Audio only
How to Sleep Like a Caveman
Ancient Wisdom for a Better Night’s RestBy Merijn van de LaarNarrated by Joe EyreLength7h 37m
About this audiobook
Sapiens meets Why We Sleep in an evolutionary romp through the science of sleep—and how we can get better rest—by one of the world’s leading sleep scientists.
We spend roughly a third of our lives in bed, but for millions of us, not all of that time is spent sleeping. We strive for eight hours per night, only to lie awake thanks to stress, our ever-present devices, a new baby, or that 4pm coffee you thought you needed.
As sleep scientist and recovering insomniac Merijn van de Laar shows, we’re hardly the first to experience this. When homo sapiens evolved hundreds of thousands of years ago, when saber-toothed tigers were their biggest nighttime worry, wakefulness served to protect one’s tribe at night. Research shows these episodic sleep patterns even gave our ancestors an evolutionary advantage. We can look to their example for guidance in improving our sleep health, too: how our sleep patterns change as we age, the benefits of communal sleep, the importance of environmental factors such as temperature and light. While our myriad gadgets may distinguish us from early humans, understanding the ways our brains evolved to rest can chart the course toward a better night’s sleep.
Drawing from emerging science, archeological research into our ancestors’ habits, and close observation of contemporary hunter-gatherer cultures, How to Sleep Like a Caveman explains everything from why we sometimes jerk awake at night—likely a remnant of having slept in trees—to why our efforts to “optimize” our sleep schedules might just be a fool’s errand. The result is a surprising, accessible new framework for thinking about sleep—the way we were designed to.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★ 3.4 (485)
Includes Goodreads
GenreHealth and Wellness, Science and Nature
Length7 hrs 37 mins
Narrated byJoe Eyre
FormatAudiobook
Publish dateMay 20, 2025
LanguageEnglish
A Plague Upon Our HouseScott W. Atlas MD10h 37m4.5 (3.4K)$20 · $0.00
The Cancer CodeDr. Jason Fung10h 48m4.5 (5.3K)$29 · $0.00
The Gift of TherapyIrvin Yalom7h 39m4.5 (38.8K)$26 · $0.00
EarlySarah DiGregorio9h 47m4.5 (1.3K)$29 · $0.00
Bottle of LiesKatherine Eban14h 25m4.4 (12K)$33 · $0.00
The 36-Hour DayNancy L. Mace, Peter V. Rabins17h 13m4.4 (9.2K)$28 · $0.00
FlooredSara Reardon10h 36m4.5 (1K)$29 · $0.00
Radical RemissionKelly A. Turner9h 26m4.4 (8.1K)$29 · $0.00
The Sinatra SolutionStephen T. Sinatra MD9h4.5 (899)$20 · $0.00
The Songaminute ManSimon McDermott6h 12m4.5 (280)$24 · $0.00
Sometimes BrilliantLarry Brilliant12h 27m4.5 (954)$29 · $0.00
Live Your LifeAmanda Kloots, Anna Kloots10h 54m4.4 (13.7K)$29 · $0.00
All in Her HeadElizabeth Comen13h 25m4.4 (18.2K)$33 · $0.00
The Wisdom of Your BodyHillary McBride9h 14m4.4 (6.7K)$29 · $0.00
The Alzheimer's SolutionDean Sherzai, Ayesha Sherzai9h 47m4.4 (1.9K)$29 · $0.00
Rewire Your MindsetBrian Keane6h 49m4.5 (896)$23 · $0.00
Tuning The Human Biofield: Healing With Vibrational MedicineCENTER FOR SOUND THERAPY13h 28m4.4 (2.5K)$35 · $0.00
VaccinatedPaul A. Offit8h 30m4.4 (3.7K)$26 · $0.00
Hot and UnbotheredYana Tallon-Hicks10h 44m4.5 (600)$29 · $0.00
MetabolicalRobert H. Lustig12h 4m4.4 (12.8K)$29 · $0.00
A Brief History of IntelligenceMax S. Bennett12h 18m4.6 (6.6K)$29 · $0.00
The Story of BirdsSteve Brusatte11h 49m4.6 (401)$29 · $0.00
Craig & FredCraig Grossi8h 6m4.5 (9.6K)$26 · $0.00
Celebrating BirdsNatalia Rojas, Ana Maria Martinez6h 47m4.6 (330)$24 · $0.00
Saving JemimaJulie Zickefoose4h 59m4.5 (749)$20 · $0.00
Will's Red CoatTom Ryan8h 23m4.5 (2.3K)$26 · $0.00
Of Time and TurtlesSy Montgomery10h 34m4.5 (5K)$29 · $0.00
Zen and the Art of Saving the PlanetThich Nhat Hanh9h 20m4.5 (3.9K)$29 · $0.00
BLACK BEAUTY (With Original Illustrations)Anna Sewell7h 31m4.5 (1.3K)$1.99 · $0.00
Bottle of LiesKatherine Eban14h 25m4.4 (12K)$33 · $0.00
IngrainedCallum Robinson8h 10m4.5 (1.1K)$26 · $0.00
The Lion Tracker's Guide To LifeBoyd Varty3h 1m4.4 (4.8K)$18 · $0.00
Born for LoveBruce D. Perry, Maia Szalavitz11h 42m4.4 (4K)$29 · $0.00
The Mountains of California (With Original Drawings & Photographs) (Annotated)John Muir11h 35m4.5 (1.1K)$2 · $0.00
The New GuysMeredith Bagby16h 50m4.4 (1.2K)$40 · $0.00
Blue PasturesMary Oliver3h 23m4.4 (3.8K)$18 · $0.00
The Rise and Reign of the MammalsSteve Brusatte13h 26m4.4 (11.1K)$33 · $0.00
VaccinatedPaul A. Offit8h 30m4.4 (3.7K)$26 · $0.00
The Light EatersZoë Schlanger10h 57m4.4 (22.8K)$29 · $0.00
Where the Lost Dogs GoSusannah Charleson11h 7m4.5 (699)$23 · $0.00
You may also like
Walk with WeightMichael Easter4h 21m4.1 (411)$20 · $0.00
WoodcraftNessmuk3h 29m4.2 (1.6K)$6 · $0.00
Under the Open SkiesMarkus Torgeby, Frida Torgeby2h 24m4.1 (535)$16 · $0.00
Change Your Schedule, Change Your LifeSuhas Kshirsagar, Michelle D. Seaton7h 49m4.2 (5.5K)$26 · $0.00
Goodbye to InflammationSandra Monino5h 46m4.1 (3.3K)$24 · $0.00
An Effective LifeStephen R. Covey54m3.8 (2.1K)$10 · $0.00
Organ Speak: What It Really Means to Listen to our Bodies, from the international bestselling author of GUTGiulia Enders8h 53m4.2 (1.4K)$29 · $0.00
The Fasting CureUpton Sinclair3h 46m4.2 (459)$2.30
The Science of Diet & ExerciseScientific American2h 36m$15
You and Your MicrobesSantiago Machain1h 50m$14 · $0.00
Encyclopedia of Diet (Vol. 1-5) (Annotated)Eugene Christian20h 51m$1.99 · $0.00
The Skills of Wilderness Survival - U.S. Army Official HandbookU.S. Department of the Army9h 57m4.3 (127)$1 · $0.00
Forest Bathing: Reconnecting With Nature for Inner Peace (Mindful Meditation Connecting You to Nature and Eco-consciousness Through the Practice)Earnest Diamond2h 24m$3.50 · $0.00
HotwiredBill Gifford9h 11m3.8 (63)$29 · $0.00
Hygge: How You Can Incorporate Coziness Into Your Living Space (The Ultimate Guide to Scandinavian Ways of Living a Balanced Life Filled With Coziness and Happiness)Martin g, Miguel Kratochvil2h 22m$13 · $0.00
Household Administration, Its Place in the Higher Education of WomenVarious6h 40m$2 · $0.00
Multi-Cat Peace PlanImad Muratspahic3h 35m$12 · $0.00
Ethnological results of the Point Barrow expeditionJohn Murdoch20h 38m$2 · $0.00
On HuntingLt. Col. Dave Grossman, Linda K. Miller, Keith A. Cunningham11h 18m4.2 (31)$10 · $0.00
The Outdoor Survival Guide: Thriving in Any EnvironmentGrayson I. Pierce4h 5m$3.50 · $0.00