Title: Why We Sleep

Recommendation: 8.7/10

Summary:

We all know sleep is important, but what does it mean to have healthy sleep practices?

With a lighthearted tone, Matthew Walker, who even encourages you to ebb and flow in and out of sleep during the book, presents an entertaining, somber, and informative case.

The costs of poor sleep habits (a weak immune system) convinced me to adopted three new habits: 

1) Establish a routine sleep schedule (consistent through week & weekend)

2) Avoid being in bed when not tired (your brain starts to associate your bed with being awake)

3) Don’t nap after 3pm, which makes it harder to fall asleep

Highlights:

Suprachiasmatic: a tiny clock that is central to life’s biological rhythm.

About to receive medical treatment? Asking “How much sleep have you gotten in the past 24 hours?” will quickly determine the quality of service you’re about to receive.

Sleep pressure is a chemical that accumulates the longer you’ve been awake.

Some night owls are not owls by choice. They are bound to a delayed, scheduled by DNA.

Sports teams pay millions for the care of their human commodities but neglect their sleep.