Why might reading before bed help you sleep? They wanted to see whether reading before you sleep improved sleep quality – it wasn’t just about falling asleep. AdvertisementThey found that sleep quality improved among those who read before bed compared to those who didn’t. And happily, “We found that reading in bed before sleep not only potentially improves overall sleep quality but also people in the reading group experienced fewer problems staying asleep.”The researchers didn’t find why this seemed to be the case, but some people think reading could help to decrease cognitive activity (or stop racing thoughts) before bed and reduce overall stress levels. During my reading week, I slept through the night three times and managed to fall asleep after a 3am wakeup twice (score).

Source: Huffington Post January 30, 2026 12:01 UTC