The world’s best sleep medicine?
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”
Sir Richard Steele, Irish writer and politician
Do you often find yourself suffering from periods of insomnia? You’re not alone. The number of people struggling with dysfunctional sleep patterns has significantly increased and it’s now considered a societal problem. There’s an array of different sleep issues and reasons behind them, such as underlying illnesses or periods of stress. I’ve experienced first-hand how poor sleep affects your quality of life. A couple of years ago, I ran into a glass door and was diagnosed with a brain injury as a result. The injury made it very difficult to sleep and, for some time, I was reliant on sleeping pills to help my situation. Although the medicine was safe for children and I took the lowest dose, I still felt the effects the following day. Sleep has always been a high priority for me; I’m not able to function to the best of my ability without it. Suddenly, my insomnia became a more frequent problem, making it incredibly difficult to get through the day. One complication that came as a result of my injury was that I suddenly couldn’t read. In addition to purely practical concerns, this also affected my ability to read in the evening. Reading was always a particularly enjoyable past-time that allowed me to unwind after my day. So I turned to different methods such as yoga and meditation that focused on improving your sleep schedule. But for me, these contributed to an even deeper focus on sleep, the result of which was a vicious circle where the fear of not being able to rest only helped to worsen my sleep. It took a long time to regain my reading ability; I decided to rely on books to help me get a good night’s sleep, replacing the sleeping pills with reading. So instead of focusing on various methods to improve my sleep, I did just the opposite, focusing on something entirely different and not on myself. I created a sleep routine where on weekdays after 9 pm I make sure there’s a peaceful and quiet atmosphere in the house, I do things I like, drink a mug of chamomile tea and make sure to get to bed early accompanied by a good book. Instead of seeing sleep as an achievement, I turn my focus to being able to sit in peace, reading something I enjoy for as long as I want, which feels like an incredible luxury. Rather than feeling anxious about each coming night, this moment has become something I look forward to, a time of reflection and relaxation. And nowadays, it doesn’t take too long before I have to put the book down and hit the hay. I try to stick to this routine as often as possible, but sometimes something unexpected happens, or a tempting social occasion arises and that’s also fine.
“Reading a good book helps to lower today’s high level of stress hormones and thus makes it easier to fall asleep. The positive effects of reading books on our brains, both mentally and emotionally, are well documented.”
More and more people are beginning to understand how important sleep is for our physical and mental well-being. Not only do we feel more alert after resting, but it also increases the chances of a healthier life. This has given rise to the market for, at times, overpriced sleep products. But did you know that one of the absolute best ways to sleep well is simple and has many positive side effects? Reading a good book where the brain can focus on one thing can be compared to a type of meditation, and this, in turn, reduces stress and contributes to the relaxation that the body needs to fall asleep more easily. By reading books, you contribute to strengthening the brain through, for example, increased knowledge, activation of areas that process language and better emotional intelligence. The brain’s ability to receive information, store it, process it and then retrieve it and use it when needed improves and contributes to better brain health and mental health as we get older. A study from Yale University in the US in 2016 also indicated that the changes in the brain that occur during regular reading have a positive effect on the brain and could contribute to a longer life.
“Personally, I see that there’s a downside both with methods that measure sleep quality as well as activities that focus on getting better sleep. The risk is that these instead shift the focus to how much sleep you get, to the extent that it gives rise to stress and a poorer quality of sleep. Instead, creating a good sleep routine that you enjoy, look forward to and that centres around something outside of yourself can sometimes be the best solution, allowing you to both relax and naturally get better sleep.”
My advice:
Creating a good sleep routine lays the foundation for optimal sleep. We shouldn’t underestimate the importance of resting our brain at the end of the day; it can be easy to forget to plan time to unwind when everyday life is occupied with various activities. Something as simple as setting some time aside to read every night helps to strengthen the brain and increases the chances of a good night’s sleep. So find some feel-good books and let these contribute to a relaxing end to your day. Ending the day with a good book is also a great way to encourage children to do likewise, replacing their various digital activities.
