Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
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- Create Date：2021-03-30 11:18:01
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Matthew Walker
- ISBN：1501144324
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Summary
“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。
With two appearances on CBS This Morning and Fresh Air's most popular interview of 2017， Matthew Walker has made abundantly clear that sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life。 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 it is absent。 Compared to the other basic drives in life—eating， drinking， and reproducing—the purpose of sleep remains more elusive。
Within the brain， sleep enriches a diversity of functions， including 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 creates a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present knowledge， inspiring creativity。
In this “compelling and utterly convincing” （The Sunday Times） book， preeminent neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker provides a revolutionary exploration of sleep， examining how it affects every aspect of our physical and mental well-being。 Charting the most cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs， and marshalling his 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， and increase longevity。 He also provides actionable steps towards getting a better night’s sleep every night。
Clear-eyed， fascinating， and accessible， Why We Sleep is a crucial and illuminating book。 Written with the precision of Atul Gawande， Andrew Solomon， and Sherwin Nuland， it is “recommended for night-table reading in the most pragmatic sense” （The New York Times Book Review）。
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。
With two appearances on CBS This Morning and Fresh Air's most popular interview of 2017， Matthew Walker has made abundantly clear that sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life。 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 it is absent。 Compared to the other basic drives in life—eating， drinking， and reproducing—the purpose of sleep remains more elusive。
Within the brain， sleep enriches a diversity of functions， including 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 creates a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present knowledge， inspiring creativity。
In this “compelling and utterly convincing” （The Sunday Times） book， preeminent neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker provides a revolutionary exploration of sleep， examining how it affects every aspect of our physical and mental well-being。 Charting the most cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs， and marshalling his 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， and increase longevity。 He also provides actionable steps towards getting a better night’s sleep every night。
Clear-eyed， fascinating， and accessible， Why We Sleep is a crucial and illuminating book。 Written with the precision of Atul Gawande， Andrew Solomon， and Sherwin Nuland， it is “recommended for night-table reading in the most pragmatic sense” （The New York Times Book Review）。
Reviews
Brendan Artley
，
Great book。
Brenda Campbell
，
Wow！
Hsandlin
，
A more descriptive title might be “The Importance of Sleep，” if the book still interested you with that title， I highly recommend it。 There are some earlier chapters about “why we sleep” but the resounding answer is “because we do” and that we don’t fully understand why。 The majority of the book is about studies that help us understand the effect that sleep has on us。 While the text was a bit dry at times， it did it’s job wonderfully and was far more interesting than I anticipated。 While I have A more descriptive title might be “The Importance of Sleep，” if the book still interested you with that title， I highly recommend it。 There are some earlier chapters about “why we sleep” but the resounding answer is “because we do” and that we don’t fully understand why。 The majority of the book is about studies that help us understand the effect that sleep has on us。 While the text was a bit dry at times， it did it’s job wonderfully and was far more interesting than I anticipated。 While I have not read many books on sleep， I believe this one is an incredible overview of it and how it effects us。 It has convinced me of the incredible importance of sleep and， as such， I can’t help but recommend it to everyone。 Sleep， according to Dr。 Walker， is as critical （or more， in a way） than diet and physical activity in one’s health。 I wouldn’t just recommend this book， I believe it is critical that most people read it。 Despite how important sleep is， we are horribly uneducated about it and our western culture has destructive idea surrounding it that should be avoided。 This sounds dramatic but anyone who values there health and happiness should read this book。 I knew sleep was important and that I should be more mindful of it but Why We Sleep has helped me understand not only how to improve my sleep but also why I must。 。。。more
Janessa
，
This book took me 6 + months to finish because while reading it I kept wanting to take naps。 I spent some time congratulating myself on all the extra sleep I was getting until I read about how that might be affecting my night sleep and how too much sleep is also bad。 Anyways you're here for my boom summary so here it is: sleep is scary important。 This book took me 6 + months to finish because while reading it I kept wanting to take naps。 I spent some time congratulating myself on all the extra sleep I was getting until I read about how that might be affecting my night sleep and how too much sleep is also bad。 Anyways you're here for my boom summary so here it is: sleep is scary important。 。。。more
Sean Skinner
，
Tldr sleep more
Rachel
，
Sleep is sooo crazy
Odhran Molloy
，
An interesting read。 If you are looking at a quick break down of how to sleep better， this book might not be for you。 If you wish to get a deep insight into the subject of sleep by one of the worlds leading academic’s in the field， I can’t imagine you’d find much better。
Izeyliz
，
Dlaczego śpimy？ Po co nam sen？ Czy tak na prawdę potrzebujemy tych 7 do 9 godzin snu？Są to pytania， które każdy z nas pewnie sobie kiedyś zadał。 Niekiedy "zarywaliśmy" nocki， szukając wymówek - raz lepszych， raz gorszych。 "Bo nauka， bo impreza， bo nowy film/serial， bo książka nowa lub wciągająca （co też mi się zdarzyło， że skróciłam sen z tego powodu）。" Książka Matthew Walkera uświadamia nam， że większość z tych rzeczy nie jest warta utraty snu。Przedstawiony jest tutaj wpływ kofeiny na nasz sen Dlaczego śpimy？ Po co nam sen？ Czy tak na prawdę potrzebujemy tych 7 do 9 godzin snu？Są to pytania， które każdy z nas pewnie sobie kiedyś zadał。 Niekiedy "zarywaliśmy" nocki， szukając wymówek - raz lepszych， raz gorszych。 "Bo nauka， bo impreza， bo nowy film/serial， bo książka nowa lub wciągająca （co też mi się zdarzyło， że skróciłam sen z tego powodu）。" Książka Matthew Walkera uświadamia nam， że większość z tych rzeczy nie jest warta utraty snu。Przedstawiony jest tutaj wpływ kofeiny na nasz sen i mózg， tzw。 jest lag， działanie melatoniny， jak człowiek ustala kiedy spać a kiedy czuwać， jak nasz mózg skłania nas do snu。 Możemy dowiedzieć się jak śpią inne zwierzęta， co i jak działa， a także poznać część ewolucji snu u człowieka。 Poznajemy zmiany w cyklu dobowym i we śnie w ciągu całego życia。 Jak sen wpływa korzystnie na nasz mózg i ciało， skutki niedoboru snu， jak poszczególne fazy snu wpływają na nasze umiejętności i rozwijanie się。 Zgłębiamy tajemnice zaburzeń snu， tego co przerywa i zaburza nasz sen， a także co wpływa na niego negatywnie lub pozytywnie。 Zapoznajemy się ze stanowiskiem społeczeństwa wobec snu， skutków niedoboru i pozytywnych efektów związanych z uświadamianiem społeczeństwa o wadze snu。 Pod koniec autor przytacza nam jego wizję snu na XXI i to， jakimi sposobami można docierać do społeczeństwa z tą ważną wiedzą。 Pod koniec przedstawione jest krótkie podsumowanie i rady odnośnie snu oraz tego， jak zasypiać。 Po drodze ukazane jest wiele testów， eksperymentów naukowych potwierdzających słowa Walkera， co dodatkowo uwiarygadnia jego słowa。 Uświadamia nam wagę snu， jego działanie na człowieka。 W trakcie czytania książki （w moim przypadku słuchania， polecam audiobook na Legimi） bywałam zszokowana tym， jak bardzo sobie szkodzimy， nawet nieświadomie。 Teraz troszkę o minusach。 Miałam wrażenie， że co chwilę autor mówi "o tym mówiliśmy/ będziemy mówić w rozdziale。。。"。 Było to czasami przydatne， nie powiem， lecz nie zawsze konieczne。 Drugim zastrzeżeniem było to， że gdy była mowa o skutkach niewyspania autor przytoczył tragedię w Czarnobylu。 Mocno to uogólnił， że "operatorzy byli niewyspani"。 Jako osoba， która w ostatnim czasie zaczęła się interesować tym tematem， nie m0głam się z tym w pełni zgodzić。 Owszem， był to jeden z czynników， lecz spośród wielu innych。 A takie przedstawienie sprawy jest wg mnie niedokładne。Mimo to， z całego serca mogę polecić tę książkę。 Każdy powinien ją przeczytać - jeśli nie całą， to fragmenty。 Wiele uświadamia i daje do myślenia。 。。。more
Jonatāns Gurovs
，
In the beginning writer noted if you want to sleep while reading this book sure do it， so because of that it was one of the longest reads that i got。 Loved second half of the book were he talked about real life examples， stunning facts and research。 Great book and will definitely keep my circadian rhythm （wake/sleep cycle） consistent also in the weekend’s。
Nico Genes
，
Sleep is more important than I thoughtI've been planning for a long time now to read this book。 Keeping in mind the author's advice regarding a healthy sleep already from the beginning of the book， I tried to avoid reading it long into the night。 Otherwise， what would be the help of the praises for sleep if I'd allow being sleep-deprived while reading all the cons。I found the book helpful， the message clear， and the writing style and terminology easy to read and understand。 I knew some things al Sleep is more important than I thoughtI've been planning for a long time now to read this book。 Keeping in mind the author's advice regarding a healthy sleep already from the beginning of the book， I tried to avoid reading it long into the night。 Otherwise， what would be the help of the praises for sleep if I'd allow being sleep-deprived while reading all the cons。I found the book helpful， the message clear， and the writing style and terminology easy to read and understand。 I knew some things already， while others were fascinating or intriguing to read。All the thoughts expressed in the book are either supported by published papers or a logical interpretation of existing tests。 The majority of things make sense。 A regular habit of long enough sleep will benefit our physical and mental health in the short or long term。I used to have days when I thought life is short， and we shouldn't be wasting it on sleeping。 No matter how much I enjoy sleeping， there were times when I chose to do something else I thought to be more exciting。 I can see already how my mindset had changed。 Life can still be beautiful and thrilling without constantly cutting on the sleep hours。 Time is precious indeed。 So is a good night's sleep。 »。。。humans （and all other species） can never “sleep back” that which we have previously lost is one of the most important take-homes of this book 。。。«I understand that the book raised some controversy; it's normal。 For me， everything said makes sense。 It simply does。More book reviews on: https://www。nicojgenes。com/book-reviews 。。。more
Ali khakzadi
，
مطالعه این کتاب را به همه توصیه میکنم 。 خیلی مسائل مبهم برای من حل و فصل شد کتاب با استنداد به آزمایشهای متعدد و مستند به نتایج آنها نوشته شده که شخص نویسنده در اکثر آن آزمایشها دخالت داشته استکتاب در چهار فصل نوشته شده که من از فصل سوم چرا و پگونه رویا میبینیم خیلی لذت بردم هر انسان به هشت ساعت خواب روزانه نیازدارد و هر انسان به خواندن یک کتاب در حوزه خواب هم نیاز دارد چرا که یک سوم زندگیش در خواب است پس باید همه چیز را در مورد ان بداند این کتاب گزینه مناسبی است
Andreea Red
，
A must read book！！！ My perspective changed a lot after this！ I recommend his Masterclass too :）
Suha
，
لماذا ننام ؟لن تجد في الكتاب إجابة عن هذا التساؤل إنما ستدرك لمَ عليك النوم بجودة عالية ،،ليست كل المعلومات في الكتاب جديدة إنما مهمة لقراءتها من عالم بأبحاث النوم ++يزود معلوماته بأبحاث علمية حديثة ،،ركز الكاتب على أهمية النوم الليلي لمدة من 7 ل 9 ساعات يومياًوأكد أنه كلما حاولنا تقليل هذه الساعات كلما أصاب جسدنا وعقلنا وراحتنا الضررأخبرنا أنه يوجد 5% فقط من سكان الأرض يكتفون بعدد ساعات أقل من ذلك ويبقون بكامل نشاطهم وصحتهمالكتاب مقسم لفصول مع إسهاب في معلومات علميةقد يراه البعض ثقيلاًَ لكنه مه لماذا ننام ؟لن تجد في الكتاب إجابة عن هذا التساؤل إنما ستدرك لمَ عليك النوم بجودة عالية ،،ليست كل المعلومات في الكتاب جديدة إنما مهمة لقراءتها من عالم بأبحاث النوم ++يزود معلوماته بأبحاث علمية حديثة ،،ركز الكاتب على أهمية النوم الليلي لمدة من 7 ل 9 ساعات يومياًوأكد أنه كلما حاولنا تقليل هذه الساعات كلما أصاب جسدنا وعقلنا وراحتنا الضررأخبرنا أنه يوجد 5% فقط من سكان الأرض يكتفون بعدد ساعات أقل من ذلك ويبقون بكامل نشاطهم وصحتهمالكتاب مقسم لفصول مع إسهاب في معلومات علميةقد يراه البعض ثقيلاًَ لكنه مهم ومفيد واستمتعت بقراءته ذكر أيضا ًعن تأثير التطور التكنولوجي على جودة النوم وأهمها إضاءة LEDالمنبعثة من الهواتف ،،كثيراً ما نقرأ عن أهمية ترك الهاتف والتعرض لمثل هذه الاضاءة قبل النوم بساعة وبعد النوم بساعة كذلك لكنه أثبت أهمية ذلك بأبحاث ودراسات علمية ذكر أيضاً الكافيين وتأثيره على النوم وأهمية تباعد أخر كوب من الكافيين مهما كان نوعه عن موعد النوم ب 7 ساعات وأكثر ،،وفي الفصل الأخير من الكتاب وضع مقترحات وأفكار على مستوى المجتمعلتحسين جودة النوم استمتعتو بهمناسب للمناقشة الجماعية 。。。more
Virginia
，
Long and detailed， but VERY worth the read！ I especially loved the ending and wish the advice would become part of mainstream health improvement efforts for the whole world。
Gracie
，
This book is life-changing。 It is one of the best books I have ever read。 I really wish I had read this earlier。。。。。。。 Sleep is so important。 Walker approaches this serious subject in a very relatable way。 Love his writing and the message he conveys in this book。
Victor
，
A good mixture of anecdotes， stats， and various effects of sleep deprivation。 Also writes what we can do as an individual， and society， to fix it， and the benefits of doing so。 There's so much to digest， but one thing is clear: sufficient sleep opportunities should be a right。 Let's aim for a society that educates and accepts sleep as a necessity， much like physical activity and good diet。 A good mixture of anecdotes， stats， and various effects of sleep deprivation。 Also writes what we can do as an individual， and society， to fix it， and the benefits of doing so。 There's so much to digest， but one thing is clear: sufficient sleep opportunities should be a right。 Let's aim for a society that educates and accepts sleep as a necessity， much like physical activity and good diet。 。。。more
Sarah K。
，
I'd rate it 6 Stars if I could。 One of the most mindbowing books I've read so far。 I'd rate it 6 Stars if I could。 One of the most mindbowing books I've read so far。 。。。more
Anne
，
More scholarly/scientific than I expected， but still amazing。 I was so impressed by how someone who is this deep and wise in the sleep research world could break it down for an average joe like me to understand， all while inserting humor and real-life examples。 I really hope this causes a change in my life - I know it should， and I’m fired up about the benefits of sleep。 I want to tell everybody about how much more they should be sleeping and why！！ I want to reference this often - hopefully I ca More scholarly/scientific than I expected， but still amazing。 I was so impressed by how someone who is this deep and wise in the sleep research world could break it down for an average joe like me to understand， all while inserting humor and real-life examples。 I really hope this causes a change in my life - I know it should， and I’m fired up about the benefits of sleep。 I want to tell everybody about how much more they should be sleeping and why！！ I want to reference this often - hopefully I can find a helpful pdf or short summary。 。。。more
Tressa
，
Exceptionally comprehensive （but for the most part， very readable） book about sleep and the importance of it。 This is the type of book where you definitely don't have to read the whole thing to get something out of it。 For anyone who is having trouble sleeping， I'd especially recommend reading the appendix。 Exceptionally comprehensive （but for the most part， very readable） book about sleep and the importance of it。 This is the type of book where you definitely don't have to read the whole thing to get something out of it。 For anyone who is having trouble sleeping， I'd especially recommend reading the appendix。 。。。more
Ross Oliveira
，
Really everyone should either read this book， or get the sparknotes version to understand the detriment you cause to yourself by skipping out on sleep。 In college， it seemed like some folks had the especially powerful ability to succeed on little sleep， consistently。 Skipping sleep to accomplish more is not frowned upon in our society。 In reality， not getting enough sleep hurts you in just about every way you could think of， and more。 Most everyone will give excuses， but I believe most everyone Really everyone should either read this book， or get the sparknotes version to understand the detriment you cause to yourself by skipping out on sleep。 In college， it seemed like some folks had the especially powerful ability to succeed on little sleep， consistently。 Skipping sleep to accomplish more is not frowned upon in our society。 In reality， not getting enough sleep hurts you in just about every way you could think of， and more。 Most everyone will give excuses， but I believe most everyone can get enough sleep most of the time IF they really want to。 It may require extreme changes in habit， but even those who have trouble sleeping are much more likely to benefit from habit changes than prescription sleep aids。 Now， let’s see how I feel about this in 3 months when I become a first time dad。。。while I know interruptions will be common at night， I think if I can utilize the power of naps， I can regain some of the sleep debt I would otherwise have。 。。。more
Liz
，
My guess is you won’t be reading this if you feel like you’re getting enough/8 hours sleep everyday。 Ha！ The reason why I started reading this is due to my self awareness that I always lack proper sleep。 Aside from working on a nightshift， I overwork （more than 8hrs） most of the time since the pandemic started， that I only have a few hours left to rest。This book was well researched and taught me so many things。 But it scared me a lot as well by letting me know the damages I’m doing to my body du My guess is you won’t be reading this if you feel like you’re getting enough/8 hours sleep everyday。 Ha！ The reason why I started reading this is due to my self awareness that I always lack proper sleep。 Aside from working on a nightshift， I overwork （more than 8hrs） most of the time since the pandemic started， that I only have a few hours left to rest。This book was well researched and taught me so many things。 But it scared me a lot as well by letting me know the damages I’m doing to my body due to lack of sleep！ I know it’s about the importance of “sleep” but it served more as a “wakeup call” for me。 。。。more
Salim
，
Uykunun ne kadar önemli olduğunu anlatıyor， harikaydı！
Anna
，
Super kniha。 Chvílemi se mi u dlouhých popisů některých studií chtělo spát， ale kvalita jiných částí mi to vyvážila。 A ačkoli byly některé úvahy dohnané trochu do extrémů， celkově to bylo dost poučné a motivační čtení。 Doporučuji všem， kteří se nebojí zjistit， jak moc rozbitý mají spánkový režim 😀
Omar Fernández
，
Impressively compelling case to prioritize sleep。
Carlijn Oskam
，
Dit was een erg interessant en ‘vermoeiend’ boek。 De kern van het boek gaat over hoe goed slapen voor je is。 Dit wordt aan de hand van veel onderzoeken toegelicht。 Ik had best vaak tijdens het lezen dat ik zin kreeg in slapen。 Ook werd ik me er heel erg bewust van dat de meeste mensen rond 5/6 uur ‘s ochtends wakker worden （om vervolgens weer verder te slapen）。 Dit had als gevolg dat ik wekenlang rond die tijd wakker werd。 Bijzonder hoe dat werkt！ Een heel leerzaam boek。
Dana Geru
，
A very educative， well written book。 The author provides useful information and advice about the whole sleeping process and its importance， without neglecting all the risks that may come if we don't respect our sleep schedule。 I highly recommend it。 A very educative， well written book。 The author provides useful information and advice about the whole sleeping process and its importance， without neglecting all the risks that may come if we don't respect our sleep schedule。 I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Abhishek Agarwal
，
The book Why We Sleep undertakes an enormous task。 Most people know that more exercise and a better diet are two of the easiest ways to improve one’s health。 However， Walker argues that sleep is the third pillar of health — or even that the other two pillars actually rest on a foundation of a good night’s sleep…
Janis
，
It's an important book， one with which everyone would benefit from spending an evening。 It doesn't speak as much as I'd like about how sleep has been ignored by science and what the various ramifications of that ingnorance are。 It's pointed at getting people to sleep more rather than learning more about it。 That's what needs to happen， but there's more to write about。 Additional chapters here would have been the ideal place to put it。I'd like to see more emphasis on people letting *each other* g It's an important book， one with which everyone would benefit from spending an evening。 It doesn't speak as much as I'd like about how sleep has been ignored by science and what the various ramifications of that ingnorance are。 It's pointed at getting people to sleep more rather than learning more about it。 That's what needs to happen， but there's more to write about。 Additional chapters here would have been the ideal place to put it。I'd like to see more emphasis on people letting *each other* get more sleep， like later school start times， task versus schedule work requirements whenever possible， reverting to Standard Daylight Time instead of DST at the least （or just using GMT worldwide instead of having this normal yet bizarre attachment to a numerical value associated with， like， lunch）， valuing the sleep deprivation caused by parenting of young children， the social costs of leaving parties early， the effects of sleep deprivation on crime rates， the effects of trauma on sleep。。。。 There's so， so much more to know， write and do。 It sounds like Walker would love to see a Right to Sleep Amendment in various national and corporate Constitutions， but he writes around it， as well as the lack of choice so many people currently have around sleep。TLDR; important start on a messy and critical social issue。 。。。more
Raul
，
Filled with scientific studies and evidence this book has broaden my understanding of the importance of sleep for the sake of health， productivity， safety， relationships， amongst others。This book has effectively spurred my own behaviour on how I approach sleep， because in the past I've definitely not regard it as something as critical for the functioning of the mind， and I've realized I've been unknowingly sabotaging my own life for the past years， by getting consistently low number of sleeping Filled with scientific studies and evidence this book has broaden my understanding of the importance of sleep for the sake of health， productivity， safety， relationships， amongst others。This book has effectively spurred my own behaviour on how I approach sleep， because in the past I've definitely not regard it as something as critical for the functioning of the mind， and I've realized I've been unknowingly sabotaging my own life for the past years， by getting consistently low number of sleeping hours。The author also talks about the false assumptions about sleep and productivity in which still exists the assumptions that sacrificing sleep for the sake of working harder it's laudable 。 Instead ， he argues， these individuals are statistically more likely to make mistakes ， have worse recall memory， are moody， have a decreased immune function and are more likely to die sooner。I strongly recommend this book for people who overlook or understimate the importance of getting sufficient sleep consistently ， as this book has the potential to completely transform your life for the better。 。。。more
Niklas Heer
，