2 years ago
36
Sleep is in many ways a mysterious, unique phenomenon, not much research has been devoted to it. On the contrary, “modern society” is rather pushing to reduce the time devoted to sleep. Matthew Walker’s excellent book “Why We Sleep” comprehensively addresses both sleep itself and the reasons why we should definitely not deny ourselves it.
At first glance, it may seem that there is not enough to say and write about sleep to fill an entire book. However, the opposite is true. Before reading it myself, I was curious about the content of this book and what it would entail.
The content is indeed rich as we look at sleep from many angles. First we learn the basics about sleep and its stages, then the author moves on to the issue of sleep deprivation. It is this serious problem – because it really is a problem – that he presents to us from every angle. We learn about the sleep rhythms of adults, but equally so of the old, the young and children.
We can also read briefly about some of the most serious sleep disorders, which is admittedly chilling but necessary reading. Sleep deprivation kills in more ways than one.
Don’t worry, the book doesn’t just point out the negatives of sleep deprivation and what all it entails – for example, the worsening of most diseases and the development of new ones from obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease through to loss of memories and poor emotional stability. An entire chapter is devoted to the excellent positives that sleep brings us. It promotes creativity, problem solving whether logical or emotional in nature. For example, did you know that the periodic table of the elements was finally created after years of unsuccessful categorization thanks to sleep?
It is a scientific literature, but I dare to say that alongside the scientific style, it does not lack humanity. Matthew Walker is a scientist dedicated to research and lecturing, but he has approached many of the more difficult parts with real-life situations and examples that we can easily imagine.
On the other hand, it is important to note that I found some parts more challenging to read. The author describes several measurements, and uses graphs for a better overview, but I still had to read slowly and with emphasis in order to understand well. Of course I don’t consider this a fault of the book, it is a professional publication and those generally require the full attention of the reader, often repeated readings.
I already know that there are certainly passages that have intrigued me more than others and I want to return to them. The thematic chapters, which do not have to be read chronologically, are a great advantage. Feel free to pick a section that interests you more and devote yourself to it. The first time I read it, I went nicely sequentially; the second time I want to focus more just on adult sleep, children, but also the impact of dreaming on creativity.
New information from the beginning to the end of the book, plus at the end we find advice for a good night’s sleep. A number of myths are debunked – sleeping in missed at the weekend sounds great, but doesn’t work in practice. As I learned, the time our brains and bodies miss out on through lack of sleep can never be fully replaced.
I’ve always been a lover of a good night’s sleep – an eight-hour sleep schedule I adhered to in high school and college (with occasional exceptions when I couldn’t do otherwise). Many of my classmates would study late into the night before exams, wake up early in the morning, and continue even before the exam. I preferred to get a good night’s sleep, and I’m so glad this book did me justice. If we don’t sleep after acquiring new knowledge, a large percentage of it will be forgotten in short order.
A simple recipe for health, beauty, emotional stability, maintaining and developing intelligence is sleep. I recommend the book “Why We Sleep” to everyone, because after reading it, I really don’t think there is a reader who won’t find at least one-two-three interesting parts in it.