Review – “Why We Sleep” – Simple Advice on Slumber

In Dr. Matthew Walker’s book, “Why We Sleep,” he urges me to fall asleep while reading the book.  Unfortunately, I simply cannot, even though this very book prescribes sleep and gives all the reasons why it is beneficial.  I’m going to go out on a limb and say that everyone loves to sleep.  But, why do we force ourselves away from slumber so many times throughout life?  Furthermore, why would we not read about it?  Throughout the book, Dr. Walker explains, in very plain English, the advantages of sleep and the harms of being sleep-deprived.  He describes what we currently understand with clever analogies.  Then, he explains a theory on the topic and sets the stage for the experiments that further proves his point.  He then describes the test method very clearly and produces the results.  Then, with the reader’s understanding of the topic, he lays out important strategies to better our sleep individually and as a society.  Repeatedly.    

Often when I read a book, my mind tends to wonder.  Some books lead me down a rabbit hole more than others, and this book absolutely fits the bill.  In fact, the books that make me think harder are my favorites.  I don’t want to just be told about a subject; I want to immerse myself in deep thought about the subject.  While reading this book, I found myself gravitating towards the simple requirements of life.  I often asked myself, is society too far down a rabbit hole when it comes to our health?  Was Maslow partially correct?  Should we be focusing on the true needs of life, such as our physiological need for sleep?  I think so.  And Dr. Walker provides plenty of ideas for the reader to do just that.  If you’ve read my other articles, you know that I am a huge proponent of incremental change.  This book offers plenty ideas for us to slowly get better.  I promise.

One more thing… if you are a nighttime reader, don’t buy the electronic version, buy the printed book below.  You will understand why after reading.  And if you fall asleep before that part, that’s a good thing.

Buy it here!