Why we sleep: Discover the power of sleep and dreams

Product details

Its significant physical and psychological benefits can change our lives for the better.
He says this book had to be written now because the world is suffering from a silent epidemic of poor sleep, which constitutes "the biggest public health challenge we could face in the 21st century."
Walker and his team, along with their colleagues at other institutions, have made significant strides over the past 20 years in understanding the health benefits of sleep and, consequently, the serious consequences of not getting enough of it. Walker asserts, "Sleep is the most effective action we can take to restore brain and body health every day... Sleep is Mother Nature's best defense against death."
Scientific discoveries of the past twenty years have shed new light on this fundamental aspect of our lives. In this book, the author explores the importance of sleep in light of these discoveries, as well as the role of dreams. Within the brain, sleep enhances our ability to learn, remember, and make logical decisions. Dreams also help us overcome painful memories and create a virtual reality space where the brain blends past and present knowledge to inspire creativity.
The three essential pillars of human health are sleep, diet, and exercise. The author goes further, stating that sleep is the bedrock without which neither diet nor exercise will be of any benefit.
The book is divided into four sections. Matthew dedicates the first section to defining sleep and its types, the biological/evolutionary history of sleep (do animals also sleep and how, when did sleep emerge, etc.), and how the nature of human sleep changes throughout different stages of life. The second section (perhaps the most intriguing and unsettling) answers the question "Why should we sleep?" and explores the consequences of not getting enough sleep each night. The third section then delves into the world of dreams, addressing how and why we dream, and whether dreams play a significant role in the information lifecycle of our minds, or are merely peripheral.
Before concluding the book with a chapter on the consequences of neglecting sleep at the societal level (not just the individual level).
If we are looking for tips for healthier sleep, we will find what we are looking for in the appendix at the end of the book about the basics of healthy sleep.