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A review by dimayj
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker
3.0
This book is about sleep, its effects on our brains and bodies, and the consequences of insufficient sleep.
It’s divided into 4 parts. In the first part, the author describes how brains generate sleep, the sleep cycle, jet lag, the effects of caffeine and pulling “all-nighters”, and how sleep changes across the lifespan. In the second part, the author explains the benefits of sleep on memory and learning and the effects of sleep loss on the body and the brain (with implications on driving, emotional regulation, and psychiatric illnesses). The third part delves into dreams and their benefits. In the last part, the author describes sleep disorders and goes through current-day causes for sleep deficiency. He also explains the effects of alcohol and sleep medications and suggests non-pharmacological methods for improving sleep. Towards the end, the author discusses “sleep and society” (workplace, education, and healthcare) and proposes a sleep intervention model that spans from the individual to the societal level.
The book offers a fair overview of the neuroscience of sleep and dreams. There are some actionable takeaways regarding sleep hygiene and overall reasonable points, such as the importance of sufficient sleep, the need to change society’s attitude towards sleep, possible misdiagnosis of some sleep-deprived children with ADHD, the effects of blue LED light on sleep, etc.
Nevertheless, I have major issues with the book, some of which are: there are several hyperbolic claims and alarmist exaggerations with regards to the effects of sleep deficiency on the body (such as cancer, the cardiovascular system, and genes). Further, although the author acknowledges on some occasions that correlation doesn’t prove causation, in several other places he presents correlational data with statements that imply causation (e.g. the relation between sleep loss and obesity and between sleeping pills and infection). Finally, the book lacks proper citations (few studies are selectively cited in the footnotes while many others are left out, and there’s no list of references at the end of the book).
It’s divided into 4 parts. In the first part, the author describes how brains generate sleep, the sleep cycle, jet lag, the effects of caffeine and pulling “all-nighters”, and how sleep changes across the lifespan. In the second part, the author explains the benefits of sleep on memory and learning and the effects of sleep loss on the body and the brain (with implications on driving, emotional regulation, and psychiatric illnesses). The third part delves into dreams and their benefits. In the last part, the author describes sleep disorders and goes through current-day causes for sleep deficiency. He also explains the effects of alcohol and sleep medications and suggests non-pharmacological methods for improving sleep. Towards the end, the author discusses “sleep and society” (workplace, education, and healthcare) and proposes a sleep intervention model that spans from the individual to the societal level.
The book offers a fair overview of the neuroscience of sleep and dreams. There are some actionable takeaways regarding sleep hygiene and overall reasonable points, such as the importance of sufficient sleep, the need to change society’s attitude towards sleep, possible misdiagnosis of some sleep-deprived children with ADHD, the effects of blue LED light on sleep, etc.
Nevertheless, I have major issues with the book, some of which are: there are several hyperbolic claims and alarmist exaggerations with regards to the effects of sleep deficiency on the body (such as cancer, the cardiovascular system, and genes). Further, although the author acknowledges on some occasions that correlation doesn’t prove causation, in several other places he presents correlational data with statements that imply causation (e.g. the relation between sleep loss and obesity and between sleeping pills and infection). Finally, the book lacks proper citations (few studies are selectively cited in the footnotes while many others are left out, and there’s no list of references at the end of the book).