Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams

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 book, 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.

"Startling, vital, a life raft."
Guardian

"A neuroscientist shows how a good night's shut=eye can make us clever, 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, Guardian

"Passionate, urgent...it had a powerful effect on me."
Rachel Cooke, Observer

"Compelling and utterly convincing... you'll never think of your bedtime in the same way again."
James McConnachie, The Sunday Times