How Less Technology and More Books Improved My Sleep Quality
Elisa talks about the benefits of sticking to a healthy night routine
Growing up, I had no trouble falling asleep. When I was a kid, my mum had to leave home at 6:30 am to go to work, so I used to wake up at 6:00 am to get ready. She would then drive me to my grandma, who would walk me to school at 8:00 am. Due to this hassel, I used to go to bed at 9:00 pm. Considering the time it took me to fall asleep, I was able to have a solid 8 hours of sleep every night — 8.5 hours on a good day.
However, things took a turn for the worse during the infamous teenage years, when technology became a part of my everyday life.
A non-existent night routine.
Because I spent a lot of time on my smartphone and on the Nintendo DS — please tell me I wasn’t the only one obsessed with it — I didn’t go to bed until much later than I should have. During the last year of middle school and the following years of high school, the average duration of sleep I got decreased to a mere 6 hours a night, if not less. Needless to say, I felt constantly drained.
Moreover, during high school I stopped reading, something I used to do a lot in middle school. My nights were filled with videos, messages, and funny gifs, and my sleep pattern was all over the place.
How books improved my night routine.
Things got way better after finishing high school. In fact, during this past year and a half, my love for reading and literature got reignited. I don’t know how or why it happened; I just know that one day I read the synopsis of a dystopian book — ‘Legend’ by Marie Lu, for anyone who wants to cry their eyes out — and I instantly bought it. I spent the three following days completely immersed in the story: I read that book during classes, on the train, after dinner. What I didn’t notice immediately was that I had an easier time falling asleep — when I wasn’t freaking out about the story, obviously — because I wasn’t spending a good couple of hours on electronic devices right before going to bed.
The science behind sleep patterns.
Only recently did I start researching the causes of insomnia. I found out that technology can really mess up your sleep schedule. Obviously, I wasn’t the only one with these problems.
Numerous studies have investigated the night routines of adolescents and adults to find out the causes of poor sleep patterns. In a study, more than two-third of the interviewed adolescents said they had two or more electronic devices in their bedroom at night — mostly cell phones and computers. The results from this study highlighted the correlation between a short sleep duration and an increased time spent on those devices.
When I found out about this strong link between technology and sleep, I knew I had to make a drastic change in my night routine that went above simply reading a little at nighttime.
An improved night routine.
I decided to use my newly found love for reading to improve my night routine.
Every night after dinner, I go to the bathroom and wash up. Then, I apply an essence and a night cream; having hydrated skin, as well as feeling clean before going to bed, helps me relax and enjoy the evening.
After going to bed, I watch a couple of videos on YouTube. I know I said that technology is bad for your sleep, but I don’t believe in the all-or-nothing philosophy of life — I believe in the everything in moderation philosophy. I like watching videos, so I don’t deprive myself of it. In fact, I watch videos for around 30 minutes before turning both the computer and my cell phone off. Finally, I pick up a book and start reading.
Now, just a quick disclaimer. I used to be one of those people who don’t buy e-books because “paper feels better”. I still believe that, but e-books are way more efficient: it takes approximately 10 seconds to buy an e-book and have it appear in your digital library. No shipping costs, no trees cut, no environmental damage.
Okay, back to my night routine. I pick up a book and read for as long as I can. The time I spend reading changes day by day, based on how tired I am, how interesting the book is, and how much I’m freaking out about the story. However, I can say that I read an hour every night, on average. Once I stop reading, I’m able to fall asleep pretty quickly. The next morning, I feel ready to tackle a new day.
It’s been shown that reading before bed can help you rest your eyes and improve your sleep quality. However, reading before bed isn’t the only way to have a better sleep — it’s just what works for me.
If you’re having trouble falling asleep, you can try other methods — like doing yoga, drawing, or listening to music — and find the one that works best for you. Every night routine is different because each and every one of us is different.
