Why We Sleep

The New Science of Sleep and Dreams

By: Matthew Walker

Narrated by: John Sackville

Brought to you by Penguin

THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

TLS, OBSERVER, SUNDAY TIMES, FT, GUARDIAN, DAILY MAIL AND EVENING STANDARD BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2017

Sleep is one of the most important aspects of our life, health and longevity and yet it is increasingly neglected in twenty-first-century society, with devastating consequences: every major disease in the developed world - Alzheimer's, cancer, obesity, diabetes - has very strong causal links to deficient sleep.

In this audiobook, the first of its kind written by a scientific expert, Professor Matthew Walker explores twenty years of cutting-edge research to solve the mystery of why sleep matters. Looking at creatures from across the animal kingdom as well as major human studies, Why We Sleep delves into everything from what really happens during REM sleep to how caffeine and alcohol affect sleep and why our sleep patterns change across a lifetime, transforming our appreciation of the extraordinary phenomenon that safeguards our existence.

Includes a bonus PDF of graphs and diagrams.

'Astonishing ... an amazing book ... absolutely chocker full of things that we need to know' Chris Evans

'Matthew Walker is probably one of the most influential people on the planet' Evening Standard

'Startling, vital ... a life-raft' Guardian

'A top sleep scientist argues that sleep is more important for our health than diet or exercise' The Times

'Passionate, urgent . . . it had a powerful effect on me' Observer

©2017 Matthew Walker (P)2017 Penguin Books Ltd

Critic reviews

A neuroscientist shows how a good night's shut-eye can make us cleverer, more attractive, slimmer, happier, healthier and ward off cancer . . . it's probably a little too soon to tell you that it saved my life, but it's been an eye-opener (Mark O'Connell)

Passionate, urgent . . . it had a powerful effect on me (Rachel Cooke)

An important and fascinating book (Bill Gates)

Compelling and utterly convincing . . . you'll never think of your bedtime in the same way again (James McConnachie)

A stimulating and important book . . . richly packed with science (Clive Cookson)

Uplifting . . . Walker is in love with sleep and wants us to fall in love with sleep, too (David Kamp)

Matthew Walker is probably one of the most influential people on the planet (Katie Law)

Astonishing . . . an amazing book . . . absolutely chocker full of things that we need to know (Chris Evans)

Amazing . . . I'm obsessed with this book (Thom Yorke)

Passionate, urgent, convincing . . . it had a powerful effect on me (Rachel Cooke)

Now I know all about sleep!

I have been looking for different answers and always found small pieces of information here and there. In this book, there is everything you need to know and make your own conclusions

Thank you - this book has changed my life

“Life changing” is not an exaggeration. This book will improve the quality of the rest of your life. And if you are a parent, your children’s lives, too.
I listened to the audio book and I highly recommend it. The author is articulate and the narrator does a wonderful job of bringing the pages to life. The content is easy to understand, full of interesting anecdotes, and supported by compelling facts. It's no surprise that readers rate it 5 Stars!
If you read (or listen to) one book this year, this should be it.

Book.of the year

I'm completely Blown Away by this book. I think this is a must for anybody living the human experience.

Must read!

The narrator was excellent. Perfect match for an excellent book. I highly recommend this book.

Everyone should read

This book is so insightful! I never knew sleep impacted so much of our lives… I will recommend this book to everyone I know!