We all really want to keep abreast of events. We scan, browse, flip through, but rarely read. We skim the posts in Facebook, we browse forums, check mail and watch videos with dancing cats, but we hardly digest and do not remember what we see. The average time a reader spends on an online article is 15 seconds. I have been fascinated by this sad statistics for several years, having started my blog, and, starting from it, I try to make my articles as short as possible ? (which is extremely difficult).
In 2014, researchers from Pew Research Center found that one in four American adults had not read a book in the previous year. The freshest thing that was found about Russia was for 2009: according to VTsIOM, 35% of Russians admitted that they never (or almost never) read books. Another 42% say that they read books “from time to time, sometimes.”
In the meantime, those who regularly read can boast of better memory and higher mental abilities at all stages of life. They are also much better at public speaking, are more productive, and, according to some studies, are generally more successful.
A bedtime book can also help fight insomnia: A 2009 study at the University of Sussex found that six minutes of reading reduced stress by 68% (that is, relaxing better than any music or a cup of tea), thereby helping to cleanse consciousness and prepare the body for sleep.
Psychologist and study author Dr. David Lewis notes that the book is “more than just a distraction, it helps actively engage the imagination,” which, in turn, “forces us to change our state of consciousness.”
It doesn’t matter which book you choose – fiction or non-fiction: the main thing is that you should be captivated by reading. Because when the mind is involved in the world built by words, the tension evaporates and the body relaxes, which means the path to sleep is paved.
Just choose not a digital version of the book, but a paper one, so that the light from the screen does not spoil the hormonal background.
And my personal recommendation is to read not only interesting, but also useful books, for example, about a healthy lifestyle and longevity! A list of my favorites is in the Books section at this link.