Reading before bedtime: a habit that your brain loves
100mg modafinil п»їMore than a habit, it is a pleasure. Reading before bedtime frees us from a day of worries. It is a private moment where we immerse ourselves in a sea of letters, in a world of possibilities that takes us by the hand and mind to exciting scenarios. This habit is one of our brain's favorites because it loves to be nourished, stimulated and seduced every night...
There are those who close the light on their bedside table or in their room when they finish the last chapter of their book. They do it with that intoxicating placidity when they perceive the weight of sleep sticking to their eyelids and the calmness in a mind that perhaps already runs in the world of dreams. Others turn off the light in the wee hours of the morning after having watched a few episodes of their favorite series. Some, plop down on the pillow after being a few hours between social networks, emails or whatsapp groups.
"There are only two things you can go to bed with: a person and a book."
-Ray Bradbury
Everyone has their own habits, customs and lifestyle. However, whether we want it or not, those routines prior to a good night's rest determine in many cases our quality of life. If reading before going to sleep has always been a millenary and habitual tradition, in recent times it is something in danger of extinction.
That this is so is not only a real shame. It is a way of neglecting our health and that of our brain. Let's take a closer look.
Reading before bedtime and its unsuspected benefitsTaking a relaxing shower, putting on comfortable clothes, preparing a good infusion and then going to bed with a book is something simple, inexpensive and rewarding. What's more, it can even change our lives in many ways.
For those who think this is little more than an exaggeration, it is enough to know what science tells us about it. Reading before bedtime is ultimately a simple form of happiness that we should not give up.
A very effective form of relaxationA study conducted by the organization "The Sleep Council" in the United Kingdom, concluded something very interesting. Namely, reading for half an hour to an hour just before bedtime significantly reduces our stress levels.
The mind is distracted and gets away from our daily pressures. We offer it a setting where it can free itself, feel safe and relativize.
It has also been shown that our muscles also relax. What's more, our breathing slows down and becomes more rhythmic.
For experts, reading is the best alternative to television or electronic devices. The latter "trick" the brain into thinking that it is still daytime. This is all due to blue light, which directly reduces melatonin production.
Improves our cognitive enduranceAlthough at present we still have no cure for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, there is one aspect that we do have in our favor. The possibility of training our brain to make it more resistant, stronger in the face of cognitive decline.
One way to achieve this is by reading. If we also get into the habit of reading just before going to sleep, we will further optimize our brain processes. We will manage stress better, sleep better, stimulate our memory, mental agility, imagination... It is worth taking into account.
A boost to our creativity
A relaxed brain boosts the creative mind. A person who night after night is nourished by stories, learning, tales, possibilities and fabulous discoveries, further boosts his or her inventiveness, originality and creative possibilities. Experts in the psychology of reading, such as Keith E. Stanovich of the University of Toronto, point out that few routines can be so beneficial for our children.
Not only do we improve their culture, vocabulary and expressive skills, but we also develop their abstract thinking.
It will improve your empathyRaymond Mar, a psychologist at York University in Canada, is one of the people who has contributed the most work and studies to defend the following premise: reading helps us to be more empathetic. Novels and stories offer us a unique opportunity to develop this capacity. We identify with the characters, we suffer with them, we laugh and love at their side?
All this leaves a mark, all this invites us to improve our empathic capacity much more. Also, and as curious as it may seem, the fact of reading before going to sleep improves this process even more. At this time we focus much more on our readings, we are more focused to capture those emotions, to make them more vivid in our brain.
Few things can be more negative than going to bed in a bad mood. Angry about a hard day's work. Uncomfortable because of some disagreement with our partner, worried about the news, about what happened to us yesterday, about what we have to do tomorrow.
One way to "break" the cycle of worry is through a book. Reading before going to sleep is like taking a direct ticket to an island of peace. It is allowing ourselves to be someone different, with other routines, other skins and other missions. Only for half an hour or two hours, we can allow ourselves to connect with this parallel universe to take a break from reality.
To do so, to give ourselves these daily moments of peace, is to train our brain in the art of calm and relaxation. So let's not hesitate to practice this exercise every night, it is worthwhile and healthy. Let's take a paper book (not an electronic one) and let it take us wherever it wants to take us.
You might be interested in...
5 books to practice mindfulness in the classroom
Depression is a disorder tougher than any metaphorI love and protect myself: I set boundariesWhat Einstein said and what he didn't say 69c1b31
%d0%b2%d0%b8%d1%81-%d1%