Read before sleep! Aside from helping you sleep better; reading can help to boost your brain health.
- Reduce stress levels. Engaging in a good story can distract you from daily worries and provide a sense of escape.
- Improve sleep quality: A consistent bedtime routine that includes reading can signal to your body that it’s time to wind down and prepare for sleep. Incorporating reading into your nightly routine can create a sense of consistency and predictability, which can be comforting and conducive to good sleep hygiene.
- Improve cognitive function: Reading stimulates brain activity and can improve cognitive functions such as concentration, comprehension, and critical thinking. Sleep is the time when your brain processes information, solves problems and regulates your emotional responses. It also promotes neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new neural connections).
- Reduce screen time: Reading a physical book or using an e-reader with a non-backlit screen reduces exposure to blue light from screens, which can interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep.
For the best results, choose reading material that is not too stimulating or emotionally charged, as this could have the opposite effect and keep you awake. Opt for something enjoyable yet calming to maximize the benefits of reading before sleep.
