the book, the goal of the author is being achieved. I fell asleep every time without fail. Same as that Daniel Kahneman book, thinking fast and slow; it doesn’t need to be as long as it is. I’ll finish the book when someone comes out with a summary.

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  • Andrew Foster III
  • 2019-05-01

The importance of sleep has blown my mind

I never knew sleep was so paramount to my health until now. Before today I knew a lack of sleep was unhealthy but now I know why consistent sleep and rest are vital to healthy living.

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  • Pierre Gauthier
  • 2020-07-27

Overdone!

The author of this book is a sleep science researcher.

His work is intended to stress the importance of sleep and its benefits.

Though his claims are probably not unfounded, they appear excessive as sleep is presented as a universal remedy that can prevent cancer, heart ailments, Alzheimer’s disease, etc. It is also held out as the essential contributor to creativity, memory and even physical prowess, both for athletes and musicians.

Given the countless repetitions in the book, many may find that such urging is counter productive rather than convincing.

In addition, the author strangely states that lost sleep cannot be recovered. Why, then, should anyone bother to endeavour to improve his sleep hygiene if he is already doomed?

The book was also written before Fitbit type trackers were common so they are not discussed as such, only anticipated with a surprising assertion that they should be linked to bedroom thermostats.

For specific help with respect to better sleeping, please note the author refers his readers to the National Sleep Foundation.

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  • Client d'Amazon
  • 2020-07-20

interesting but somewhat repetitive

Liked the idea of a sleep index for employees based on sleep tracker data, that you can redeem as € bonuses or time off. You need 2 features: quantity (7 to 9h sleep) and consistency (every night).
This, combined with some of the actionable tips to improve your sleep, would make for a valuable product in my opinion.

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  • Ramy SALMAN
  • 2018-11-04

Great book

This is a great book and a must read for every human being wishing to stay in shape

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  • Aja
  • 2023-01-07

A game changer book - I’ll never look sleep the same

This is an incredible book, it’s in my outstanding books of 2022.
It reveals such vital facts, insights, and the paramount role of sleep 🌙.
I gave it away to my dear ones because it can have such a tremendous impact.
Thank you

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2022-06-12

Very informative, I recommend

This book display with evidence the importance of sleep and why it should be a priority to society.
Although, if you are not really into scientific explanations, you can skip the chapters on the evolution side of sleep which is a bit technical.
Do not hesitate to offer it to people you care about

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2021-07-10

A must read

Eye opening, science based review of what we know about sleep, its importance, its consequences and how it works

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2020-06-30

Very insightful, based on scientific evidence,

I listened to this book because someone recommended it to me. Since I read it I take more care of my and my familys sleep. Life is so much easier when everyone gets their dose of it.

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2020-04-18

FOOTNOTE!

The book is great. The only thing that bothered me was the way the reader said "footnote" abruptly. Really sounds like Dwite Schrute from The Office when he says "Fact!". But in this context it's not funny but rather annoying.

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