Book
Walker MP. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. New York: Scribner; 2017. 368 pp. ISBN: 978-1-5011-4431-8.
Why we cite it
Popular science book that synthesized decades of sleep research into an accessible narrative. Published by Scribner, the book covers sleep’s role in every aspect of health, with the food-relevant chapters explaining the hormonal and neural mechanisms by which sleep deprivation drives overeating: ghrelin (hunger hormone) increases, leptin (satiety hormone) decreases, and the prefrontal cortex loses its ability to regulate food choices while the amygdala amplifies desire for calorie-dense foods. Its food-relevant claims are made first-hand in primary studies: Spiegel et al. 2004 (ghrelin and leptin), Nedeltcheva et al. 2009 (snacking), Markwald et al. 2013, Greer et al. 2013 and St-Onge et al. 2014.
Criticism: Alexey Guzey published a detailed critique arguing the book contains scientific and factual errors; Walker partially responded.
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