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.

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.

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.

We all dream, and 98 per cent of us can recall our dreams the next morning. Even in today's modern age, it is human nature to wonder what they mean. With incredible new discoveries and stunning science, Why We Dream will give you dramatic insight into yourself and your body. You'll never think of dreams in the same way again… Groundbreaking science is putting dreams at the forefront of new research into sleep, memory, the concept of self and human socialization. Once a subject of the New Age and spiritualism, the science of dreams is revealed to have a crucial role in the biology and neuroscience of our waking lives. In Why We Dream, Alice Robb, a leading American science journalist, will take readers on a journey to uncover why we dream, why dreaming matters, and how we can improve our dream life - and why we should. Through her encounters with scientists at the cutting edge of dream research, she reveals how: - Dreams can be powerful tools to help us process the pain of a relationship break-up, the grief of losing a loved one and the trauma after a dramatic event - Nightmares may be our body's warning system for physical and mental illness (including cancer, depression and Alzheimer's) - Athletes can improve their performance by dreaming about competing - Drug addicts who dream about drug-taking can dramatically speed up their recovery from addiction. Robb also uncovers the fascinating science behind lucid dreaming - when we enter a dream state with control over our actions, creating a limitless playground for our fantasies. And as one of only ten per cent of people with the ability to lucid-dream, she is uniquely placed to teach us how to do it ourselves.

Experts of every kind are queuing up to warn us that lack of sleep, or the wrong kind, will bring down a bewildering array of dire consequences. Heather Darwall-Smith's message in this book is simple: don't panic! Humans are biologically programmed to sleep, and by interrogating all the factors - sociological, physiological, neurological, and psychological - that might be impeding this innate instinct, each of us can work out the changes we can make in our own lifestyles to allow ourselves to sleep naturally again. This book demystifies the bewildering data around sleep by combining science with natural self-help techniques. Inside the pages of this illustrated guide to sleep, you'll discover: - A visual approach to understanding the science of why and how we sleep through info-graphics, graphs and diagrams that unpick the data and present the facts in an easy-to-follow format - Proven techniques and strategies for better sleep from the author - based on extensive clinical practice and drawing on the most up-to-date evidence from scientists around the world - The latest research and evidence to debunk the myths and misconceptions around sleep Heather Darwall-Smith has combined her research findings, clinical expertise, and curated techniques to create a uniquely visual approach to explaining the interrelated factors that make up our sleep habits. She also provides natural techniques to deal with these underlying causes. Humans are biologically programmed to sleep, Heather encourages each of us to work out the changes we can make to our lifestyles to nourish our body clocks for us to sleep naturally again. The Science of Sleep provides in-depth answers to questions about sleep challenges and exposes myths and fads using science that is accessible to all. Armed with facts, this book equips readers to take control of their choices, understand and transform their sleep habits one night at a time.

One third of our lives are spent trying to sleep. Most us have restless nights and rely on a cocktail of caffeine and sugar to drag us through the day. Yet the hours we spend in bed shape our mood, motivation and decision-making skills - defining our performance in work, at home and while keeping fit. We need a new approach to sleep. In Sleep, Nick Littlehales, the leading sleep coach, debunks the myths around sleep and introduces many new concepts, including: · Why the fabled eight hours just doesn't add up · The power of the nap - and how you can nap with your eyes open · Ways to deal with anxiety, children, snoring and other night-time challenges · How to discover your own sleep cycle From your personal sleep characteristics and cycles, to posture and bedding, he sets out achievable ways to get the highest possible quality of sleep recovery. Read Sleep, learn from the best in sport, and kick-start a more confident, successful and happier you.

Dive into the weird and wonderful world of sleep, from the science behind dreams to a peek into animal sleeping habits, in this incredible book for children aged 7 to 9. We spend about 26 years of our lives sleeping, but how much do you really know about what happens when your head hits the pillow? Flick through the charming illustrated pages and discover: - What is sleep, and why do we need it? - Who's still awake across the globe when you are tucked up in bed? - The history of sleep, including the evolution of the bed and the significance of dreams in myths and legends - How does sleep differ in the animal kingdom? From polyphasic sleeping lions and nocturnal raccoons to birds high in the sky and whales in the ocean - What happens to plants when the sun sets? - Practical tips and tricks to help you improve your bedtime routine The Magic of Sleep answers all your questions about what goes on in your head when you snooze, including the difference between light and deep sleep, where dreams come from, and how essential sleep is to staying healthy. Discover fascinating facts about how people slept in the past, and how people sleep in different ways around the world. Did you know that the oldest mattress was found in South Africa and is 77,000 years old? Vivid and engaging illustrations by Vicky Woodgate bring the topic to life. As well as humans, learn about the sleeping habits of other animals, from bears hibernating to how bats sleep upside down. Even plants sleep! Finally, learn how you can get a proper night's sleep with practical tips and ideas for meditation to calm your mind before bedtime. This book is ideal for children who have difficulty getting to sleep, as well as anyone who wants to learn more about how our brains and bodies work.

From the brilliant psychoanalyst behind Strictly Bipolar and What is Madness, a short and fascinating guide to the history of human sleep - and why we can't seem to sleep any more 'Persuasive, absorbing and refreshingly sane... [A] bracing and important intervention in the debate... Leader points the way to a richer and more humane understanding of our problems with sleep' Guardian One in four adults sleeps badly. Sleeping pill prescriptions have increased dramatically over the last three decades, as have the incidence of sleep clinics. Sleep used to be a natural state, easy as breathing, but increasingly it is an insecure commodity. ...Isn't it? Our relationship to sleep surfaces and resurfaces throughout human history, each time telling us something new about our indivudual and collective psychology. From the industrial revolution to blue-light on our phones, from the ancient art of dream interpretation to the modern science of Freud, sleep is connected to wider social patterns, to shifting norms and expectations. Weaving together cultural, social, economic and psychoanalytic influences, Darian Leader delves into the truth about this universal human experience.

Sendhil Mullainathan, the 'most interesting young economist in the world', and Eldar Shafir, the 'most brilliant psychologist' of his generation, explain the hidden problem behind everything with Scarcity Why can we never seem to keep on top of our workload, social diary or chores? Why does poverty persist around the world? Why do successful people do things at the last minute in a sudden rush of energy? Here, economist Sendhil Mullainathan and psychologist Eldar Shafir reveal that the hidden side behind all these problems is that they're all about scarcity. Using the new science of scarcity, they explain why obesity is rampant; why people find it difficult to sleep when most sleep deprived; and why the lonely find it so hard to make friends. Scarcity will change the way you think about both the little everyday tasks and the big issues of global urgency.

We have spent decades optimising our waking hours, but what about the precious hours after we doze off (or try to)? The Magic of Sleep tells you everything you've ever wanted to know about sleep but were too tired to ask. As the most active time for our brains and the most important element to a calmer, happier life, sleep has become the topic of our times. Drawing on the success of Calm, the #1 app for sleep, meditation and relaxation, Michael Acton Smith writes the ultimate guide to good sleep. Beautifully illustrated and packed with fascinating facts and anecdotes, this book contains life-changing tips. At once a bedside companion and a sleeping aide, The Magic of Sleep will be your solution to a better sleeping life, improving each of your waking hours. - Reduce your sleepless nights by finding the perfect soundtrack for dozing off - Learn the new science of sleep, including how to create ideas while you're asleep - Discover the best recipes for home-made drinks that will make you drowsy - Get to know your subconscious by starting a sleep journal and exploring lucid dreaming It's time to optimize sleep.

What is a dream? Why do we dream? How do our bodies and minds use dreams? These questions are the starting point for this unprecedented, astonishing study of the role and significance of dreams, from the beginning of human history. An investigation on the grand scale, encompassing literature, anthropology, religion, and science, it articulates the essential place dreams occupy in human culture, and how they functioned as the catalyst that compelled us to transform our earthly habitat into a human world. From the earliest cave paintings - where the author finds a key to humankind's first dreams, which contributed to our capacity to perceive past and future - to cutting-edge scientific research, Ribeiro arrives at startling and revolutionary conclusions about the role of dreams in human existence and evolution. He explores the advances that contemporary neuroscience, biochemistry and psychology have made into the connections between sleep, dreams, and learning, before revealing what dreams have taught us about the neural basis of memory and the transformation of memory in recall. And he makes clear that the earliest insight into dreams as oracular has been confirmed by contemporary research. Accessible, authoritative, and fascinating from first to last, The Oracle of Night gives us a wholly new way to understand this most basic of human experiences.

In the twenty-first century, we increasingly push our daily routines into the night, carrying out work, exercise and our social lives long after dark. But we have forgotten that our bodies are governed by a 24-hour biological clock which guides us towards the best time to sleep, eat and think. New science has proven that living out of sync with this clock is not only disrupting our sleep, but leaving us more vulnerable to infection, cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and mental illness. In Life Time, Professor Russell Foster shares his life's work, taking us on a fascinating and surprising journey through the science of our body clocks. Using his own studies, as well as insights from an international community of sleep scientists and biologists studying circadian rhythms, he illustrates the surprising effects the time of day can have on our health: - how a walk outside at dawn can ensure a better night's sleep - how eating after sundown can affect our weight - the extraordinary effects the time we take our medication can have on our risk of life-threatening conditions, such as strokes In the modern world, we have neglected an essential part of our biology. But with knowledge of this astonishing science, we can get back into the rhythm, and live healthier, sharper lives.

What happens when you fall asleep? Why do we need sleep? And what are dreams? Curious little children can lift over 30 flaps to find the answers to these questions and many more in this delightful introduction to sleep, with simple explanations and gorgeous illustrations on every page.

Shortlisted for the British Psychological Society Book Award for Popular Science Much of value has been written about sleep, but rest is different; it is how we unwind, calm our minds and recharge our bodies. The Art of Rest draws on ground-breaking research Claudia Hammond collaborated on: ‘The Rest Test’, the largest global survey into rest ever undertaken, completed by 18,000 people across 135 different countries. The survey revealed how people get rest and how it is directly linked to your sense of wellbeing. Counting down through the top ten activities which people find most restful, Hammond explains why rest matters, examines the science behind the results to establish what really works and offers a roadmap for a new, more restful and balanced life.

A new novelty non-fiction series for toddlers. Magic Windows is the new novelty non-fiction series from Ladybird Books. Perfect for curious toddlers, this new series explores the wonderful transformations found in nature. Little ones will love to pull the sliding mechanism on each spread and change what appears in each Magic Window. They will learn how their body moves, why food is so important and why we need to sleep at the end of the day.

How The Body Works is a fascinating exploration of the weird and wonderful processes that occur within the human body, often without us knowing. Understand how our bodies keep us alive and thriving and get to the bottom of such niggling questions as why we get dizzy, why we get butterflies in our stomachs, and why we get jetlag! How The Body Works is a bold and accessible visual guide to every aspect of how the human body and brain works, combining the science of human anatomy books with beautiful images. Enjoy this enlightening resource that covers everything from skin to bone and even the psychology of dreams and emotions.