Why We Sleep by
"Why We Sleep is an important and fascinating book...Walker taught me a lot about this basic activity that every person on Earth needs. I suspect his book will do the same for you." --Bill Gates A New York Times bestseller and international sensation, this "stimulating and important book" (Financial Times) is a fascinating dive into the purpose and power of slumber. Sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life, wellness, and longevity. Until very recently, science had no answer to the question of why we sleep, or what good it served, or why we suffer such devastating health consequences when we don't sleep. Compared to the other basic drives in life--eating, drinking, and reproducing--the purpose of sleep remained elusive. An explosion of scientific discoveries in the last twenty years has shed new light on this fundamental aspect of our lives. Now, preeminent neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker gives us a new understanding of the vital importance of sleep and dreaming. Within the brain, sleep enriches our ability to learn, memorize, and make logical decisions. It recalibrates our emotions, restocks our immune system, fine-tunes our metabolism, and regulates our appetite. Dreaming mollifies painful memories and creates a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present knowledge to inspire creativity. Walker answers important questions about sleep: how do caffeine and alcohol affect sleep? What really happens during REM sleep? Why do our sleep patterns change across a lifetime? How do common sleep aids affect us and can they do long-term damage? Charting cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, and synthesizing decades of research and clinical practice, Walker explains how we can harness sleep to improve learning, mood, and energy levels; regulate hormones; prevent cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes; slow the effects of aging; increase longevity; enhance the education and lifespan of our children, and boost the efficiency, success, and productivity of our businesses. Clear-eyed, fascinating, and accessible, Why We Sleep is a crucial and illuminating book.
Sleep Science by
Sleep's purposes and benefits - and the impacts of not sleeping well or well enough - have been intensively investigated as a modern science for nearly 60 years. Sleep Science is an advanced introduction to the subject of sleep and sleep disorders. Designed for upper-division undergraduate students who have completed introductory prerequisites in behavioral principles, systems physiology, and research methods, it is also appropriate for the post-graduate student adding sleep to their training portfolio. Sleep Science is ideal for use in a standard semester- or quarter-based course, and is organized into thematic sections: normative adult sleep; lifespan development; sleep and circadian disorders and treatments; sleep assessments; and sleep as a profession. Cross-cutting issues are specifically addressed in chapters such as women's health and culture. Chapters conform to a standardized layout and are authored by subject matter experts, all of whom are also sleep educators. Edited for a consistent voice and continuity, each chapter features explanatory figures, tables, and/or photographs to illustrate key concepts.
Sleep and Health by
Sleep and Health provides an accessible yet comprehensive overview of the relationship between sleep and health at the individual, community and population levels, as well as a discussion of the implications for public health, public policy and interventions. Based on a firm foundation in many areas of sleep health research, this text further provides introductions to each sub-area of the field and a summary of the current research for each area. This book serves as a resource for those interested in learning about the growing field of sleep health research, including sections on social determinants, cardiovascular disease, cognitive functioning, health behavior theory, smoking, and more.
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