Club Benefits
My favorite place to read is in bed: it's cozy, comfortable, and people can't distract me when I'm getting to the good bit. I'm happy to spend the evening tucked up with a book but recently I've found that when I close the page and turn the light off, it's taking me a long time to fall asleep.
So I turned to the experts. Dr. Jessica Weatherford, psychologist, explained my pre-bed reading marathons aren't the soothing habit I thought they were. Instead, I'm breaking one of the "most important factors in consistently healthy sleep" by teaching my brain the bed isn't just for dozing off.
"Maintaining a strong bed-sleep association is a major contributor to healthy sleep and can help reduce the risk of insomnia symptoms," says Dr. Weatherford. And it's not the only seemingly innocuous habit that might be causing your sleep woes, as she explained. Here's what you need to know.
Key takeaways
- When you consistently use your bed for sleep only, you teach your brain that climbing into bed is a cue to drift off
- Doing other things in bed, such as reading or watching TV, weakens this association between bed and sleep. This makes it harder to fall asleep and can leave you lying awake when your sleep is disrupted
- If you do want to read in bed, keep it short, dim the lights and don't read anything too stimulating
Why reading in bed can stop you from falling asleep
If you're sleeping on one of the best mattresses for your sleep style, it's far too easy to treat this comfy retreat as a second couch. However, using your bed for reading, scrolling, worrying, online shopping... almost anything other than sleeping, can confuse your brain about the purpose of the bed.
"When bed is used mostly for sleep, getting into bed becomes a cue for the brain and body to transition toward sleep," says Dr. Weatherford, an insomnia expert at Catalyst Psychology.
However, she explains that when you take other activities to bed (say, hours and hours of reading), you tell your brain that there are many reasons why you might be climbing into bed — so you don't have to sleep just yet.
"I often help my clients protect this association by limiting bed for sleep, sex and a bit of wind-down reading," says Dr. Weatherford. This way, your brain will recognize climbing into bed as the final part of your wind-down routine and a key indicator that it's time to sleep.
"Spending lots of time scrolling, worrying, watching TV or trying to force sleep can train the brain to stay awake in bed, and which may contribute to sleep problems down the road," she adds.
But bookworms, you don't have to ditch the novel entirely. "A bit of reading with a dim lamp before bed is absolutely fine," says Dr. Weatherford.
The Dos and Don'ts of reading in bed
Do
- Pick a boring book
- Keep it to 15 minutes
- Dim the lights
Don't
- Say 'one more chapter'
- Have bright lights on
- Read in bed during the day
Boring books to read before bed
3 things you're doing before bed that are causing our 3 a.m. wake ups
Reading in bed isn't the only habit you think is fine but might actually be bad for your sleep. Watch out for these unexpected disruptors as well...
1. You're drinking sleepy-time tea right before bed
A steaming mug of chamomile tea or a glass of tart cherry juice are often cited as natural sleep aids and these soothing sips can contribute to a healthy wind-down routine.
However, if you get the timing wrong, your pre-bed drink can contribute to a bout of nocturia. In other words, waking up to use the toilet.
We recommend incorporating sleepy drinks into your evening routine but to finish drinking around one to two hours before bed. This gives the liquid enough time to pass through your system so it won't wake you up.
2. You're brushing your teeth too late
First, we very much do advise brushing your teeth before bed to protect your oral hygiene.
However, waiting until the minutes before you climb into bed for a dental brush-up can inadvertently destroy your sleep pressure. From the bright lights to the minty toothpaste, it's all a rush of stimulation.
So once you've finished the last sip of your chamomile tea, brush your teeth and then settle into your nighttime routine, giving you plenty of time to regain that sleepy feeling.
3. You're going to bed when you aren't tired
Keeping a consistent bedtime is one of the best ways to create a healthy sleep schedule. But forcing yourself to call it a night when you aren't actually tired can create it's own problem, as you're more likely to lie awake.
If you often find yourself wide awake at bedtime, there are ways to increase sleep pressure (that's the urge you feel to sleep.) Try some gentle exercise, pick up a boring book, or relax with some sleep meditation.
When you find yourself dropping off, it's time to get into bed.
"Going to bed when sleepiness signals are strong, such as yawning, heavy eyes or lower energy, helps support that [bed-sleep] connection," explains Dr. Weatherford.
Why too much time in bed causes 3 a.m. wake ups
It's normal to experience brief awakenings in the night, as your body cycles through sleep stages. During light and REM stages of sleep you're particularly susceptible to disruption, which causes these micro awakenings.
However, when your brain doesn't recognize being in bed as a cue to sleep, these wake ups can drag on.
"The brain learns through repetition," explains Dr. Weatherford. And when you're repeatedly lying in bed not sleeping, your brain doesn't feel the same pressure to fall asleep... even at 3 a.m.
If you do wake up at 3 a.m. and can't fall back to sleep, the best thing to do is get out of bed and relax in another room until you feel tired again. This helps support that link between being in bed and being asleep.
"The more consistent someone is with protecting the bed-sleep connection, the more likely they are to have healthier, more consistent sleep," adds Dr. Weatherford.
Products we've tested to help you fall asleep fast
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Alternatively, you can read our content on the Tom's Guide app available now for iOS and Android. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok. Finally, you can visit our dedicated Tom's Guide Savings Squad hub for expert help on getting the best products for less.
