Dreamland

If you’re anything like me, or author David K. Randall, you have more than a passing interest in what happens after you shut your eyes each night. Randall, who’s written for Reuters and The New York Times, set out to unlock some of the mysteries of sleep after a lifetime of sleep-talking and -kicking culminated in him sleep-walking into a wall. He shares what he learned about sleep’s restorative powers, what dreams might really mean (Freud is so last century), and why some people have trouble keeping their limbs in check while dozing. Randall’s writing style is journalistic and borders on academic at times, but the subject matter is interesting enough to make up for it. For instance, did you know that studies on mice show that extreme sleep deprivation can actually run your body down to the point of death? Or that pro sports teams have included pre-game naps in their training programs to improve athletes’ performance? Dreamland is full of fun tidbits like this, as well as some others that might even help you get some better shut-eye.