Now, I don’t want to “sleep, when I die”.
In this book, “sleep scientist”, Matthew Walker gives the history, physiological reasons, evolution, and impact of sleep in our lives. The book is written is a very accessible, and engaging manner. Its something of a page turner for the most part.
The book is split into 4 fairly independent parts
- Part 1: What is even sleep? Does it affect all living creatures, of all ages? Here, he sets up the premise, giving a quick primer on sleep.
- Part 2: In this part, her makes a case for why you should sleep, and how its important for us. This chapter has some very interesting ideas, and some really good advice.
- Part 3: This chapter is all about dreams. I found this chapter super interesting, as it gives a primer on dreams - a historical perspective, and today’s modern view on it.
- Part 4: This chapter is the least scientific part of the book. Its basically matthew urging for a change in the society, and talking about good practices, and practical advice for sleep hygiene, and sleep disorders.
I enjoyed reading this book more than I thought I would. Its worth noting that this book has faced criticism for some scientific “inaccuracies”. I have put up the criticism, and the author’s rebuttals to them here for posterity
On the whole, after reading both of the above, its still worth reading this book (it should also be noted, Walker has pretty good credentials himself, and isn’t a hack), and honestly, most issues would be addressed in the second edition. After reading the book, its fair to say, this book is still an excellent read.
I would give this book a 4/5.