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The answer I got from Matt Walker's "Why We Sleep?" was a list of benefits that we get from sleep and a list of negatives that we avoid. That is a sufficient an
by maps7 6y ago
The answer I got from Matt Walker's "Why We Sleep?" was a list of benefits that we get from sleep and a list of negatives that we avoid. That is a sufficient answer for me. To ask why we need those benefits is a different question and eventually goes down a philosophical path.
- mytailorisrich 6y agoPersonally, I think that most behaviours/attributes have evolved out of the basic laws of life (survive and reproduce) and of Physics, especially energy-related constraints. Based on that the most obvious basis for sleep is energy saving. I believe that 'sleep' has been observed in animals as simple as jellyfish so any neuroscience-centred explanation is bound to miss the root cause, in my view. But, as often in evolution, the development of nervous systems may have taken advantage of pre-existing sleep patterns.
- andyljones 6y ago'Why We Sleep' has some, uh, issues on the benefits-and-negatives front too. https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep
- maps7 6y agoThanks for posting - it's always good to see all views. It's disappointing because the book helped me a lot. It helped me understand sleep and how I should change my lifestyle to get more of it. I feel (no measure) that it has benefited me. I will not regard it as scientifically accurate now though. Does anyone have any other books about sleep that they could recommend?