To Read or Not To Read: Benefits and culture of reading before sleep

To Read or Not To Read

In this AI and advanced technological era, who would think of reading a book, or rather, reading the regular old-fashioned books, before sleeping at night? But what if reading regular, old-fashioned books could help you sleep better? Would you give it a shot?

Seven or eight people out of ten suffer from sleep disorders such as insomnia and struggle to get a good night’s sleep. So why not switch off our mobiles and pick up a book before bed?

Here are some benefits of practicing reading regular, old-fashioned books before bed:

1. Break from screen time.

Melatonin is a hormone that is produced in the body to control your sleep cycle and to encourage you to sleep. But excessive screen time before bed reduces the natural surge of melatonin. The general relaxation cycle of the body, which normally occurs at night, gets interfered with by excessive use of devices with screens, including not only television and laptops but also your mobile phones and iPads.

2. Reduces stress and anxiety

Reading a book is a natural de-stressor that reduces stress and anxiety, and it is proven to be much better than other de-stressors like drinking tea or listening to music.

To relieve stress and anxiety from the day, it is recommended that you read books on topics that interest you or wellness books. Reading helps you break the cycle of your stress and anxiety, leading you to a state of relaxation.

3. Quality sleeping

Reading stimulates your brain without any physical activity, which helps slowly relax your body. Reading is an activity that allows you to escape your reality and use your imagination and creativity to experience something new.

4. Improving emotional level

Most readers put themselves in the protagonist’s role and feel deep connections and feelings, developing empathy. Empathy is the thing that we actually need more of nowadays. So, rather than increasing stress by staring at the screens of our devices for hours, it is actually beneficial to develop your emotional level.

5. Effects on your cognition and mental agility

A scientific study that took place in 2013 shows that the brain’s connectivity, comprehension, critical thinking, creativity, and mental agility were significantly improved by reading on a regular basis. Reading allows you to experience different perspectives and concepts and exposes you to various ways of thinking.

6. The best investment of your time

Investing time on screen devices that emit blue lights, which are harmful to your eyes and general health and may also cause long-term health issues like heart disease and depression. But reading is a much better time investment for relaxing in comparison to other relaxation remedies. As for reading, you only need a book by your bedside.

Reading gives you a decent chance of having a better night’s sleep and also learning something in the process.

– An article by Shivani Gadre