Reading boosts sleep quality We've probably all been there: fast asleep with a book in our lap. Thanks to some of the other benefits of reading we've already mentioned like the reduction of stress and feelings of relaxation, it's not at all uncommon for a good read to send us off to sleep. But it's not just because we're so calm and relaxed, those ‘mental gymnastics' we talked about earlier were no exaggeration! Absorbing information and focusing for a long period of time are a workout for your brain, so it's no wonder we easily drop off to sleep when we've been enjoying a good book! Try reading for fifteen minutes before you go to bed tonight and see how quickly you fall asleep, you'll be surprised how effective it is at switching your brain off at the end of a long day.