Supplement Your Sleep

Hey, You! Stop Reading In Bed!

Think quitting electronics a half hour or more before bedtime will improve your sleep? Chances are, it will.

But before you crawl into bed with a book, consider repositioning your reading. Yes, a book can be a great way to unwind and end your pre-sleep smartphone dependency, but it’s best to enjoy that tale away from the bedroom — and definitely away from the bed.

By ONLY using the bed for sleep (and, er, some partner-based extracurriculars), we condition our bodies and minds to associate it with sleep. Anything else — watching Netflix, talking on the phone, even something as harmless sounding as reading — reduces the power of this restful association.

I highly recommend winding down before bed with a good book, in-person conversation with a loved one or roommate, or even some tidying around the house. But get those non-sleep activities (at least most of them; see above) away from the bed in order to get to sleep faster and sleep more restfully through the night.

Exit mobile version