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Cathy Evans - Author
Polya Plavinskaia - Author
Why Do We Sleep? by Cathy Evans, illustrated by Polya Plavinskaia, introduces sleep through topics including body rhythms, dreams, sleep stages, animals and hibernation. It also covers sleep-related myths and ways to think about sleep habits. Bright collage-style illustrations accompany short sections of information, with a glossary and a flow chart about sleep quality.
An illustrated nonfiction introduction to the science of sleep. It explains topics including circadian rhythms and daily energy patterns, dreams, stages of sleep and differences in how animals sleep. The book connects sleep with biology and natural science while also discussing long-standing human interest in dreams and sleep behaviour. It is informational rather than narrative, and uses accessible explanations and illustrations to introduce scientific concepts.
Book Analysis
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Reading demands, format and accessibility.
Developing or varied vocabulary and text structure.
The book addresses nightmares and sleep disorders as part of its informational coverage; how much detail these sections contain is unclear.
The book addresses nightmares and sleep disorders as part of its informational coverage; how much detail these sections contain is unclear.
The book explains how the body sleeps and introduces rhythms and sleep stages; it also offers a flow chart for reflecting on sleep habits.
Sleep science and habits
The book explains how the body sleeps and introduces rhythms and sleep stages; it also offers a flow chart for reflecting on sleep habits.
Dreams, myths and animals
Alongside human sleep, the book explores animal sleep and dreams, hibernation, and myths linked to sleep from different parts of the world.
Try a few pages together and see what prompts interest or discussion.
What we know and what is still uncertain.
This guide keeps supported details and remaining uncertainties separate.
A missing detail means we do not know, not that the book contains none of it.
Analysis updated: 29 September 2026