In today's Quality Linkage column, I mentioned Professor Matthew Walker's new book, Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, and felt it deserved a post of its own. As a neuroscientist and sleep expert, Walker has noticed some disturbing sleep deprivation trends over the past two decades, and wrote this book to help people better understand why sleep is so important in every aspect of our lives.

From the description:

Walker answers important questions about sleep: how do caffeine and alcohol affect sleep? What really happens during REM sleep? Why do our sleep patterns change across a lifetime? How do common sleep aids affect us and can they do long-term damage? Charting cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, and synthesizing decades of research and clinical practice, Walker explains how we can harness sleep to improve learning, mood, and energy levels; regulate hormones; prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes; slow the effects of aging; increase longevity; enhance the education and lifespan of our children, and boost the efficiency, success, and productivity of our businesses.

The book comes in these formats:

• Kindle ($13)
• iBooks ($13)
• Hardcover ($17)
• Audible audiobook ($21)