Reading has many positive health benefits. Reading every day may lead to a longer life, slower cognitive decline, improved sleep, reduced stress, and more.

What you are reading does not even matter. It could be a self-help book, a mystery, or a favorite science fiction series. Reading is an accessible activity. It requires no special equipment other than reading material, and you do not need to acquire a membership or subscription to read. You can do it outdoors, indoors, or in the privacy of your home.

Readers Live Longer

Reading might be the key to living longer. According to a 2016 study from researchers at the Yale University School of Public Health, reading books could reduce mortality by up to 20%.¹

Bavishi A, Slade MD, Levy BR. A chapter a day: association of book reading with longevity. Soc Sci Med. 2016;164:44-48. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.07.014

 While reading in general can increase lifespan, the survival advantage was significantly higher for book readers than it was for those reading magazines and newspapers.

Reading fiction, in particular, was found most beneficial. This study found that reading fiction books for at least 30 minutes a day could add an average of two years to readers’ lives.

That effect was still present even with controlling factors like sex, wealth, education, and health problems. The study’s researchers suggest that using your imagination while reading fiction may help keep the mind active, which translates to health benefits conducive to a longer life.

Slows Cognitive Decline as You Age

Reading can protect against cognitive decline (reduced ability to remember, reason, learn, and pay attention). Regular readers can maintain their cognitive abilities better as they age than those who do not read.² They may have slower rates of memory loss and less decline in thinking skills.

The proactive effect is mainly due to having cognitive reserve (resilience to cognitive decline or brain damage).² The more you read or engage in brain-stimulating activities, the more cognitive reserve you have. That reserve may help to offset degenerative (age-related) changes or damage to the brain.

One 2021 study examined the effect of daily reading on cognitive decline and whether education level played any part.² Researchers found that reading was a protective factor in later life. Frequent reading was associated with a reduced risk for cognitive decline in older adults of all education levels in the long term.

Reduces Stress

Reading can be a healthy way to unplug and escape from the stressors of daily life. Reading fiction, in particular, can improve your mental health and overall well-being.

One 2022 PLoS One review of five studies evaluated the impact of exposure to fiction reading.³ The results of these studies showed that fiction reading had a positive and immediate impact on mood and emotions. It also had positive effects on memory and cognitive consolidation, which is the process in which the brain turns short-term memories into long-term memories.

Reading has impacts beyond improved mood and well-being. It may also lead to improved mindfulness, optimism, happiness, and other positive emotions.⁴

One study reported in 2022 looked at the importance of reading on mental health in a high school setting.⁴ This study examined the effects of story reading on both positive and negative indicators of mental health over time in 10th-grade students. In this study, 33 students were in a story-reading group, and 20 were in a control group.

Results showed that the story-reading group improved in mindfulness, optimism, and happiness and reduced depression, anxiety, and negative emotions over five weeks.

Helps You Relax at Bedtime

Reading before bed can offer great sleep benefits. It is a low-energy activity that can help you relax before you go to sleep. It may improve your sleep quality, promote longer sleep duration, and even relieve insomnia, as follows:

1. Improves Sleep Quality

One 2021 online study asked 496 participants to read a book in bed before going to sleep, and another 496 were asked not to read before sleeping.⁵ After a week, 42% of the readers reported improved sleep, while only 28% of the nonreaders reported improved sleep.

2. Improves Sleep Duration

Research shows that people who read before bed will wake up less and sleep longer than people who go to bed without reading.⁵ This is because reading, when part of a bedtime routine, can signal the brain that it is time to sleep.

It also promotes physical relaxation, where the heart slows and muscles become less tense, allowing the body to relax. Reading also calms the mind and reduces stress, improving sleep quality and potentially extending sleep duration.

3. Relieves Insomnia

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder in which it is difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.⁶ Regularly getting too little quality sleep can significantly impact mental and physical health. Research shows that reading before bed, along with insomnia treatments, can calm the mind and help you sleep better.⁵

4. Reading a Book at Bedtime vs. Reading on a Screen

Reading a traditional book can be a better alternative to screen time. Spending time in front of a screen before bed exposes you to blue light, which negatively affects your sleep.⁷

Research shows that reading on a blue light–emitting electronic device can disrupt sleep because it:⁷

• Interferes with melatonin (a sleep hormone) production
• Reduces rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the stage of sleep associated with dreaming and memory consolidation
• Delays circadian rhythm, the body’s 24-hour internal clock in the brain that controls alertness and sleepiness
• Keeps you awake longer
• Makes you less alert in the morning

These findings mean that reading on a tablet or smartphone may have the opposite effect of reading. It could negatively affect both sleep quality and sleep duration. Limit your reading on your phone or tablet to daytime hours unless you have an e-reader that does not emit blue light.

Helps You to Better Understand Health Information

People who read often are more comfortable reading about and understanding health information. This is called health literacy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), health literacy can help prevent health problems, protect health information, and better manage health when problems arise.⁸

When people have strong health literacy, they can read and understand information about health and make decisions about it. You can improve your health literacy by reading about your health and risk factors.

Don’t be afraid or too embarrassed to ask your healthcare provider about things you do not understand. You can also ask for materials, such as handouts, photos, and diagrams, that can increase your understanding.

Boosts Intelligence

Reading can boost your intelligence. The more you read, the more information you ingest. Reading is like exercise for the brain, and the more you use your brain, the better it functions.

Research shows that reading can increase a person’s vocabulary, which is linked to intelligence. One study reported in 2015 assessed written word-reading skills in fourth graders based on oral vocabulary collected from kindergarten and into the fourth, eighth, and 10th grades from a large sample group.⁹

Testing looked at early word-reading skills and vocabulary growth rates. Results showed that above-average readers had advanced rates of vocabulary growth than average readers.

Research has also found that the stronger your reading skills are in childhood, the more likely you are to improve your intelligence. A 2015 study found that children with better reading skills by age 7 scored higher on IQ tests compared to children with weaker reading skills.¹⁰

Enhances Social Skills 

Reading can enhance your social skills because it gives you examples of social interaction to learn from. Research shows that people who read often have stronger social and behavioral skills compared to nonreaders.⁴

Reading fiction, specifically, may also help adolescents become empathetic by giving them opportunities to understand what others think and feel.⁴ It may also promote self-confidence and assertiveness.

A Word From Verywell

Research suggests that reading can have positive effects on mental and physical health, including sleep, cognition, stress, and lifespan. It is worthwhile to consider replacing phone scrolling with a book-reading habit.

— AMELIA MACINTYRE, DO, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD

How Can I More Enjoy Reading?

Despite the many health benefits of reading, most American adults do not read enough. According to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, 23% of adults in the United States had not read any part of a book in over 12 months.¹¹

Even if you have not been a reader in the past, it is never too late to take advantage of the many physical and mental health benefits of reading a good book.

Here are some ways you can read more:

Start Small

If you dislike reading book series or lengthy books, consider reading magazines, newspapers, and short-story collections. Reading shorter works can make reading seem less daunting. It may also encourage you to read longer works.

Set a Daily Goal

Aim to read a certain number of pages daily. You can start with a small goal, such as 10 to 20 pages a day, and move up gradually. Once you have established a routine, set a larger goal, such as reading a certain number of books yearly.

Reserve a Time to Read

It may help to set aside a specific part of your day to read. For example, reserve 15 to 20 minutes daily in the morning or evening to read.

Join a Book Club

If you can commit the time, consider joining a book club. This can be an excellent motivator for reading. It can also help you stay focused when discussing the reading experience with others. A book club can also be an opportunity to make new friends and participate in a fun activity.

Avoid Distractions

Try not to read with distractions, like loud music or your phone’s alerts going off nearby. This way, you can pay full attention to what you are reading. If you cannot find a quiet place to read, consider wearing earplugs to shut out the noise.

Pick Books You Find Enjoyable

You get to read the book genres you like when reading for enjoyment. If you have no idea where to start, ask for recommendations from friends, family, coworkers, your local librarian, or a bookstore employee. Book clubs and blogs, like Goodreads, are also excellent resources for book suggestions.

Summary 

Reading is an easy way to improve physical and mental health. Benefits of reading every day include a longer life, reduced cognitive decline, improved sleep, stress management, and enhanced social skills.

Reading is especially beneficial for children. Research shows that the stronger reading skills are in childhood, the more intelligent a person is likely to be. Even if you were not an avid reader in the past, it is never too late to start reading and reaping the benefits of reading.

To start a new reading habit, start by carving out some time to read every day. You can start small by reading magazines and other shorter works. You may even consider joining a book club, which can help you to stay motivated and excited about reading.

If you are not sure what to read, ask someone in your life for a recommendation, or check out book suggestions on Goodreads and other reading blogs.

Sources:

1. Bavishi A, Slade MD, Levy BR. A chapter a day: association of book reading with longevity. Soc Sci Med. 2016;164:44-48. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.07.014
2. Chang YH, Wu IC, Hsiung CA. Reading activity prevents long-term decline in cognitive function in older people: evidence from a 14-year longitudinal study. Int Psychogeriatr. 2021;33(1):63-74. doi:10.1017/S1041610220000812
3. Carney J, Robertson C. Five studies evaluating the impact on mental health and mood of recalling, reading, and discussing fiction. PLoS One. 2022;17(4):e0266323. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0266323
4. Arslan G, Yıldırım M, Zangeneh M, Ak İ. Benefits of positive psychology-based story reading on adolescent mental health and well-being. Child Indic Res. 2022;15(3):781-793. doi:10.1007/s12187-021-09891-4
5. Finucane E, O’Brien A, Treweek S, et al. 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. 2021;22(1):873. doi:10.1186/s13063-021-05831-3
6. Sleep Foundation. What are the different types of insomnia?
7. Chang AM, Aeschbach D, Duffy JF, Czeisler CA. Evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep, circadian timing, and next-morning alertness. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015;112(4):1232-1237. doi:10.1073/pnas.1418490112
8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Understanding health literacy.
9. Duff D, Tomblin JB, Catts H. The influence of reading on vocabulary growth: A case for a Matthew effect. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2015;58(3):853-864. doi:10.1044/2015_JSLHR-L-13-0310
10. Ritchie SJ, Bates TC, Plomin R. Does learning to read improve intelligence? A longitudinal multivariate analysis in identical twins from age 7 to 16. Child Dev. 2015;86(1):23-36. doi:10.1111/cdev.12272
11. Pew Research Center. Who doesn’t read books in America?

Important Notice: This article was also published at www.verywellhealth.com by Lana Barhum where all credits are due. Medically reviewed by Amelia MacIntyre, DO

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