How Does Reading Before Bed Affect My Sleep?

Today's blog post is from a post by Dr. Michael Breus.

I’m frequently asked about reading before bed and it’s a very interesting topic. Before I talk about that though, I wanted to say thank you. 

I’m grateful to everyone who has taken my three question sleep survey about the content you’d like to see in these newsletters. If you haven’t had a chance yet, do me a favor and take it here and help me create the content you’d like to read. 

Speaking of reading. 

I am always excited to talk about the importance of an effective nighttime ritual and how it helps to prepare the body for sleep. This ritual can be composed of any number of small tasks like brushing your teeth, taking a bath or meditating. If you don’t have a ritual, my Power Down Hour makes a great guide. Just divide the last hour before bedtime into three 20-minute sections. The first 20-minute section should be spent taking care of any business than cannot wait until morning. The second should focus on hygiene: brush your teeth, wash your face, maybe a hot bath. During the final section, you should concentrate on something relaxing. Reading a book is a good choice. Reading, in itself, does not make you sleepy, but it distracts from the troubles of the day, making sleep easier.

I enjoy a book at bedtime and generally recommend that people read fiction at night rather than nonfiction. With fiction you are not being introspective or using a lot of brainpower, so it can be more relaxing. With nonfiction, the experience can feel more reflective and alerting. 

I guess I need to start reading more fiction...most of my reading consists of non-fiction, and quite often on my Kindle which is a bad idea as you'll find out in a few minutes.

But first, here are some more advantages to reading, as you readers probably already know.

Reading before bedtime may do more than help you get a good night’s sleep, too. According to a survey of 1,000 people by SleepJunkie, bedtime bookworms earned more money, made healthier choices and had a better outlook on life. Almost 50% of the survey participants cracked open a book before snoozing at least once a week and read for an average of 43 minutes. They said that reading books at night helped them to relax, increased their focus and improved their sleep. This might be why the book readers slept an hour and a half more per week than non-readers did.

Readers also: 

• Raked in the big bucks, making $3,705 more annually than their bookless counterparts.
• They were more likely to eat healthy foods and engage in healthy recreational activities.
• Were more likely to see a doctor or a dentist on a regular basis.
• Seventy-nine percent of readers reported that they got the most out of themselves. Only 59% of non-readers made the same claim.
• Seventy percent of readers boasted they lived life to the fullest compared to 58% of non-readers.

This survey paints readers in a very positive light, but I want to talk about another type of light that nighttime readers often find themselves under. That’s blue light. According to the very same survey, 72% of the survey respondents used technology in bed, and 61% said that technology caused them to stay up too late. Even the people who took the survey said that their technology was hurting their sleep quality. Seventy-four percent said that they were using too much tech in bed, and I agree with that 74% percent.

Now comes the part about reading e-books before bed:

Our phones, tablets and laptops emit blue light. This is not inherently a problem during the day because the sun also emits blue light, and it can even beneficial at the correct time. However, when someone is exposed to blue light at night it can suppress the production of the sleep hormone melatonin and alter circadian rhythms, leading to possible long-term health problems. People exposed to blue light at night tend to have more sleep interruptions and decreased sleep quality. 

I understand the convenience of reading a book on a phone or an e-reader. The dog is less likely to chew up your book, and electronic books are easier to transport when moving. However, paper books don’t emit blue light, so switching to old-fashioned books is a simple solution. If you want to stay high-tech, you can get a pair of blue light blocking glasses which allows you to read from your electronic devices in bed without suffering the negatives of nighttime blue light exposure. I developed high quality Sleep Doctor Glasses based on the most current research, which block blue light and fit conveniently on any nightstand or bedside table or in any travel bag.

Although a paperback is quite easy to carry and there is much to be said about the feel of a book in hand (check out this blog post on culture you can heft).

So, tonight before bed, grab a nice book and read for about 20 minutes before going to sleep.

Interesting days

Today - Guacamole Day, Play Doh Day, Cinnamon-Raisin Bread Day, Stepfamily Day, World Ozone Day, Collect Rocks Day, Working Parents Day and Teenager Workout Day

Tomorrow - International Country Music Day, Constitution Day, Apple Dumpling Day, Monte Cristo Sandwich Day, Locate An Old Friend Day and Table Shuffleboard Day

Next Monday - Restless Legs Awareness Day, Checkers Day, Family Day and Celebrate Bisexuality Day

Week long celebrations:

September 23 - 29: International Week of Happiness at Work

Month long celebrations:

September 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month 

October 16 - World Food Day, Dictionary Day, Boss’ Day, Hagfish Day, Steve Jobs Day, Feral Cat Day, Global Dignity Day, Take Your Parents To Lunch Day and Department Store Day

Week long celebrations:

October 13 - 19: Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week