In this episode Robert and Chayse talk about their experience reading "Why We Sleep" By Dr. Matthew Walker. Ironically, they were both very tired when recording this. Read or listen on this page or on your favorite podcast platform to hear some of their insights on sleeping, dreaming, and more! Whether you have read the book or not this episode is one for the books! (Literally)
Robert and Chayse loved reading this book. They felt that for a science and learning type book it was very approachable and readable, even if you don't consider yourself a reader. Robert said that he did get slowed down a little bit at the end due to the length. The scores came up as follows on a scale of 1-5:
Overall these are great scores and both Robert and Chayse would recommend it to all humans, birds, fish, and whales.
Robert mentioned that he loved the writing style. He feels that Dr. Walker is a great teacher as well as being witty, personable, and likable. He was very good at conveying complicated concepts in simple ways. Robert considers him an expert at teaching considering the subject matter is not the most adventurous or glamorous. One thing that Robert struggled with was the length of the book. He felt it was a little long towards the end.
Chayse echoed Robert's sentiments, and added that Dr. Walker's analogies were on point. He mentioned one analogy where Adenosine (the chemical that builds up and makes you feel more tired) was compared to a soda bottle that had been shaken. The mounting pressure builds and builds until it bursts! Chayse also highlighted the scientific foundation the book creates, arguing that it was necessary for the rest of the book to carry more meaning. Chayse's main gripe with the book was similar to some critics that "Why We Sleep" sometimes reads like a horror book when it gets into talking about all the terrible things that can happen if you are constantly sleep deprived. He felt though, that it's likely something we all need to hear, despite the "scariness" of it.
Robert and Chayse highlighted one of their listeners named Bryce. He mentioned that he had finally gotten a full 8 hours for the first time in a while! Amazing progress. Bryce also highlighted some of his new bedtime routine that he was trying to implement. Robert and Chayse were both impressed with his progress and glad that he shared with the club.
Piggybacking off of Bryce's amazing progress, Robert and Chayse both discussed how Dr. Walker's book isn't meant to solve all of your sleep problems. It's more of a tool to teach you the foundational science behind sleep to help inform your choices every day. Dr. Walker never shies away from recommending that you see a sleep scientist or other sleep professional, especially if you suffer from sleep disorders.
Chayse mentioned that he was definitely humbled reading about how "Night Owls" aren't lazier than "Morning Larks". He learned that it was just different circadian rhythms and that he should be more tolerant towards those people. Robert appreciated this, himself being a "Night Owl".
Robert highlighted how he relates with Brandon Sanderson and talked about how he (Sanderson) has a very "late schedule" going to sleep at like 2am and waking up at 10 or 11am. But, that is what works for him! He is most productive at that time.
Chayse and Robert began talking about their future a bit since they both plan on having children in their families. They chatted, focusing on how to be tolerant to their future babies as well as teens when circadian rhythms are changing throughout adolescence. They acknowledged that the systems of the world (School, workplace, etc) are not exactly set up to facilitate everyone getting 8 hours of sleep. Robert said, "If you can't change the system, change your understanding" which is a wonderful perspective on the difficult situation we find ourselves in day to day.
Continuing on with a discussion on hustle culture, they talked about how there is a bit of irony in people that advocate pulling long hours every day to achieve maximum productivity. Robert mentioned a bit of a shift, however. He has seen that many are accepting that giving yourself appropriate sleep opportunity time and getting proper rest actually improves productivity.
Robert and Chayse both believe that application of good knowledge is key to learning and growing. Here are some of the ways that they are applying what they've learned.
Robert and Chayse agree that this book has necessary information for all people. Whether you read/listen to the full book, just a summary, or our videos, you need to learn what this book has to say.
Our next book for the Book Club is Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if your Life Depended on it by Chris Voss & Tahl Raz. Make sure you click the "Become a Member" button on this site to be kept in the loop for everything we'll be doing with this new book. We are so excited to have you join us!
