A review by zuomiriam
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker

5.0

We all know that sleeping at least eight hours a night is important - in that sense, Why We Sleep offers nothing new. Over the course of 300+ pages, Walker repeatedly extols the life-sustaining values of sleep. What makes this book such a valuable read, however, is the thorough and multifaceted approach that Walker takes in explaining why (as indicated by the title) sleep is so critical. I won't go into that here because I think you need to read the book to fully appreciate the amount of research Walker has dedicated to this field, as well as how much more important sleep is than suggested by most of our mental models. Walker has somehow struck a balance between saying one thing (that sleep is critical) while discussing a range that touches seemingly every facet of daily life. My main quibble with this book is that it doesn't spend much time on sleep for adolescents (he mentioned that children need to sleep more than adults, but exact figures aren't mentioned), though I suppose children aren't the main audience of this book. Nonetheless, I believe that Why We Sleep will offer insights to every reader, regardless of their views and habits surrounding sleep.