Why do we sleep? How does our conscious self emerge? And what are dreams made of? These questions lie at the heart of Stay Awake and Dream, Giuseppe de Alteriis's novel, which tells the story of two friends from Naples. One moves to the United States to study neuroscience, while the other remains in Naples, searching for his place in the world. Exploring sleep and consciousness, academic life, friendship, and the anxieties of Gen Z, the book weaves together science and imagination in a reflection on the human mind and the very substance of dreams.