Snoozefest: The Surprising Science of Sleep, written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi and illustrated by Valery Goulet. Kids Can Press, 2021. $17.99 ages 10 and up

 

"If you're a lion, there's really nothing better 
than a snoozing giraffe. Once a giraffe lies down
to sleep, it takes the animal about fifteen seconds 
to stand up again on its spindly legs. That's plenty 
of time for a lion to pounce. So why do giraffes 
sleep?"

It turns out that giraffes don't need to sleep as much as humans do, but they do need some deep sleep. They can't always be leaning on trees to keep themselves safe from predators. The need for sleep often outweighs the risk of becoming a lion's lunch. 

Sleep can be very elusive for many young people. Ms. Kyi tells readers about the studies showing nearly half of teens in Canada don't get enough sleep. What are they missing? Well, she is quick to make the research she has done accessible to interested readers. Her research is impeccable; she organizes the learning she has gleaned from dozens of studies and all of the other reading she has done in relation to this new topic of interest. 

We all need sleep to give our brains a fighting chance at a new day. That sleep helps humans organize what they have experienced, provides huge help for immunity, and affects countless bodily functions. She provides historical and scientific information, as well as some guidance for readers in an easy, casual voice that rings true and offers much to ponder. Readers who have questions about their own sleep patterns are likely to find the answers they are looking for in the pages of this book. 

The author discusses the growing movement to have high schools start later in the morninng, advising they need nine hours of sleep a night for optimum performance. After reading what she has to share, some teens may find encouragement to consider their own habits, and even make some changes. When kids learn the whys and hows sleep impacts health and happiness, they are much more likely to think seriously about their own nighttime habits. Becoming aware of what is happening in the body while it is sleeping is pretty 'eye-opening'. 

The artwork is enjoyable, sidebars and text boxes add interest and a routine break from the well-written text. Back matter provides for further reading, a comprehensive list of selected sources, and a very useful index; all are important elements to be found in exceptional nonfiction such as this.