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Reading books is one of the best ways to broaden your horizons, develop new interests, and grow your mind. Reading a book at any time of day gives you a brain boost and a positive feeling.
But schedule your page-turning time just before turning in at night is one of the best times of day to read and it can help you sleep better too. Here are five benefits to reading yourself a goodnight story.
It’s a great way to destress
Stress builds up over the course of a day according to the organization Sleep Advisor Sometimes turning over the events of the day in our minds, or worrying about what tomorrow will bring, makes it hard to relax and fall asleep.
A book is a great way to take the edge off of stress. Not only is it a distraction to calm a racing mind,. According to Healthline, to reap the maximum de-stressing benefits of your bedtime book, it’s probably best to skip the horror genre. But, with millions of books in the world, finding an interesting and rewarding text should be too hard.
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Grow your knowledge
According to Sleep Advisor, Warren Buffet nicknamed the information he gleans from reading, “compound interest.” An interesting and eye-opening non-fiction can fill your brain with knowledge right before turning in. But even a stimulating fiction or fantasy book gives your brain a workout. Actually a fiction book is great for broadening your perspective and boosting your creativity and imagination.
It helps you fall asleep
Can a good story really combat insomnia? For starters, if you toss and turn at night, a book is a great way to relax not just your mind, but also your body, according to Healthline. Reading keeps you mostly stationary, and hopefully in a cozy position, ready for sleeping.
The blue LED light from our electronic devices can contribute to insomnia. Unplugging from electronics, and turning to a book, right before going to sleep, can make the journey to dreamland easier. You may even find yourself falling asleep as you read.
As children, the bedtime story may have helped us fall asleep because it was part of a consistent bedtime routine. Bedtime rituals aren’t just for kids. These rituals can help you prepare your minds and bodies for sleep too.
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You will sleep longer and better
Not only can a book put you to sleep, it can help you sleep better. According to a study, by The People’s Trial, 496 participants read before bed, and 496 did not. After a week, nearly half of the readers reported sleeping better, compared with 28 percent of the non-readers. A
You don’t need to actually read
For people who have difficulty reading, due to a disability or vision impairment, audiobooks are a great alternative. And, audiobooks can also help anyone de-stress and get ready for bed. This technology is somewhat reminiscent of the bedtime story we got as kids. If you are a voracious reader, go for a paper book. But if you aren’t, curling up to an audiobook is a great alternative.
When it comes to reading alternatives however, it’s probably best to ditch the e-reader in the hour before you fall asleep. Unless it has a monochrome screen, electronic screens can interfere with sleep patterns and make it hard to fall asleep.
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