Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams

by Matthew Walker
4.38 (192K)  •  2017

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Spoiler: Matthew Walker’s Ted Talk is both a cautionary tale on the dangers of sleep debt and a fairy tale with a happy ending: we have at our fingertips a free health elixir that can make us more attractive, creative, and fertile, and can up our chances of success in all areas. He warns against sleeping pills, saying they can sedate but not achieve the deep sleep we need. He advises that “regularity is king” and that it’s essential to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
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Spoiler: Sleep expert Matthew Walker says we cannot over-stress the effects of sleep deprivation and/or abundance in education. He notes that when a Wyoming high school changed its start time from 7:35 A.M. to 8:55 A.M., there was a 70% reduction in the number of student car accidents. Students who have abundant sleep also score higher on standardized tests, get better grades, and commit suicide at lower rates. He also discusses the health benefits for adults and the elderly.
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Spoiler: Animating the main ideas of sleep expert Matthew Walker’s book, the review dips into the evolution of sleep (that humans were probably the first ground-sleepers, as opposed to tree-sleeping primates, and so developed shorter but deeper sleep), the benefits of sleep (from better health to more creativity), and the consequences of not getting enough. We are cautioned to avoid eating and drinking alcohol too close to bedtime and not to exercise within three hours of going to bed.
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Live author interview plus photos for CBS Morning News
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Spoiler: Calling sleep “the Swiss Army knife of health,” the author informs a sleep-deprived morning news crew that lack of quality sleep can lead to serious health problems. For example, he says there is a 24% uptick in heart attacks the day after much of the world loses an hour to Daylight Saving Time. Sleep is especially important for young teens and lack of it can cause problems, from obesity to hypertension, in later life. He suggests being consistent with bedtime and wake-up time.

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Matthew Walker

Mathew Walker is a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and the founder and director of the Center for Human Sleep Science.

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