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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.

"A neuroscientist shows how a good night's shut-eye can make us cleverer, 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
"A stimulating and important book . . . richly packed with science" - Clive Cookson, Financial Times

"Uplifting . . . Walker is in love with sleep and wants us to fall in love with sleep, too" - David Kamp, The New York Times

"Matthew Walker is probably one of the most influential people on the planet" - Katie Law, Evening Standard

"Astonishing ... an amazing book ... absolutely chocker full of things that we need to know" - Chris Evans

Matthew Walker's fascination with sleep has taken him from Nottingham to Harvard and on to the University of California, Berkeley, where he is currently Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology and Director of the Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory. He has published over 100 scientific research studies during the course of his twenty-year career. Why We Sleep is his first book.