276. How Matthew Walker Ruined My Sleep (& How I Fixed It)

<p>In 2018, Matthew Walker was on a media blitz, promoting his book, <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ1YGJ5?tag=kadavyinc-20"><em>Why We Sleep</em></a>. I was one of the many people who picked up the book. It slowly ruined my sleep. But recently, I fixed it.</p> <h3>No, this is not a takedown</h3> <p>Before I go further, this is not a <a href= "https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/#how-much-confidence-should-we-place-in-epidemiological-sleep-data"> “takedown” of <em>Why We Sleep</em></a>, like the one that’s been floating around. I’ve read that takedown, and I didn’t find it convincing. I trust that <em>Why We Sleep</em> is mostly full of accurate information.</p> <p>I say “mostly,” because I understand Walker has been on a mission to elevate the importance of sleep. Sometimes you have to say something like “the shorter you sleep the shorter your life span,” for a sleep-deprived public to get the point, when, technically, research shows people who sleep longer than the recommended 7–9 hours live <em>shorter</em> lives. It’s called rhetoric. When FDR said “we have nothing to fear but fear itself,” thankfully there weren’t blogs to write pedantic takedowns of his logic.</p> <p>My complaints about <em>Why We Sleep</em> don’t involve ill intentions. I’m sure Walker <em>wants</em> people to get more sleep. But I don’t think the book has the effect he expected.</p> <h3>Why <em>Why We Sleep</em> will scare the sleep out of you</h3> <p>In <em>Why We Sleep</em>, Matthew Walker, PhD says if you don’t sleep enough, you are at risk of the following:</p> <ul> <li>Obesity</li> <li>Cancer</li> <li>Dementia</li> <li>Alzheimer’s</li> <li>Heart disease</li> <li>Depression</li> <li>Anxiety</li> <li>Diabetes</li> <li>Car crashes</li> <li>Lower income</li> <li>Low sperm count</li> <li>Deformed sperm</li> <li>Female infertility</li> <li>Not being able to jump as high</li> <li>Longer workout recovery</li> <li>Vulnerability to colds and flus (today, that also means COVID)</li> <li>Low testosterone</li> <li>Smaller testicles</li>