Blue light suppresses melatonin and messes up circadian rhythms, Dr. Comparatively, people who read print books only sleep an extra four minutes a night on average, while cellphone readers add two more minutes a night.Ĭonsidering some 50.6% of survey respondents also count social media among their bedtime routines, blue-light exposure may be a big part of our nights. Adults who read magazines before bed gain 19 minutes above average. Readers on laptops or personal computers sleep 23 minutes more than the survey average every night. Some 14.7% of adults read print magazines before bed. Tablets came third at 34.5%, with laptops or personal computers netting 17.1%. Adults who read using phones or books sleep roughly about the same amount as the overall average and among all age groups. So how are we reading before bed? Most often, it's on a cellphone: 61.2% of bedtime readers use it for reading, with print books coming in second at 42.1%. She adds that a storyline can distract your brain from thinking about sleep, allowing sleep to come more easily, she says. “Reading a favorite book can promote this calming response, which then allows sleep to unfold,” Silverman says. With nonfiction, the experience can feel more reflective and alert.'Ī calm state of mind puts your nervous system in a resting state, priming it for sleep. He recommends fiction: “With fiction, you are not being introspective or using a lot of brainpower, so it can be more relaxing. The best results happen when your reading material relaxes you, says Dr. “Make sure the content you’re reading is enjoyable and calming to you, not mentally stimulating or too interesting that you can’t put the book down,” says Sarah Silverman, Psy.D., a licensed psychologist and holistic sleep wellness consultant who treats patients in New York and Florida. What you read before bed makes a difference in helping you fall asleep faster, experts say. “Make sure the content you’re reading is enjoyable and calming to you, not mentally stimulating or too interesting that you can’t put the book down.” - Sarah Silverman, psychologistĪ potential reason: Readers may have a nose in a book or tablet in that time. So who are these people who’ve discovered a hack to gain nearly a half-hour of sleep every week? And what can we learn from them to help all of us on our trip through dreamland?

And the 9.9% of adults who read before bed every night gain 28 minutes of sleep each week over the average person. But bedtime readers are 15.1% more likely to rate their sleep quality as “excellent” than non-readers are. Overall results show sleep quantity is the same for people who read versus people who don’t read before bed.

Those who do average 36 minutes of reading time each night and read more than four nights each week. adults read as part of their bedtime routine. adults commissioned by The Sleep Doctor, 41.3% of U.S. One recent study even found that reading a book in bed improves our sleep quality.Īccording to a February 2023 survey of U.S. Reading has many benefits, including strengthening your mind and vocabulary, improving focus and general knowledge, and possibly helping you live longer. “Once my mind is free from worries, I’m able to turn out the light and drift off to sleep,” she says. Reading before bed also helps the 68-year-old freelance writer and substitute teacher from Grand Junction, Colorado, fall asleep. Joanne Palmer likes to end her day by losing herself in a good book before bed. 61.2% of bedtime readers do so on a cellphone, the most popular platform, with 42.1% preferring print books.Older adults tend to read more often but for less time than younger adults.Adults read before bed 4.3 nights each week.On average, adults read for 36 minutes before bed.

Night light for book reading