How Does Reading Before Bed Affect Your Sleep?

After a long day’s work, it is nice to have an after-work routine to wind down for the evening. You see this all the time on TV and in the movies. A group of coworkers will go to the same bar every day and talk things over a pint of beer. For you, it may be heading off to the gym or exercise class to try and get your mind off of work. Something else you should consider is a bedtime reading rituals. There are a lot of studies published on the subject of how reading in bed correlates to a good night’s sleep. And, a better night’s sleep gives you a jump start on the next day, paving the way to success. Here’s how.

Books and Bedtime, a sleep study by SleepJunkie

SleepJunkie, a company that studies sleep and reviews sleep products, conducted a survey to see the difference reading has on a person’s sleep. They surveyed over 23,000 people and found that of the 23,000, roughly a thousand people read before bedtime. SleepJukie discovered the quality and quantity of sleep these individuals got. Then, they took the data to see how it correlated to their daily life. Below sums up what the study showed when comparing readers to nonreaders:

• Bedtime readers, on average, had an annual income of $39,779 while nonreaders made and an average of $36,094.
• More than half of the individuals ate healthier, exercised more, and visited their doctors regularly.
• 70% of readers said they live life to the fullest.
• Over 39% of people who did not read before bed and opted for tech reported having trouble falling asleep.
• 61% of those that used technology (TV, tablet, laptop, cellphone, and social media) before bed admitted to staying up later at night several days each week.

74% of those that used technology know that they need to change their habit. However, they find it difficult and the majority are unsuccessful at doing so. A word of advice is to keep tech out of the bedroom entirely. Stop using technology at least an hour or more before going to bed. Also, turn your phone on vibrate to help ignore any notifications that will tempt you to reach for your cell phone.

Rules for reading before bed

Like anything in life, it’s best to come up with rules to get the most out of reading before bed. First, save the Anne Rice, Dean Koontz, and Stephen King novels for the daytime hours. These horrifying reads can keep you on edge and get your adrenaline racing when you should be easing up on the excitement. Better yet, opt for books that fall into the following categories: classic literature, contemporary fiction, self-help, or health. Business reads are another option if you can keep those reads separate from your career. The last thing you want is a book that gets your mind back on work! If you need book recommendations, Iris Reading has many articles to give you ideas. 

Sleep is the key to a more productive you and an increase in career success. In addition to creating a new bedtime reading ritual, you can excel in your career with our How to talk to anyone to advance your career course. This online course will help you create new relationships that can build momentum in your career. In this course, you’ll learn how to improve your communication, networking, and social skills. Click the link to learn more today!