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The definitive reference for all things sleep is “why we sleep” by Matthew Walker. It’s a fantastic read, highly recommended. It single handedly moved getting e

The definitive reference for all things sleep is “why we sleep” by Matthew Walker. It’s a fantastic read, highly recommended. It single handedly moved getting enough sleep from a similar category to “I should probably eat less salt” to “this is the single most important thing for my health” for me.

Jedd 6y ago
FWIW TFA's author is vehemently opposed to Matthew Walker's book. (Disclaimer - I'm not. I found much of the content interesting and compelling.)
- bosie 6y ago
  Sorry, what is TFA?
  - detaro 6y ago
    "The Fine Article" (other words beginning with F might be substituted) = the article/link discussed
    - bosie 6y ago
      Thank you
  - socceroos 6y ago
    slashdot terminology for the article being discussed.
    - Jedd 6y ago
      FWIW the abbreviation has been around a wee bit longer than slashdot.
- lemming 6y ago
  Yes, I saw that following links from this thread, and have spent more of the morning than I should have reading it and the various threads discussing it. I think the criticism seems valid, and it probably means I shouldn't use the book as a reply to people asking for scientific evidence (like the comment I replied to). That said, I don't think it detracts from the main argument of the book, or the main revelation for me, which is that most people don't realise how damaging lack of sleep is. I would still recommend it to a lay friend on that basis.
  - guzey 6y ago
    >It single handedly moved getting enough sleep from a similar category to “I should probably eat less salt” to “this is the single most important thing for my health” for me. >That said, I don't think it detracts from the main argument of the book, or the main revelation for me, which is that most people don't realise how damaging lack of sleep is. I don't get this. You find that the book you believe provides the arguments for the damaging effects of sleep and based on which you dramatically changed your life is bullshit but somehow this fact doesn't detract from its main argument and you are still going to recommend it to your friends?
    - lemming 6y ago
      Well, I wouldn't use the word "bullshit" to describe the book. Reading (most of) the book caused me to change my priorities from basically "I don't care about how much sleep I get" to "getting enough sleep is an important priority for me". Presumably you would agree that that is a positive effect.
      - guzey 6y ago
        Sure, I have nothing against getting enough sleep but the book's first 10 pages contain so much misinformation and given that Walker outright falsifies the data in the book (https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/#appendix-what-do-you-do-when-a-part-of-the-graph-contradicts-your-argument-you-cut-it-out-of-course https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/#appendix-what-do-you-d...) I would struggle to call it anything other than bullshit.
kelnos 6y ago
I recall reading something linked on HN some months ago where someone dissected that book rather brutally, pointing out inaccuracies, flat-out lies, instances of ignoring inconvenient data, and conclusions drawn without any supporting evidence, so... not sure I'd treat that as gospel. Oh, looks like it was by the same author as the article we're discussing: https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/ https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/
- lemming 6y ago
  Yeah, I just saw that in this thread, and replied to a sibling: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23230713 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23230713

Jedd 6y ago

FWIW TFA's author is vehemently opposed to Matthew Walker's book. (Disclaimer - I'm not. I found much of the content interesting and compelling.)

bosie 6y ago
Sorry, what is TFA?
- detaro 6y ago
  "The Fine Article" (other words beginning with F might be substituted) = the article/link discussed
  - bosie 6y ago
    Thank you
- socceroos 6y ago
  slashdot terminology for the article being discussed.
  - Jedd 6y ago
    FWIW the abbreviation has been around a wee bit longer than slashdot.
lemming 6y ago
Yes, I saw that following links from this thread, and have spent more of the morning than I should have reading it and the various threads discussing it. I think the criticism seems valid, and it probably means I shouldn't use the book as a reply to people asking for scientific evidence (like the comment I replied to). That said, I don't think it detracts from the main argument of the book, or the main revelation for me, which is that most people don't realise how damaging lack of sleep is. I would still recommend it to a lay friend on that basis.
- guzey 6y ago
  >It single handedly moved getting enough sleep from a similar category to “I should probably eat less salt” to “this is the single most important thing for my health” for me. >That said, I don't think it detracts from the main argument of the book, or the main revelation for me, which is that most people don't realise how damaging lack of sleep is. I don't get this. You find that the book you believe provides the arguments for the damaging effects of sleep and based on which you dramatically changed your life is bullshit but somehow this fact doesn't detract from its main argument and you are still going to recommend it to your friends?
  - lemming 6y ago
    Well, I wouldn't use the word "bullshit" to describe the book. Reading (most of) the book caused me to change my priorities from basically "I don't care about how much sleep I get" to "getting enough sleep is an important priority for me". Presumably you would agree that that is a positive effect.
    - guzey 6y ago
      Sure, I have nothing against getting enough sleep but the book's first 10 pages contain so much misinformation and given that Walker outright falsifies the data in the book (https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/#appendix-what-do-you-do-when-a-part-of-the-graph-contradicts-your-argument-you-cut-it-out-of-course https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/#appendix-what-do-you-d...) I would struggle to call it anything other than bullshit.

kelnos 6y ago

I recall reading something linked on HN some months ago where someone dissected that book rather brutally, pointing out inaccuracies, flat-out lies, instances of ignoring inconvenient data, and conclusions drawn without any supporting evidence, so... not sure I'd treat that as gospel. Oh, looks like it was by the same author as the article we're discussing: https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/ https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/

lemming 6y ago
Yeah, I just saw that in this thread, and replied to a sibling: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23230713 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23230713