Why We Sleep
by Matthew P. Walker
★ Top 10 book of 2017 · #6 on Best Books of 2017
Neuroscientist Matthew Walker explains why sleep matters so much, from learning and memory to mood, immunity and metabolism. He also offers practical steps for sleeping better and protecting long-term health.
Best for: Anyone curious about sleep science who wants practical ways to rest better
Why We Sleep is #6 on BookWard's Best Books of 2017, out of 73 2017 books that cleared our data bar.
What Why We Sleep is about
Matthew P. Walker, a neuroscientist and sleep expert, sets out to answer a question that science long left unresolved: why do we sleep at all? Its purpose has been harder to pin down than that of eating, drinking, or reproducing. Walker argues that sleep does an enormous amount of work. It strengthens learning, memory, and logical decision-making, recalibrates our emotions, restocks the immune system, fine-tunes metabolism, and regulates appetite.
He also looks at dreaming, which he describes as a kind of virtual reality in which the brain blends past and present knowledge and sparks creativity. The Sunday Times called the book compelling and utterly convincing. It will help anyone who treats sleep as a luxury to be traded away, as well as students, parents, and curious readers who want to understand what happens in the brain each night.
Why We Sleep on the Best Books of 2017
Why We Sleep came out in 2017. Of the 73 books first published in 2017 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #6 on our Best Books of 2017 list.
Why it made the list: 764 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (31 ratings); 23 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
It earns Reader favorite.
Nearby on the 2017 list
- One of Us Is Lying Karen M. McManus, #4
- The Dark Prophecy Rick Riordan, #5
- Turtles All the Way Down John Green, #7
- Becoming Supernatural Joe Dispenza, #8
See all Best Books of 2017 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2016 Best Books of 2018.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 694 want to read it, 23 are reading it now and 47 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 from 31 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 90 | 55% |
| Reader love | 93 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 73 | 20% |
Questions about Why We Sleep
When was Why We Sleep published?
Why We Sleep by Matthew P. Walker was first published in 2017.
Was Why We Sleep one of the best books of 2017?
Why We Sleep is #6 on BookWard's Best Books of 2017, out of 73 2017 books that cleared our data bar. 764 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (31 ratings); 23 are reading it right now.
Why is Why We Sleep on the Best Books of 2017 list?
764 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (31 ratings); 23 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2017
- The Hate U Give Angie Thomas, #1
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Taylor Jenkins Reid, #2
- A Court of Wings and Ruin Sarah J. Maas, #3
- One of Us Is Lying Karen M. McManus, #4
- The Dark Prophecy Rick Riordan, #5
- Turtles All the Way Down John Green, #7
See the full Best Books of 2017, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
Find your own best books
Add what you have read, rate it, and BookWard will recommend what to read next.
Free while in beta. No credit card needed.