That answer is actually a bit complicated.
That said, she states that we can't learn everything we need to know about ourselves from one habit. Our tendencies (and traits, for that matter) don't define us.
Still, it's possible to work through things holding us back and affecting our relationships—and lean into practices that help us. Awareness is a key step. To help, Dr. Goldman shares seven common traits of people who need to read to shut off their brains at night.
Reading at night can improve your health, including your all-important sleep quality. A 2021 study in Trials suggested that people who read a book in bed had better sleep quality than those who did not.
"Reading at night helps the body to adjust from the high stress of the day to a more regulating and calming activity," she says. "It can lower heart rate and blood pressure. If [you read] at night, it will be a relaxing activity that can result in the release of melatonin—the body’s naturally produced hormone that regulates sleep."
"A consistent bedtime routine trains the body to associate an activity, such as reading, with sleep," she explains. "As the body becomes accustomed to nighttime reading, the body will calm and will downshift into a state of rest."
Related: Psychologist Reveals That People Who Write Out To-Do Lists by Hand Share These 7 Unique Traits
Why Does My Brain Shut off When I Read?
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She shares that your brain houses the reticular activating system (RAS), which keeps you alert and awake.
For instance, there are often no loud noises or other people talking or moving around you as you're winding down with a good book.
The psychologist adds that our sympathetic nervous system is also activated during the day.
She adds that the PSNS is responsible for "rest, digest and recovery.
She also says that reading allows our body to focus attention on one thing, rather than juggling a million tasks as we may do during the day. It quiets mental noise, allowing us to start to switch into "off mode."
People who read before bed had to work to make it a habit rather than a pipe dream.
She shares that these people often recognize that reading helps them relax, so they practice the behavior repeatedly to make it a habit.
2. They're routine-oriented
"Reading becomes an essential part of a bedtime routine," the psychologist says. "There is a consistency and a routine approach that some folks need and desire, which stems from personality traits. These folks tend to be more regimented, 'Type A' personality types."
"Some people who read at night to help them calm down are more anxiously driven during the daytime hours," Dr. Goldman states. "Some people need help to calm down and turn off their brains from all the background noise."
4. They're creative
This one depends on what you're reading. Dr. Goldman shares that flipping through genres like fiction or fantasy pre-dreamland may indicate you're a creative type.
Like a good book, Dr. Goldman shares that people who read at night are often open, especially to learning and expanding their knowledge base.
Related: 9 Things High-Level Thinkers Notice That the Average Person Ignores, According to Psychologists
6. They're emotionally aware
"It is generally thought that individuals who read are more likely to have an awareness of their emotions and the emotions of others," she reveals. "This starts with children reading at early ages, where they feel sadness for characters in books or question the moral behaviors of characters."
Related: Psychologist Says if You Have These 8 Habits, You Are Highly Emotionally Mature
7. They're conscientious
"They are the people who will choose to leave a party early, even if they’re having a great time, to not throw off their routine and functioning the following day," she says. "They choose to prioritize sleep instead of the instant gratification they feel in the moment for watching one more episode of a TV show."
Related: 29 ‘Must-Read’ Magical Realism Books, According to Librarians
What To Read Before Bed (And What To Avoid) to Shut Your Brain Off
"This is particularly important with reading at night, due to the blue light from screens," she notes. "Research has shown that the blue light from our phones, tablets, TVs and computers negatively impacts sleep cycles."
"You should not read anything that is going to be too emotionally overwhelming or stimulating," the psychologist says. "This means do not read the news, but it also means do not read a thriller or an intense page-turner that you can’t put down."
"This is not allowing the body to start to relax," she says. "Instead, it might keep the body in a high-alert state."
Reading before bed can help you wind down—or rev up your nervous system. It can also reveal certain traits. Here's what to keep in mind:
Reading before bed can "shut your brain off." Well, it can help you feel like you're shutting your brain off. Reading helps the body enter rest-and-digest mode and relaxes the parts of the brain responsible for keeping you alert, Dr. Goldman explains.Reading is a routine. Bedtime routines are not just for kids. The psychologist says that having a bedtime ritual, like habitually reading, can get you in a shuteye state of mind.People who read before bed can share common traits. She reports that habitually reading before bed can indicate you're disciplined, conscientious (especially about sleep) and routine-oriented.What and how you read matters. She advises against reading on devices that emit blue light, like your phone and many tablets. Stick to relaxing content and save thrillers, the news and work emails for waking hours.Related: I Stopped Looking at My Phone Before Bed for 30 Days and I Was Honestly Surprised by the Results
Sources:
Dr. Michele Goldman, Ph.D., is a psychologist and Hope for Depression Research Foundation media advisor.Does reading a book in bed make a difference to sleep in comparison to not reading a book in bed? The People’s Trial—an online, pragmatic, randomised trial. Trials. The influence of blue light on sleep, performance and wellbeing in young adults: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology.Hence then, the article about psychologist says if you need to read to shut your brain off at night you likely have these 7 traits was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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