Is reading before bed good for sleep? For most people, yes, as long as the light is low and the book is calm. A printed book under a dim, warm lamp is the safest choice. Research shows that reading on a bright, light-emitting tablet can delay sleepiness and your body clock compared with reading paper.
Reading is a classic way to wind down. The NHS suggests relaxing for at least an hour before bed, for example by taking a bath or reading a book, and lists reading among calm bedtime activities. The question is less about reading and more about what you read on.
A key study was run at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Twelve healthy young adults lived in a lab for 14 days. On five evenings they read on an iPad set to full brightness for about 4 hours before bed. On five other evenings they read printed books in the same very dim room light. Compared with the printed book, the tablet:
suppressed evening melatonin by about 55%, while the printed book showed no suppression
pushed the body clock later, with melatonin starting more than 1.5 hours later the next evening
meant it took nearly 10 minutes longer to fall asleep (about 26 minutes versus 16)
led to less REM sleep
made people feel less sleepy in the evening but sleepier the next morning, taking hours longer to fully wake up
Keep the limits in mind. It was a small study of young adults, the reading sessions were long, and the tablet was set to maximum brightness. The authors also say they could not tell whether the effects came from the blue-rich color of the light or simply its brightness. Still, the message is clear: a bright, glowing screen close to your face is not the same as a page lit by a lamp.
A paper page gives off no light of its own. You see it by the light of your lamp, so you control how bright and warm it is. In the study above, reading print in dim light did not suppress melatonin.
The same study measured several devices and notes that some e-readers do not emit light; you read them by room light, like paper. The study did not test sleep after reading on these devices, so we cannot say they are exactly equal to print. If yours has a built-in light, keep it on the lowest setting you can comfortably read, and use a warm setting if it has one.
These are light-emitting screens, like the iPad in the study, and they come with notifications and endless links. The NHS suggests trying not to use phones, tablets or computers for an hour before bed, noting that the blue light from screens can make it harder to fall asleep. If you do read on a phone, turn brightness right down, switch on night mode and silence notifications. The Sleep Foundation notes that night mode reduces blue light, but the stimulation of screen time may still affect sleep. For more on phones at night, see using your phone before bed.
Use warm, low light. The Sleep Foundation suggests keeping lights dim as you prepare for bed and using a small, low-power lamp. Point it at the page, not your eyes.
Pick calm material. Choose something you enjoy but can put down: a familiar novel, short essays or poetry. Save thrillers, work reading and the news for earlier.
Set a stopping point. End at a chapter break or after a set time, so one more chapter does not become midnight.
Think about where you read. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) advises using your bed only for sleep and sex. If you sleep well, you may not need to change anything. If you often lie awake, try reading in a chair and getting into bed when you feel sleepy.
Try an audiobook. Listening on a timer, with the screen face down, avoids screen light completely.
The AASM advises that if you do not fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed and do a quiet activity without a lot of light exposure, and it says it is especially important not to get on electronics. The NHS gives similar advice: if you are still awake after about 20 minutes, get up and sit somewhere comfortable. A printed book under a dim lamp is a good fit. Go back to bed when you feel sleepy. More ideas are in what to do when you can't sleep.
This is an example only, for an 11:00 p.m. bedtime.
10:15 p.m.: Phone on the charger outside the bedroom.
10:20 p.m.: Main lights off, small warm lamp on.
10:25 to 10:50 p.m.: Read a printed book or an e-ink reader on its lowest light.
10:55 p.m.: Bookmark in, lamp off.
The NHS suggests seeing a GP if changing your sleep habits has not helped, if you have had trouble sleeping for months, or if it is affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard to cope.
This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.
It can be part of a relaxing routine, which the NHS recommends. In the study above, people fell asleep faster after reading print than after reading on a bright tablet.
A bright phone screen is a poor choice right before sleep. If you must, keep brightness low, use night mode and stop well before lights out.
An e-ink reader without its own light is read by room light, like paper. With a built-in light, keep it as dim as you can. It also lacks the notifications and apps that keep you on a phone.
There is no set rule. Reading can be one part of the hour the NHS suggests using to relax before bed. Stop when you feel sleepy.
Sleepward: Bedtime Routine's 'Your Hour' feature sets a protected block of personal time, which you could use for reading, that ends before your chosen bedtime. Its wind-down screen gradually darkens, which suits a plan to put the phone away and pick up a book. It is free with optional Pro purchases and has no accounts or ads.
Get Sleepward free on the App Store
Fall asleep faster and sleep better (NHS Every Mind Matters)
Light and Sleep: Effects on Sleep Quality (Sleep Foundation)