Books: Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams

Abstract

Matthew Walker Allen Lane, 2018, PB, 368pp, £9.99, 978-0141983769 You will probably be familiar with some effects of sleep deprivation — underperforming, being error-prone and snappy — but may be less familiar with some of the more insidious effects of sleep loss, which include impairment of immune responses, an increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders and cancer, and a link with Alzheimer’s disease. Sleep, says Professor Matthew Walker, the author of this engrossing book, should be regarded as the ‘pre-eminent force in the health trinity, along with a balanced diet and exercise’ . Walker is no slouch, and is very …