
Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams
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– Unabridged
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Brought to you by Penguin.
The number one Sunday Times best seller.
TLS, Observer, Sunday Times, FT, Guardian, Daily Mail and Evening Standard Books of the Year 2017.
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, read by John Sackville.
Includes a bonus PDF of graphs and diagrams.
Sleep is one of the most important aspects of our life, health and longevity and yet it is increasingly neglected in 21st century society, with devastating consequences: every major disease in the developed world - Alzheimer's, cancer, obesity, diabetes - has very strong causal links to deficient sleep.
Until very recently, science had no answer to the question of why we sleep, or what good it served, or why its absence is so damaging to our health. Compared to the other basic drives in life - eating, drinking and reproducing - the purpose of sleep remained elusive.
Now, in this audiobook, the first of its kind written by a scientific expert, Professor Matthew Walker explores 20 years of cutting-edge research to solve the mystery of why sleep matters. Looking at creatures from across the animal kingdom as well as major human studies, Why We Sleep delves in to everything from what really happens during REM sleep to how caffeine and alcohol affect sleep and why our sleep patterns change across a lifetime, transforming our appreciation of the extraordinary phenomenon that safeguards our existence.
- Listening Length13 hours and 31 minutes
- Audible release date7 December 2017
- LanguageEnglish
- ASINB077XKPHFZ
- VersionUnabridged
- Program TypeAudiobook
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Product details
Listening Length | 13 hours and 31 minutes |
---|---|
Author | Matthew Walker |
Narrator | John Sackville |
Whispersync for Voice | Ready |
Audible.com.au Release Date | 07 December 2017 |
Publisher | Penguin Books Ltd |
Program Type | Audiobook |
Version | Unabridged |
Language | English |
ASIN | B077XKPHFZ |
Best Sellers Rank | 50 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) 1 in Sleep Disorders (Books) 1 in Neuropsychology (Books) 1 in Sleep Disorders (Audible Books & Originals) |
Customer reviews

Reviewed in Australia on 3 June 2021
Top reviews from Australia
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First of all, this book well informs you how important yet how dangerous sleeping is. I love how the author doesn’t go all sciency stuff and includes an easier explanation unlike most of the other books about sleep. I am pleased that I didn’t quit reading at the start because the first few chapters are quite boring but as it gets to the central chapters it gets really great and fantastic. I believe that reading one page of this book can make your life longer by day.
Here is some fun fact that I have learned from this book
-You only have to sleep 8~7 hours
-Sleep too much can shorten your life
-There are mental disorder called FFI which you can’t sleep
-Humans spend 1 out of 3 of time in their life sleeping
-Your brain more active while you sleep
-Sleep deprivation can kill you faster than food deprivation
If I can describe this book with only one word it will be Lifesaver. This book can literally save your life with only 300 pages.
Awesome, mindblowing, surprising, beautiful and powerful that is what I can only say about this book.
This books shows makes you realize important sleep is. When at university and my first job I was serious under slept and it caused me a lot of problems. If I was able to do it again then 8 hours sleep would be compulsory, and even get 9 hours during busy periods. Its so important to the brain and body. Now I don't like to drink after 7pm, as getting quality of sleep and being fully functional the next day is more important.
The most interesting book I've read for a long while. I've recommended to so many people.
I'm not finished with the book here, but I suspect when I am this book will belong in the same tier as books like Sapiens, Thinking Fast & Slow, How to Win Friends... and Make it Stick.
This book warrants an analytical reading. Goodluck.
Top reviews from other countries


I have given 3 stars on account of the serious research that has gone into the book. Otherwise it would be even less.

For normal folks like you and me, and for doctors or scientists as well, sleep's been always a mysterious phenomena. We humans sleep (preferably) one third of our whole life. This is an enormous amount of time which demands some attention. Though historically the attention has not been allotted to sleep it deserves, academically or culturally.
If you read this book (and you should; whether you love or hate or enjoy or avoid or have problem with or have some queries on sleeping) you'd understand why the evolutionary process didn't eliminate sleep from our biological dictionary. Why, though seemingly unnecessary/time-wasting/futile/unproductive, we still need to get a good night's sleep to get a long list of physiological, biological, psychological benefits. And if you by any chance fail to get the necessary amount of sleep (voluntarily or otherwise), you're a big gambler who doesn't have the idea about the grave repercussions. (No kidding.)
This book will be beneficial to everybody except those smart dudes who have unwavering faith in some generic and prejudiced sayings like: "Six hours of sleep is enough for a functional adult" or "You'll have chance to sleep all you need when you're dead" or "Our great leader sleeps only four hours/day, hence I should do the same to be like him." etc.
Don't trust them for Kumbhkarna's sake. Don't mess with sleep.
Some curious takeaways from the book:
● Not only the starting phase of sleep is important, when you're going to wake up in the morning is equally significant too. If you get up earlier without fulfilling your sleep-quota, there will be consequences. Serious consequences.
● Melatonin doesn't make you feel drowsy; it just reminds your brain, "Time to go to bed, fella." Part of a whole set of timekeeping mechanism actually. The chemical substance which in fact pressurize your system to make you feel sleepy is named Adenosine.
● Dreaming makes you more visionary/creative/shrewd, really. And dreaming is not just some "commercial breaks" between slumber, it has serious impact on your mindset/thinking/worldview/self assessment and many things more.
● Homo sapiens is "biphasic" in case of sleep requirement. That is, we humans are biologically inclined to get sleep two times a day. Taking a siesta is not just a cultural phenomena in origin, but deeply biological. Dozing after lunchtime is absolutely human-like, nothing shameful if you think so.
● It's not mere practice that makes a person perfect. Practice, followed by a good night of sleep is what required for perfection. And the writer is serious about that.
● You can sleep as many hours trying to recover/make up the sleep that you've lost or skipped; but make no mistake, humans can never "sleep back"/rebound the sleep once lost.
● "Night owls" are real, not myth. As real as the "Morning larks" are. Don't bully them; or feel guilty of being one.
● Caffeine is the most widely used (rather abused) addictive psychoactive stimulant drug in the world. It is also the only addictive substance that we readily give to our children and teens.
● And a lot more.


Reviewed in India on 7 August 2019
For normal folks like you and me, and for doctors or scientists as well, sleep's been always a mysterious phenomena. We humans sleep (preferably) one third of our whole life. This is an enormous amount of time which demands some attention. Though historically the attention has not been allotted to sleep it deserves, academically or culturally.
If you read this book (and you should; whether you love or hate or enjoy or avoid or have problem with or have some queries on sleeping) you'd understand why the evolutionary process didn't eliminate sleep from our biological dictionary. Why, though seemingly unnecessary/time-wasting/futile/unproductive, we still need to get a good night's sleep to get a long list of physiological, biological, psychological benefits. And if you by any chance fail to get the necessary amount of sleep (voluntarily or otherwise), you're a big gambler who doesn't have the idea about the grave repercussions. (No kidding.)
This book will be beneficial to everybody except those smart dudes who have unwavering faith in some generic and prejudiced sayings like: "Six hours of sleep is enough for a functional adult" or "You'll have chance to sleep all you need when you're dead" or "Our great leader sleeps only four hours/day, hence I should do the same to be like him." etc.
Don't trust them for Kumbhkarna's sake. Don't mess with sleep.
Some curious takeaways from the book:
● Not only the starting phase of sleep is important, when you're going to wake up in the morning is equally significant too. If you get up earlier without fulfilling your sleep-quota, there will be consequences. Serious consequences.
● Melatonin doesn't make you feel drowsy; it just reminds your brain, "Time to go to bed, fella." Part of a whole set of timekeeping mechanism actually. The chemical substance which in fact pressurize your system to make you feel sleepy is named Adenosine.
● Dreaming makes you more visionary/creative/shrewd, really. And dreaming is not just some "commercial breaks" between slumber, it has serious impact on your mindset/thinking/worldview/self assessment and many things more.
● Homo sapiens is "biphasic" in case of sleep requirement. That is, we humans are biologically inclined to get sleep two times a day. Taking a siesta is not just a cultural phenomena in origin, but deeply biological. Dozing after lunchtime is absolutely human-like, nothing shameful if you think so.
● It's not mere practice that makes a person perfect. Practice, followed by a good night of sleep is what required for perfection. And the writer is serious about that.
● You can sleep as many hours trying to recover/make up the sleep that you've lost or skipped; but make no mistake, humans can never "sleep back"/rebound the sleep once lost.
● "Night owls" are real, not myth. As real as the "Morning larks" are. Don't bully them; or feel guilty of being one.
● Caffeine is the most widely used (rather abused) addictive psychoactive stimulant drug in the world. It is also the only addictive substance that we readily give to our children and teens.
● And a lot more.







Well there could be a much simpler explanation. You could be sleep deprived. Lots of people are and many don't even know.
This book explains why we sleep, the positive effects of sleeping in your mind, body and health and the negative effects that not sleeping enough has on them.
I really enjoyed this book. I am sleeping more now and I definitely feel a lot better, more clear minded and energetic. I can now clearly understand the effect a few nights in a row of not sleeping enough have on me... and I can detect it and easily fix it by just going to bed earlier! Life changing.