People Who Read Before Sleeping Often Share These 7 Characteristics Without Even Realizing It

People Who Read Before Sleeping Often Share These 7 Characteristics Without Even Realizing It

Every night, do you need a book to disconnect before sleeping? According to psychologist Michele Goldman, this simple ritual reveals seven personality traits.

There are those who fall asleep in front of a series, those who scroll on their phones, those who just need to close their eyes... and those who cannot go to bed without reading a few pages of a book. If you belong to this group of evening readers, you may feel that it’s just a comforting habit, almost a reflex. However, for American psychologist Michele Goldman, this habit says something about you.

Reading at Night: A Ritual That Prepares the Body for Sleep

Regarding health and sleep, evening reading has measurable effects. A study published in 2021 already suggests that people who read a book in bed sleep better than those who do not. Reading at night helps the body transition from the intense stress of the day to a more regulated and calming activity. This can lower heart rate and blood pressure.

Many say that while reading, they feel their brain “turning off.” Biologically, it doesn’t stop, but it shifts modes. As psychologist Michele Goldman reminds Parade, the slowing down of the nervous system does indeed impact brain function, which explains why we feel like our brain is shutting down.

What Happens in Your Brain

During the day, our sympathetic nervous system is often in control: it prepares for action, monitors the environment, and increases heart rate. Michele Goldman points out that "this is the part of your body that is prepared for action, movement, and exploring your environment to detect potential signs of trouble or danger, which increases heart rate and releases glucose for energy." In the evening, reading, which is silent and focused, reduces external stimuli and allows for a gradual transition to rest mode.

We then shift towards the parasympathetic system, which is responsible for "rest, digestion, and recovery." According to the psychologist, it "is responsible for 'rest, digestion, and recovery.' In this state, heart rate slows, breathing slows, muscles relax, and the body 'slows down,' sometimes even entering a state of sleep." For some individuals, reading also serves to cut off ruminations. "Some people who read at night to help them calm down are often driven by anxiety during the day. Some need help to relax and turn off their brains from all the background noise," she specifies.

The 7 Common Personality Traits of Evening Readers

By observing this evening reading ritual, Michele Goldman identifies seven personality traits that often recur among those who need to read to disconnect before sleeping:

• Discipline
• Love for routine
• Tendency towards anxiety
• Creativity
• Openness and intellectual curiosity
• High emotional awareness
• Consciousness and seriousness regarding sleep