“No matter how busy
you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to
self-chosen ignorance.” – Confucius
Reading is an
unignorable habit every one of us should develop. There are so many profound benefits to reading. Especially, reading before bedtime can yield a lot of
benefits to your health. Here are five benefits you get by reading before bedtime.
1. Help combat Insomnia
Reading
a book before you go to bed could help
combat insomnia. A 2009 study from researchers at the University of Sussex showed
that six minutes of reading reduces stress by 68% (more relaxing than either
music or a cup of tea), thus clearing the mind and readying the body for sleep.
Going to bed with all the stress in your head would be really frustrating.
Reading is like stretching the muscles of your brain to relax a bit, so that
you could sleep better.
2. Reduce the risks of
Alzheimer's
Reading
can reduce the risk of developing a degenerative disease, Alzheimer’s.
A study found that people who engage their brains in an activity such
as reading, solving puzzles or playing chess are 2.5 times less likely to
develop the illness. This is likely due to the fact that Alzheimer’s disease is
often linked to patients who have limited brain activity. Reading could not
only improve your well-being now but could also have a lasting effect on your
health in years to come.
3. Enhance your sleep quality
As
seen earlier, reading can reduce your stress levels and help you to sleep
better. According
to the National Sleep Foundation, a relaxing reading ritual can prepare your
body for sleep and help your mind separate your sleep time from the stresses of
daily living. A winding-down ritual can help people fall asleep faster and
enjoy a higher quality of sleep throughout the night.
4. Reduces Cortisol levels
Cortisol,
a glucocorticoid (steroid hormone), is produced from cholesterol in the two
adrenal glands located on top of each kidney. It is normally released in
response to events and circumstances such as waking up in the morning,
exercising, and acute stress.
Unfortunately,
cortisol can begin to have humongous damage on the body when it remains at high levels, as the result
of chronic stress. It can lead to weight gain, gastrointestinal problems,
depression, and chronic fatigue. Reading before bed can help to lower the body’s
cortisol levels by reducing stress. The result? A body with lower levels
of cortisol is more likely to sleep soundly and thus cope with the following
day’s stressors more calmly.
5. Better concentration
The main lack in this fast-paced world is the focus.
We always tend to toggle between everything we do. Reading helps you to
increase your focus and improve concentration.
It also helps in improving the memory functioning of
the brain. While reading a book there are so many things that we need to
remember in order to have a smooth reading. We need to remember the character
names, places, twists, things, nook information, plot, subplot and more.
Memory improves when you pay attention to all these and are able to remember
the storyline.
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