Latest news with #TheReadingAgency
BreakingNews.ie
27-04-2025
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Could swapping scrolling for reading at bedtime affect your sleep?
Distraction is now one of the leading obstacles to reading for pleasure, according to a new report from The Reading Agency. The State of the Nation in Adult Reading 2025 report reveals that nearly half (46%) of UK adults struggle to concentrate on reading due to distractions – a number that climbs to 55% among those aged between 16-24 and 35-44, and 52% of 25-34 year-olds. Advertisement The report also highlights a decline in regular reading habits, with only 53% of UK adults now saying they read regularly, compared to 58% in 2015. When asked why it's harder to focus, the most commonly cited reasons were a lack of free time (24%), changes in mental or physical health (11%), major life events (10%) and increased screen time or shifting digital habits (10%). Most of us are guilty of scrolling through our phones before bed instead of reading, but is this late-night screen time affecting our sleep? And could swapping it for a book make a difference? We asked the experts to find out… Advertisement What impact can scrolling on our phones before bed have on our sleep? Endless scrolling through social media or news feeds can keep our minds buzzing long after we've turned off the lights (Alamy/PA) 'Use of any screen late at night means your body continues to be alert, with the light exposure pushing back the natural timing of your body clock, making it harder to fall asleep,' explains Dr Katharina Lederle, sleep and circadian rhythm specialist at The London General Practice . Light exposure can cause less deep sleep, adds Lederle, meaning even if you do get a good amount of sleep, you may not feel well-rested. 'By looking at your phone or laptop, you are effectively putting a mini-sun in front of your eyes,' explains Lederle. 'This will affect the secretion of melatonin, which is typically released a few hours before you go to sleep as the sun sets. 'Evening light exposure, and particularly exposure to light from your phone, will suppress melatonin secretion, and your body clock needs melatonin to tell the rest of the body it is night-time. So, without it, there is no such message, meaning the body continues to be alert.' Advertisement What impacts can reading a book before bed have on our sleep? Reading fiction is thought to be more calming (Alamy/PA) 'Reading provides a gentle cognitive focus that can help reduce stress,' says Dr Rachael Molitor , chartered psychologist and lecturer at Coventry University. 'Reading slowly and calmly before bed activates our parasympathetic nervous system, the rest and digest system, helping to reduce heart rate and blood pressure and leading to a successful sleep onset.' However, fiction is generally considered more relaxing to read than non-fiction – which could have an impact on our sleep quality. 'Fiction, especially familiar or light fiction, tends to be better for sleep because it gently distracts the mind without activating critical thinking or emotional intensity,' explains Dr Lalitaa Suglani , psychologist and author of High Functioning Anxiety. 'Non-fiction may be more stimulating, especially if it involves problem-solving, self-improvement, or emotionally charged material.' And physical books may help us sleep better than e-books. Advertisement Engaging with a story can help calm the mind, reduce stress, and create a relaxing environment conducive to sleep (Alamy/PA) 'Print books are ideal because they lack the backlight that disrupts melatonin,' adds Suglani. 'E-readers with blue-light filters or 'night mode' are better than phones, but still not as calming as physical books. 'Ultimately, the goal is low stimulation and emotional safety – books that don't provoke stress, excitement, or analysis.' What makes scrolling more stimulating and addictive than reading? Notifications and updates provide instant feedback (Alamy/PA) 'Scrolling taps into the dopaminergic feedback loop, a cycle of anticipation, reward, and novelty-seeking that can become addictive,' explains Suglani. 'Social media, news feeds, or even texting right before sleep can activate the brain's threat system or pleasure centers, keeping the body in a state of vigilance.' On the other hand, reading has natural stopping points. Advertisement 'It doesn't offer the same dopamine highs, which is exactly why it's more calming for the nervous system,' says Suglani. 'Reading encourages sustained attention, something our overstimulated brains often crave but rarely experience through screens.' What tips would you give someone trying to transition from screens to books at night? View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Reading Agency (@readingagency) 'Try placing your phone on charge or on a unit away from your bed area, leaving it until the morning,' recommends Molitor. 'Additionally to this, having a screen curfew such as 30 minutes before bedtime would help support the habit shift by looking at all last notifications and then placing the phone away until the morning. 'With do not disturb mode on most phones, emergency contacts may get through but others can then wait until the morning allowing for a successful sleep duration.' Also, make sure the book you plan to read is accessible. 'Keeping the book visible and accessible near your bedside will allow a habit-stacking approach and producing a more successful behavioural change to support reading over scrolling,' says Molitor.
RTÉ News
23-04-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Could swapping your phone for a good read help you sleep?
Distraction is now one of the leading obstacles to reading for pleasure, according to a new report from The Reading Agency. The State of the Nation in Adult Reading 2025 report reveals that nearly half (46 per cent) of adults asked - who were in the UK - struggle to concentrate on reading due to distractions – a number that climbs to 55 per cent among those aged between 16-24 and 35-44, and 52 per cent of 25-34 year-olds. The report also highlights a decline in regular reading habits, with only 53 per cent of UK adults now saying they read regularly, compared to 58 per cent in 2015. When asked why it's harder to focus, the most commonly cited reasons were a lack of free time (24 per cent), changes in mental or physical health (11 per cent), major life events (10 per cent) and increased screen time or shifting digital habits (10 per cent). Most of us are guilty of scrolling through our phones before bed instead of reading, but is this late-night screen time affecting our sleep? And could swapping it for a book make a difference? We asked the experts to find out… What impact can scrolling on our phones before bed have on our sleep? "Use of any screen late at night means your body continues to be alert, with the light exposure pushing back the natural timing of your body clock, making it harder to fall asleep," explains Dr Katharina Lederle, sleep and circadian rhythm specialist at The London General Practice. Light exposure can cause less deep sleep, adds Lederle, meaning even if you do get a good amount of sleep, you may not feel well-rested. "By looking at your phone or laptop, you are effectively putting a mini-sun in front of your eyes," explains Lederle. "This will affect the secretion of melatonin, which is typically released a few hours before you go to sleep as the sun sets. "Evening light exposure, and particularly exposure to light from your phone, will suppress melatonin secretion, and your body clock needs melatonin to tell the rest of the body it is night-time. So, without it, there is no such message, meaning the body continues to be alert." What impacts can reading a book before bed have on our sleep? "Reading provides a gentle cognitive focus that can help reduce stress," says Dr Rachael Molitor, chartered psychologist and lecturer at Coventry University. "Reading slowly and calmly before bed activates our parasympathetic nervous system, the rest and digest system, helping to reduce heart rate and blood pressure and leading to a successful sleep onset." However, fiction is generally considered more relaxing to read than non-fiction – which could have an impact on our sleep quality. "Fiction, especially familiar or light fiction, tends to be better for sleep because it gently distracts the mind without activating critical thinking or emotional intensity," explains Dr Lalitaa Suglani, psychologist and author of High Functioning Anxiety. "Non-fiction may be more stimulating, especially if it involves problem-solving, self-improvement, or emotionally charged material." And physical books may help us sleep better than e-books. "Print books are ideal because they lack the backlight that disrupts melatonin," adds Suglani. "E-readers with blue-light filters or 'night mode' are better than phones, but still not as calming as physical books. "Ultimately, the goal is low stimulation and emotional safety – books that don't provoke stress, excitement, or analysis." What makes scrolling more stimulating and addictive than reading? "Scrolling taps into the dopaminergic feedback loop, a cycle of anticipation, reward, and novelty-seeking that can become addictive," explains Suglani. "Social media, news feeds, or even texting right before sleep can activate the brain's threat system or pleasure centers, keeping the body in a state of vigilance." On the other hand, reading has natural stopping points. "It doesn't offer the same dopamine highs, which is exactly why it's more calming for the nervous system," says Suglani. "Reading encourages sustained attention, something our overstimulated brains often crave but rarely experience through screens." What tips would you give someone trying to transition from screens to books at night? "Try placing your phone on charge or on a unit away from your bed area, leaving it until the morning," recommends Molitor. "Additionally to this, having a screen curfew such as 30 minutes before bedtime would help support the habit shift by looking at all last notifications and then placing the phone away until the morning. "With do not disturb mode on most phones, emergency contacts may get through but others can then wait until the morning allowing for a successful sleep duration." Also, make sure the book you plan to read is accessible. "Keeping the book visible and accessible near your bedside will allow a habit-stacking approach and producing a more successful behavioural change to support reading over scrolling," says Molitor.
The Independent
27-01-2025
- Health
- The Independent
5 ways reading benefits your brain health for over 65s
Cognitive thinking abilities, such as planning and organising, remembering, making decisions and more, all affect how well we do everyday tasks, and whether we can live independently or not. However, as we age, changes in these abilities are common, which may impact the speed of how we find words and recall names, cause problems with multitasking, and lead to a decrease in the ability to pay attention. We now have a lot of advancements in place to help keep our bodies healthy, but not a lot for our brains, says Dr Amir-Homayoun Javadi, associate professor in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Kent. 'This is why we are having more Alzheimer's and dementia cases than before, because our bodies tend to live longer, and our brains are basically not keeping up,' he says. Javadi says that simply taking up the act of reading can be one of the best ways to keep your brain healthy. Statistics from The Reading Agency show that benefits of reading can help those suffering with dementia, as it helps to keep a sense of identity, encourages reminiscing, and sharing of new ideas through a connection with stories and information. But what other benefits are there to reading for those over the age of 65? Preventing cognitive decline Studies have found that 10-20% of people over the age of 65 have mild cognitive impairment, with 10-20% of that group going on to develop dementia over a one-year period. However, one of the things about reading and keeping your mind active is the concept of cognitive enhancement, or at least preventing cognitive decline, says medical doctor Dr Charlotte Lee-Sinclair. 'Repeated stimulation of neuron connections through acts such as reading strengthens synaptic connections. You can form new synapses and prune unnecessary ones,' says Sinclair. 'You can also get remapping where, if there is some damage in your brain, undamaged areas can start taking over the functions of damaged ones. Therefore you start to see improvement of what we call fluid cognition.' 'This means the abilities that allow us to problem solve, plan and operate in the modern world, will all improve.' Stress reduction A survey by Ciphr of 2,000 UK adults, found that 86% of people feel stressed at least once a month, and as many as 1 in 9 (11%) experience stress every day. However, Sinclair says reading helps you to wind down and destress. 'We are all obsessed with our phones, so having the opportunity to just create a bit of a wind-down routine and also activate your brain in such a way that is more relaxing, just helps you with things like stress.' Social connection Research from Age UK, shows that 270,000 people aged 65 and over in England go a week without speaking to a friend or family member, and 1 in 14 older people in the UK are often lonely. However, the social aspect of reading can be both a solution for loneliness and your brain health. 'If you are part of a book club, or a discussion group that involves reading, after reading the book and discussing with other people, it will massively active a lot of different brain areas,' Javadi says. 'Most importantly however, it puts you within a social context which is super important for a healthy brain and better cognition.' Improved sleep According to Javadi, sleep disorders are common in Alzheimer's, with some studies showing that sleep disorders can often come before Alzheimier's. Studies have associated several sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), insomnia, and disrupted sleep-wake cycles to an increased risk of cognitive impairment. A 2021 online study, conducted over social media, asked 496 participants to read a book in bed before sleeping, and 495 participants to not read a book before sleeping. After a week, 42% of readers felt their sleep improved compared to only 28% of the non-readers reporting better sleep. 'Having a good sleep can be preventative of dementia and sleep disorders,' says Javadi. 'Reading is a great way to regulate your sleep time as compared to watching TV or being on your phone.' Emotional intelligence Emotional intelligence is being massively affected by reading, says Javadi. Making judgements of the characters in a story, or comparing and mirroring your experience with others helps maintain a healthy brain, he says. 'In comparison to watching TV, when you are basically going with the flow, you rarely pause to stop and reflect and think about what's happening, compared to when you are reading,' Javadi says. 'Reading provides opportunities that are unique, it is totally under your control and becomes a safe space for you to think about things and also reflect.'
