I tend to read a lot more fiction than non fiction but after hearing so much about this book, I was very glad to receive a copy from @netgalley.

It is written by a scientist but in such a way that anyone could relate. From the first page, Matthew Walker hits you with some big statements about the detrimental impact caused by lack of sleep or sub optimal sleep patterns and it made me want to learn more.

One fact that sticks with me is that 1 person dies EVERY HOUR in the USA due to a fatigue related incident. That's unbelievable!

The book has a logical structure:

What is sleep?
Why do you need it?
How and why we dream?
Impact of society on sleep

The latter was very telling, especially how the school start times interrupt the natural circadian rhythm of a child and teenager. Also, in a sleep study, there was a huge negative difference in REM sleep between those who used a Kindle before bed rather than an actual book. The gadgets we look at before we go to sleep are impacting us more than we realise.

I was also amazed how your sleep pattern changes throughout your life, where mid forties are a big turning point.

Not only did I like how this was written, I also liked that it was designed with such a structure that you could dip in and out.

Overall, a very informative and educational read. Would recommend it for anyone interested in the topic or looking to learn some really interesting facts!

Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to review.

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While I don't buy into every argument in this book, Walker makes an excellent case for why we all need to prioritise sleep in our lives more - the benefits of regularly getting 7-8 hours sleep, and the consequences of poor sleep hygiene, are hard to ignore. The impact it has on your mental health, your happiness and your life span are quite startling.

This is a fascinating, and important, book, that taught me a lot about this very basic human activity, which we all need to prioritise more!

I thought this was really interesting and explored some thought provoking themes. The science and research used I hadn't heard before but I finished this feeling a bit more knowledgeable about the topic.

Thank you to netgally for my copy.
There is a lot of waffle that is there, I feel, just to pad out the book. I DNF this one. It is interesting, but I really had to concentrate to get through the waffle. I think if it was broken down into small bite chunks, it would make this more enjoyable.

We are becoming aware of how much sleep matters. Reading this book gave me greater insight into the science of sleep, and how to ensure that the sleep that we get is enough.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.

Why we Sleep by Matthew Walker

This fascinating book has to be one of my top non-fiction books of all time.
I found it a great read that gave me brilliant insights into sleep and our habits. There were just so many interesting facts!

Such as teenagers having a completely different biorhythm or that you can’t catch up on a night of missed sleep. It made me think about how much our world has changed through industrialisation and how much we are risking our health by forcing everyone into an average sleep/waking pattern.

If we can reclaim our sleep from a constantly busy society and culture then we can reclaim our health.

I have to say this book did make me feel mildly anxious about not getting enough sleep but it has made me make little changes in my habits... particularly at bedtime!

I highly recommend this incredible book!

Thanks to #netgalley for an e copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really interesting and fascinating book! I learned a lot whilst reading this and it wasn’t dry or hard to read.

Excellent nonfiction exploring and explaining the current evidence around sleep.
Very well written with a high standard of detailed research from a professional within the field.
I would strongly recommend this.

This was a really hard book to rate for me.
About 90% of it was easy to read and digestible, there was a solid 10% of it filled with science my brain couldn’t comprehend but could sort of read through to understand later.
Mostly it was infuriating because it explains another way in which the education and work systems are designed that doesn’t allow for children/teenagers/adults to have sufficient sleep and thus potentially suffer serious health consequences. This had me worried about everyone I know because no one I know sleeps enough but in most instances there isn’t much we can do about it????
It was an enlightening read and something everyone should be more aware of but my god, with coronavirus, seeing dark waters today and now finishing this book it feels like I’m surrounded by death and ill health and I am ready for a BREAK.

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
I dont even know where to start with reviewing this book apart from sleep is king! This book is absolutely fascinating, and for me it will be life changing.
As someone who feels permanently absolutely exhausted, I learned a lot reading this book. I feel privileged to receive this book for review, and think I will be telling people about it for a long time.
When I was about an hour into it, I didnt think it could remain as interesting for the rest of the book, to give an idea the audiobook is 13.5 hours, I was wrong! It got even more interesting the more I read. I don't reread books but think I will go back to this book again.
Thank you to @netgalley Matthew Walker and the publisher for this copy. Easiest 5 stars I will ever give.

I really enjoyed this book. As a previously bad sleeper I'm so interested in the science behind sleep. I really liked how accessible the information was.

A book on the problems that problems sleeping could have. Does that sound good to you? I mean, <a href="https://www.sleepdiplomat.com/professor">the author</a> has <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_walker_sleep_is_your_superpower?language=en">given TED talks</a>, been hired by Google and has done the media rounds since this has been published, all on the strength of his scholarly interest in the effects of the Land of Nod.

A book on sleep. Written by a scientist. It's pretty lucky that it isn't a big snooze, then, isn't it?

*pause for laughter*

All right then.

Walker's book is part self-help manual and part scientific polemic. It's defiantly pop-science: though his credentials and research background are sound, the content is presented in a way which eschews difficulty. There's certainly not going to be piles of these left half-read as there were for <i>A Brief History Of Time</a> – Walker has a pretty good line in snappy anecdotes.

The main thrust of the work is that we pay a lot less respect to sleep than it deserves. And hoo boy, are there some deleterious effects to be found if you ignore your zzzs. Walker [gleefully?] lists them, and they're not something as minimal as <i>being tired</i>: one's susceptibility to car accident, heart attack or many other types of unseemly demise are heightened when sleep goes out the window. It's all a bit grim, but it's told in a way which keeps the reader entertained, as this type of book demands. It's airport fare, sure, but it's intriguing purely because of the universal nature of the topic – we've all gotta sleep, right?

(Just don't expect to be using sleeping pills to hasten a pick-up from Morpheus: Walker has a number of reasons why these are a no-go.)

Of course, it's not all roses. After I finished the book I looked – very briefly, admittedly – into some criticism of Walker's work. I'm undecided where I fall as yet, though pages such as <a href="https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/">this one (with links)</a> make it difficult to maintain the enthusiasm I'd gathered for the book by its end.

Saying that, though, the book is excellent in the way it makes the reader consider the role sleep plays in their life. Could it be better? Could it improve stuff other than wakefulness? <i>Why We Sleep</i> calls for changes in how we approach sleeping as a society, but it'll also make you wonder whether you're getting enough.

On that note, I'm off for a nap.

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.

Unfortunately, it was quite boring and extremely dull. This book is more likely to help you sleep, than tell you why we sleep.

Fascinating, useful, informative and important. This book is a must-read and one I will eagerly press into the hands of every person I care about. Huge thanks to Matthew Walker for focusing on this subject and for highlighting the importance of sleep.

Excellent boo on why we sleep and how to improve the experience and our physical selves. Explores a few ideas that traditional sleep books have neglected and comes at the subject from a novel angle.

Non-fiction science books aren't my usual choice but this one was fascinating. Matthew Walker explains everything in simple terms so that anyone can understand with helpful examples. It has really made me realise the importance of sleep and I think everyone should read it to understand how they can improve their health.

Professor Matthew Walker is a sleep expert hailing from UC Berkeley. In his book, he proposes that a lack of sleep and sleep deprivation has a stake in the roots of most major diseases in the developed world, even arguing that sleep is as important in our lives as a good diet and regular exercise.

Walker explores twenty years of cutting-edge research to determine how and why we sleep, looking at how reduced sleep is utterly damaging and detrimental to our overall health. I found his observations to be interested and well presented. The book is well-written and informative, and Walker has a quirkiness to his delivery that makes his writing very readable.

This is an eye-opening study and I found it fascinating. Not normally my chosen night-time reading but a welcome change, in this case. I would recommend this to anyone who would like to know more about sleep and how the body functions.

I LOVED this book. Best non-fiction book I’ve read for a long time. Nice straightforward explanations of fairly complex medical concepts, good structure, and, as an added bonus, starts with a disclaimer that encourages you to doze off while reading the book. Sets out his arguments very clearly with good scientific back up (in short, make sure you’re getting enough sleep). Ends the book with some tips on how to get more and better sleep. A very good book.

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker bedazzled me with its anecdotes, facts and statistics. I was enthralled; could my terrible sleep patterns really lead to Alzheimer's, cancer or diabetes later in life? But as the book progressed, the same sentiments were repeated over and over, so, while I was technically moving through the book, I never really moved away from the argument presented in the first 20 or so pages. At 25% through the book, getting through every page felt like a marathon. It was because of this lack of development and draining nature that I decided to DNF the book after weeks of trying to force myself to read it.

My rating: 2.5 stars out of 5- the portion that I read was interesting, but the overall monotony of the book made it feel like a chore to read.

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Really interesting and actually quite funny at times - the author has a fantastic tone and sense of humour! Unfortunately the graphics didn't show up in the egalley, but even that didn't really dull my interest (though I really want to see them sometime!)

Honestly does what it says on the tin - talks about why we sleep, and different types of sleep. I particularly found the sections on night owls vs early birds the most interesting - it felt really wonderful to read that the way I operate is actually okay!!