26/10/2023
We should all savor a restful night sleep, but the majority of us lack a full understanding of the essential factors for achieving high-quality sleep and why it is so crucial. When I first came across this book and the buzz surrounding it on the internet, my initial impression was that it was just another boring physiology textbook. My hasty judgment, based on its cover, was wrong. This book is a major highlight of a revolutionary and groundbreaking 2 decades long research on the importance of a good quality sleep and the science behind why humans sleep.
Structurally, the book is divided into 4 major segments: In part I, Walker gave a detailed background to some of the traditional myth and what we scientifically know about this wonderful phenomenon called sleep. This covers sleep regulatory mechanisms of circadian rhythm and chemical effect that causes sleep pressure. It offers some intriguing insights on how sleep changes across the spectrum of childhood to adulthood.
Part 2 of the book attempts to discuss why we should give our self the time to sleep with its attendant benefits. And this section goes on to discuss how sleep deprivation is linked to various diseases bedeviling human kind. In part 3, there’s a nice but layman friendly discussion on scientific details of dreams during sleep including the argument of why dreams are even good for your overall wellbeing. Walker concluded in part 4 by talking a bit more about sleep disorders and why our current lifestyle favors inadequate sleep and a vicious cycle of ill-health. He also debunked the myth of the corporate ‘sleep is lazy argument’ and provided wonderful tips to having a good night sleep.
This book presents a challenge in terms of its dense text, yet it maintains an engaging style. Despite the author's extensive knowledge of sleep, he skillfully demystifies the scientific complexity that might otherwise be daunting for the average reader. "Why We Sleep" has faced critiques worldwide, particularly concerning the methodology behind the 20-year scientific research that forms the foundation of Matthew Walker's claims.
The author is an English scientist and Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.
Shamsuddeen
