I tend to read a lot more fiction than non fiction but after hearing so much about this book, I was very glad to receive a copy from @netgalley.

It is written by a scientist but in such a way that anyone could relate. From the first page, Matthew Walker hits you with some big statements about the detrimental impact caused by lack of sleep or sub optimal sleep patterns and it made me want to learn more.

One fact that sticks with me is that 1 person dies EVERY HOUR in the USA due to a fatigue related incident. That's unbelievable!

The book has a logical structure:

What is sleep?
Why do you need it?
How and why we dream?
Impact of society on sleep

The latter was very telling, especially how the school start times interrupt the natural circadian rhythm of a child and teenager. Also, in a sleep study, there was a huge negative difference in REM sleep between those who used a Kindle before bed rather than an actual book. The gadgets we look at before we go to sleep are impacting us more than we realise.

I was also amazed how your sleep pattern changes throughout your life, where mid forties are a big turning point.

Not only did I like how this was written, I also liked that it was designed with such a structure that you could dip in and out.

Overall, a very informative and educational read. Would recommend it for anyone interested in the topic or looking to learn some really interesting facts!

Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to review.

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While I don't buy into every argument in this book, Walker makes an excellent case for why we all need to prioritise sleep in our lives more - the benefits of regularly getting 7-8 hours sleep, and the consequences of poor sleep hygiene, are hard to ignore. The impact it has on your mental health, your happiness and your life span are quite startling.

This is a fascinating, and important, book, that taught me a lot about this very basic human activity, which we all need to prioritise more!

I thought this was really interesting and explored some thought provoking themes. The science and research used I hadn't heard before but I finished this feeling a bit more knowledgeable about the topic.

Thank you to netgally for my copy.
There is a lot of waffle that is there, I feel, just to pad out the book. I DNF this one. It is interesting, but I really had to concentrate to get through the waffle. I think if it was broken down into small bite chunks, it would make this more enjoyable.

Why we Sleep by Matthew Walker

This fascinating book has to be one of my top non-fiction books of all time.
I found it a great read that gave me brilliant insights into sleep and our habits. There were just so many interesting facts!

Such as teenagers having a completely different biorhythm or that you can’t catch up on a night of missed sleep. It made me think about how much our world has changed through industrialisation and how much we are risking our health by forcing everyone into an average sleep/waking pattern.

If we can reclaim our sleep from a constantly busy society and culture then we can reclaim our health.

I have to say this book did make me feel mildly anxious about not getting enough sleep but it has made me make little changes in my habits... particularly at bedtime!

I highly recommend this incredible book!

Thanks to #netgalley for an e copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really interesting and fascinating book! I learned a lot whilst reading this and it wasn’t dry or hard to read.

Excellent nonfiction exploring and explaining the current evidence around sleep.
Very well written with a high standard of detailed research from a professional within the field.
I would strongly recommend this.

This was a really hard book to rate for me.
About 90% of it was easy to read and digestible, there was a solid 10% of it filled with science my brain couldn’t comprehend but could sort of read through to understand later.
Mostly it was infuriating because it explains another way in which the education and work systems are designed that doesn’t allow for children/teenagers/adults to have sufficient sleep and thus potentially suffer serious health consequences. This had me worried about everyone I know because no one I know sleeps enough but in most instances there isn’t much we can do about it????
It was an enlightening read and something everyone should be more aware of but my god, with coronavirus, seeing dark waters today and now finishing this book it feels like I’m surrounded by death and ill health and I am ready for a BREAK.

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
I dont even know where to start with reviewing this book apart from sleep is king! This book is absolutely fascinating, and for me it will be life changing.
As someone who feels permanently absolutely exhausted, I learned a lot reading this book. I feel privileged to receive this book for review, and think I will be telling people about it for a long time.
When I was about an hour into it, I didnt think it could remain as interesting for the rest of the book, to give an idea the audiobook is 13.5 hours, I was wrong! It got even more interesting the more I read. I don't reread books but think I will go back to this book again.
Thank you to @netgalley Matthew Walker and the publisher for this copy. Easiest 5 stars I will ever give.

I really enjoyed this book. As a previously bad sleeper I'm so interested in the science behind sleep. I really liked how accessible the information was.

The first sleep book by a leading scientific expert—Professor Matthew Walker, Director of UC Berkeley’s Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab—reveals his groundbreaking exploration of sleep, explaining how we can harness its transformative power to change our lives for the better.

Unfortunately, it was quite boring and extremely dull. This book is more likely to help you sleep, than tell you why we sleep.

Fascinating, useful, informative and important. This book is a must-read and one I will eagerly press into the hands of every person I care about. Huge thanks to Matthew Walker for focusing on this subject and for highlighting the importance of sleep.

Excellent boo on why we sleep and how to improve the experience and our physical selves. Explores a few ideas that traditional sleep books have neglected and comes at the subject from a novel angle.

Non-fiction science books aren't my usual choice but this one was fascinating. Matthew Walker explains everything in simple terms so that anyone can understand with helpful examples. It has really made me realise the importance of sleep and I think everyone should read it to understand how they can improve their health.

Professor Matthew Walker is a sleep expert hailing from UC Berkeley. In his book, he proposes that a lack of sleep and sleep deprivation has a stake in the roots of most major diseases in the developed world, even arguing that sleep is as important in our lives as a good diet and regular exercise.

Walker explores twenty years of cutting-edge research to determine how and why we sleep, looking at how reduced sleep is utterly damaging and detrimental to our overall health. I found his observations to be interested and well presented. The book is well-written and informative, and Walker has a quirkiness to his delivery that makes his writing very readable.

This is an eye-opening study and I found it fascinating. Not normally my chosen night-time reading but a welcome change, in this case. I would recommend this to anyone who would like to know more about sleep and how the body functions.

Really interesting and actually quite funny at times - the author has a fantastic tone and sense of humour! Unfortunately the graphics didn't show up in the egalley, but even that didn't really dull my interest (though I really want to see them sometime!)

Honestly does what it says on the tin - talks about why we sleep, and different types of sleep. I particularly found the sections on night owls vs early birds the most interesting - it felt really wonderful to read that the way I operate is actually okay!!

Fascinating insight into something we all spend a huge proportion of our lives doing! My husband read this rather than me - although given the amount of parts of the book he quoted to me on a regular basis I feel like I have read every page.

Who knew there was so much more to sleep? I love a good sleep so I really enjoyed reading about the benefits of sleep and what lack of sleep does to you.

I have suffered from poor sleep on and off for most of my adult life. I’ve tried all the usual things – less caffeine, less alcohol, more alcohol, warm baths, no screen time after 8 p.m. – the list goes on and on and none of those things have worked. So I was keen to read this book and see if it could offer any help.
It does so much more than that. This book goes into real depth about how and why we sleep. It’s scientific, research-based and full of sometimes quite startling information. But it does all this in a very readable and reader-friendly way. It isn’t confusing or dense, and it certainly isn’t boring. It’s informative and fascinating and very, very well-written.
It’s eye-opening and concerning to discover just how much of an impact on health – both mental and physical – poor sleep has. And it’s a real concern in a culture that is based on work, work, work with little time for relaxation. It’s a reminder that sleeping and resting and caring for yourself isn’t a luxury or an indulgence but is something that is vital and necessary. A real wake-up call.
I still don’t sleep all that well, but I have more good nights than bad. And I understand now how important that is.
I can’t recommend this book enough.

This is a book that I am finding it better to dip in and out of than reading it all at once. Having said that, I should explain. I am choosing this way to read it because I am enjoying absorbing it in "chunks". It is certainly worth a read and I am happy I was offered the chance to do so.