This 2017 book may have limited readership due to its ” simplistic ” title.
At a glance, we may just pass this book by as the title question ” Why we sleep” is basic, elementary and self- evident.
This book actually has great insights on how to live a healthy life, backed up by research and data. Its fundamental thesis is We need to sleep 8 hours daily.
Adequate sleep prevents Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. {p 3 and 157). When we are in deep sleep called NREM / non repeat eye movement sleep, the brain is cleansed off effluents generated during the day by the hard work done by neurons in our brain. This discharge is similar to what our lymphatic system does to our body. In NREM the rate of expulsion of effluents is twenty-fold increase. (p 160}.
Reagan and Margaret Thatcher famous for sleeping 4 to 5 hours only both developed Alzheimer’s disease. {p 162}.
This book contains many other useful facts, too many to enumerate in this review. One is that we are born to be either morning or evening persons. {p 21} Walker has written a very important book. He writes well and it is easy to read.